Wait, wait, don’t eat that yummy dish - that’s not regular salmon, that’s Kirimichan! A quirky little food-based character created by Sanrio, Kirimichan is an androgynous slice of salmon that’s become one of the most interesting stars in the kawaii universe. Unlike other Sanrio characters, this cutie dreams of becoming a delicious meal! Hurry and pick up your chopsticks because today we’re going to bite into the wonderful world of Kirimichan.
- Japanese name: きりみちゃん (kee-ree-mee-chan)
- Birthday: August 31
- Debut year: 2013
- Blood type: Salmon
- Motto: Deliciousness isn’t achieved in a day!
- Dream: To be served as part of a delicious meal
- Hobby: Playing Shakenarushaketazzi 14 Shake Line and drawing
- Fun fact: Kirimichan is capable of reincarnating!
WHAT IS KIRIMICHAN?
If it’s not clear what Kirimichan really is, this cutie is actually a kawaii character based on salmon fillet. According to Sanrio, Kirimichan really is meant to be food, though a lot of fans think that it's too cute and quirky to be eaten! Kirimichan’s dream is to be consumed at the dining table and when it does get eaten, its soul is transferred to the next salmon fillet! That way you always know that Kirimichan is fresh to eat!
WHAT DOES KIRIMICHAN LOOK LIKE?
Since this Sanrio food character is based on a cut of salmon, Kirimichan has a big fillet for a head. Its face can be found on the larger side of the salmon fillet cut. When drawn, Kirimichan takes an androgynous form. That way Kirimichan can relate to everyone!
When this yummy cutie is personified (like when it appears in the Sanrio theme park, Puroland), Kirimichan shows up like a young girl! In the Sanrio live shows at the Puroland, you can see Kirimichan wearing a pink outfit. This cutie is also voiced by a girl with a lovely, deep kind of voice!
WHAT DOES KIRIMICHAN MEAN?
Based on Kirimichan's looks, one might assume that the word "kirimichan" refers to salmon fillet cuts. The truth is though that "kirimi" is the Japanese word for sliced things. Meanwhile, the word "chan" is a suffix that the Japanese people use for girls and cute things. Kirimichan got its name because it’s a super kawaii piece of sliced salmon!
WHEN WAS KIRIMICHAN BORN?
Well, Kirimichan was born when it was cut into a piece of fillet from a salmon fish on August 31. This is a pretty ironic birthday for Kirimichan You see, in Japan, August 31 is Vegetable Day and Kirimichan is in no way any kind of veggie. In fact, it’s the type of salmon slice that grills up really nicely with some help from others.
WHAT IS KIRIMICHAN LIKE?
Don’t underestimate Kirimichan, this salmon fillet is actually a deep thinker! Though Kirimichan’s ultimate goal is always to be eaten, this salmon slice also spends its time working as an employee at the Sanrio headquarters. When low-pressure systems approach, Kirimichan often finds itself getting headaches at work. It loves drawing and playing games like “Shakenarushaketazzi 14 Shake Line" during its free time!
This slice of salmon also has its own catchphrase which is “Love! Salmon!” To Kirimichan, the words love and salmon mean happiness. When it’s even happier, Kirimichan uses the phrase “Love! Fish!” instead. Taking in a kirimi-shaped piggy bank as its treasure, Kirimichan believes in the motto that “deliciousness is not achieved in a day.”
WHO IS THE ILLUSTRATOR OF KIRIMICHAN?
Did you know that unlike most of the cuties from Sanrio like Cinnamoroll, Hello Kitty, and Pompompurin, Kirimichan came from a contest? That’s right! Aside from its annual popularity contest the Sanrio Character Awards, Sanrio holds multiple character contests among its designers. One of those was the 2013 voting project, “Tabechara General Election - Eat or be Eaten.”
The “Tabechara General Election” was a contest that had Sanrio designers creating new food characters for the kawaii powerhouse. Ai Seya, the same Sanrio artist who designed Rilu Rilu Fairilu, created Kirimichan for the general election. It took the first spot among all the 20 different characters submitted! A year after that on February 2014, Sanrio decided to give Kirimichan a major debut. If you'd like to learn more about all the other characters in Sanrio's roster, you can check out our Complete List of Sanrio Characters.
ENTER KIRIMICHAN'S UNIVERSE!
Salmon fillets aren’t the only sliced dishes served during Japanese mealtimes! Kirimichan has a ton of tasty buddies who all long to be eaten together like the clumsy but caring surimi Kamaboko-chan, the strawberry with condensed milk poured over it named Ichigo-chan, and the quiet little Naru-chan. Bring over your bowl and let’s get to know all of Kirimichan’s buddies!
Kamaboko-chan (かまぼこちゃん)
Kamaboko-chan is a character based on cured surimi (a Japanese processed seafood product). Though she’s a bit clumsy, Kamaboko is a caring person that people like. She loves girls’ talk. Kamaboko-chan is Kirimichan’s closest friend.
Takuwanwan (たくわんわん)
This is Kirimichan’s pet that it rescued from the Takuwanwan protection facility.
She wasn’t too close to Kirmichan at first, but now she’s really attached to her and sleeps together with her.
Naruto-chan (なるとちゃん)
A quiet character, Naru-chan can be a bit absent-minded but that’s just because she thinks about a lot more than most people. She’s good friends with Saba-kun. This cutie always sleeps on a spoon.
Tai-kun (タイくん)
Tai-kun can be a bit narcissistic because of his wealth. He has blue eyes that people believe to be colored contact lenses. This character says nasty things a lot but people don’t really listen to him.
Buri-kun (ブリくん)
A cute-looking boy, Buri-kun has lovely eyelashes. This character loves cute things, uses emojis a lot, and is more feminine than the others around Kirimichan
Shark senpai(サメせんぱい)
The leader of everyone, Shark senpai is a hot-blooded boy. He’s a bad sleeper. Shark senpai often travels to find himself.
Saba-kun (さばくん)
Saba-kun is kind and gentle but gets angry when others around them are mad. His eyes seem closed when he’s smiling but even when he opens them they don’t really change much.
Loin-chan (ロースちゃん)
This pork cut character is in love with Kirimi-chan. She used to worry about being different. Now though she realizes that it doesn’t really matter and has a lot of fun!
Sawara-kun (さわらくん)
A serious young man, Sawara-kun always watches over Kirimichan and helps her from the shadows. He’s a humble, unsung hero that doesn’t like to stand out.
Mr. Gindara (ぎんだらさん)
While he might seem to be a caring person, Mr. Gindara also has a cold side to him.
This character actually has a lot of catchphrases! He originally came from Kyoto.
Chateaubriand (シャトーブリアン)
A senior at the meat association, Chateaubriand seems cold and distant at times. The truth is that she’s actually really caring and loyal. She always insists on inviting Kirimi to join the meat association. Chateabriand’s hobby is watching movies.
Calbi-kun (カルビくん)
Calbi-kun loves Chateaubriand as his senior and is always by her side like a disciple of sorts. He first thought Kirimichan was an enemy who was trying to seduce his senpai. However, as soon as he got to know Kirimi, they became friends.
Sasamin (ささみん)
A good cook, Sasamin is in charge of cooking at the Meat Association. He always whistles while he goes back and forth between the Fillet Industry and the Meat Association. Sasamin cherishes his freedom.
Lamb Chops (ラムチョップ)
Lamb Chops feels close to Kirimi because lamb and salmon are good for the diet. She’s pretty skilled at healthy gymnastics. Lamb Chops can be a bit of a nosy person though.
Gyutan-kun (ぎゅうたんくん)
Gyutan-kun has a problem with his tongue - it sticks out all the time. Whenever he’s doing steps he sings “tang, tang, tattan.” He always dances and does steps to avoid being blown away by the wind.
Ichigo-chan with Condensed Milk (練乳がけいちごちゃん)
This cutie was born when a human poured condensed milk over Ichigo-chan. She works hard every day in promotion. When her favorite is happy, Ichigo-chan with condensed milk is also happy. When they are sad, she is sad. Who’s her favorite? That’s a secret!
Maguro-kun (マグロくん)
A stylish traveler with a wasabi hat, Tuna-kun has a lot of stories from his trips around the world. He’s always traveling! Kirimichan looks forward to Maguro-kun’s stories all the time.
IS KIRIMICHAN BEING DISCONTINUED?
There was a lot of hubbub when Sanrio announced that it was delisting 16 of its characters including Kirimichan. Did this mean that the kawaii powerhouse was no longer going to have Kirimichan in the official roster of Sanrio characters? Well, fret not! Kirimichan is still very much part of the Sanrio Universe together with My Melody, Kuromi, Pochacco, and more!
It turns out Sanrio’s announcement was for its theme park, Sanrio Puroland. The 16 characters that Sanrio said it was delisting were simply being taken out of the park’s list of active mascots. That means fans won't get to see these cuties at Puroland. Kirimichan is still going to get merchandise, content, and collabs even if it’s no longer going to appear in the popular Sanrio theme park.
HOW POPULAR IS KIRIMICHAN?
Well, Kirimichan might not have as much star power as kawaii staples like Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, and Kuromi, but this salmon slice does have a following! In fact, Kirimichan used to do pretty well in the yearly Sanrio Character Ranking. In 2014 and 2017 the salmon fillet managed to swim its way to the eighth place in the contest, the highest that it’s ever been in the ranking from Sanrio. More recently from 2021 to 2023, Kirimichan can be found in the top 20 of Sanrio’s yearly poll.
WHY IS KIRIMICHAN SO POPULAR?
First of all, Kirimichan is quirky and cute! The idea of Sanrio turning a slice of salmon into a kawaii character might seem outrageous, but somehow the kawaii powerhouse managed to turn Kirimichan into a super cute salmon fillet. Not only that, but a lot of kawaii fans love Kirimichan’s presence on X (formerly Twitter). The salmon fillet’s posts are always super relatable!
ALL OF KIRIMICHAN'S ANIME TEAMUPS
Being as loved as it is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Kirimichan has multiple team-ups. That includes a collaboration with the popular Japanese shoujo manga or girls’ manga, Asari-chan. Not only did the project produce tons of fun cute merch showcasing both Kirimichan and Asari-chan, but Sanrio also created a cute music video of the two.
Besides Asari-chan, everyone’s favorite slice of salmon also got to work together with its Sanrio siblings in a collaboration project with Project SEKAI. The cutie got to pair up together with the vocaloid Minori-chan for special merchandise like charms, CDs, desk stands, and other cute Kirimi-chan items.
KIRIMICHAN TURNS INTO AN ANIME AMBASSADOR!
In 2015, Kirimichan was appointed as the “Let’s Eat Fish Ambassador” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in Japan. During her stint as ambassador, Sanrio decided to transform the salmon fillet into a cute little magical anime girl! Kirimichan’s friends were also turned into other anime characters too like Calbi-kun and Shark senpai. They all got special videos and audio clips out of the stint as the “Let’s Eat Fish Ambassador.”
KIRIMICHAN GETS HER OWN CAKE
It might sound strange, but it seems like Kirimichan managed to become friends with a sweets shop! In 2022, Priroll announced that it was accepting reservations for printed sweets showcasing everyone’s favorite kawaii slice of salmon from Sanrio. Not to worry - none of the cakes taste fishy! Apparently customers can choose between whipped cream or chocolate cream for the cream flavor and then yellow peach or strawberry for the fruit topping of the cake.
BUY A SLICE OF KIRIMICHAN AT KFC
Hoping to get its hands on the fish market in Japan, KFC decided to team up together with Sanrio’s fish representative, Kirimichan. In 2019 the American fast food franchise collaborated together with Kirimichan to produce a brand new fried salmon treat! It was a tasty alternative to all of KFC’s chicken. Fans who ordered KFC’s Kirimichan salmon got the opportunity to join a lottery to win an autographed illustration of Kirimichan by the designer in charge!
HAVE YOUR FILL OF KIRIMICHAN AT THE DELI
Teaming up together with Sanrio, Japanese fish deli food manufacturer Yuuya decided to create a special set of food inspired by the kawaii slice of salmon, Kirimichan. Called the “KIRIMI-chan Fish Deli Set,” this fun fish assortment includes fish dishes and edible stickers showcasing Kirimichan and friends. This set was made so that children can enjoy learning about the nutritional value of sliced fish!
NAB A PACK OF KIRIMICHAN SALMON FILLET!
Hoping to turn kirmichan.’s wish to be eaten into a dream come true, Japanese fish company Toyo Reizo decided to create a special fish fillet pack inspired by Sanrio’s slice of salmon. In 2020, the company released “Kirimichan’s Silver Salmon Fillet” which contains three 100g fillets of silver salmon. This pack of salmon fillet cuts could only be bought exclusively at the “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Fish Story” section of the Japanese store, Rakuten Ichiba.
HAVE A BITE OF KIRIMICHAN AT COLLAB CAFES!
Though the Sanrio salmon slice doesn’t have a permanent cafe of its own, it’s had a couple of fun collaboration cafes over the years. In 2015, Kirimichan got a collab cafe together with Gudetama and Monster Hunter Cross at West Yard in Tokyo Skytree Town. There were lots of salmon slice meals and drinks based on Kirimichan! A year after that, in 2016 Kirimichan got a collab cafe from CoLaBono in Sunshine Sakae, Nagoya. Featuring the anime version of Kirimichan and friends, the cafe offered tons of yummy crepes and drinks.
GET GOOD AT PLAYING KIRIMICHAN GAMES
Seeing how Kirimichan loves gaming, it makes perfect sense to see Sanrio’s cute slice of salmon getting a few gaming collabs every now and then. In 2018, Linepop decided to team up with Kirimichan for a special gaming event. From July 10 to July 24 that year Kirimichan and her friends were set to appear as collab-exclusive Minimons to help Linepop players. They gave added skills and bonuses during the game!
UNLIMITED KIRIMICHAN AT THE YAKINIKU BUFFET
Everyone wants to work with Kirimichan, especially yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants! In 2015, yakinuku resto Okonomiyaki Dohtonbori decided to collaborate with Kirimichan for a special DIY buffet set. Customers get an eat-all-you-can course of 11 different dishes for 90 minutes together with a Kirimichan DIY kit so they can turn their meals into the cute little salmon fillet from Sanrio. It was a unique dining experience for fans.
WHERE CAN I BUY KIRIMICHAN GOODIES?
Looking to fill your space up with kawaii Kirimichan items? Well, Sanrio has a ton of cute goodies to offer, from Kirimichan plushies, Kirimichan stationery, to a slew of Kirimichan Homegoods. Though a lot of these merch can usually be found in Sanrio shops, you don’t really need to buy a ticket to Japan just so you can get your fill of Kirimichan. Check out our Kirimichan collection on Blippo and fill up your cart to your heart’s content!
So there you have it! We hope you've gotten your fill of knowledge about Kirimichan, the cute little slice of salmon from Sanrio. Encouraging children to eat more fish, Kirimichan works hard at becoming cute and delicious every day. It’s a cutie that puts the spotlight on good nutrition because at the end of the day, you need to be healthy to be kawaii!
What do you like about Kirimichan? Who’s your favorite among all of Kirimichan’s friends? Have you ever thought of eating Kirimichan? Don’t be shy! We love getting messages from our kawaii buddies. Drop us a message in the comment section below.