A puppy born on a cloud
In 2001, Miyuki Okumura was sitting with a coffee, looking at the sky. A cloud shaped like a cinnamon roll became the spark. This is how Cinnamoroll was born — a shy white puppy with long ears that he can fly with and a tail curled like a cinnamon bun. Sanrio rejected the first version of the design, but Okumura went back to the drawing board and created a character that won the title of Sanrio's most popular character five times — even beating Hello Kitty.
Genesis and rejection
Okumura's first proposal was rejected by Sanrio. The designer returned with a new concept — and created Cinnamon, who officially debuted in 2002 as "Baby Cinnamon". The difficult path to acceptance is part of the story: a good design doesn't always win the first time.
Bold blue
Okumura wanted blue eyes for Cinnamon. Sanrio warned that the blue color would deter female fans. The designer stood her ground — and it was a bullseye. Blue became the character's distinguishing feature and a differentiator in a sea of pink Sanrio characters.
Healing character
Cinnamoroll appeared at a time when "healing" characters were gaining popularity in Japan — calm, soft, without drama. The shy but friendly puppy, who falls asleep on the laps of cafe customers, perfectly met the need for simple, unconditional comfort.
Phenomenal popularity
By 2004, Cinnamoroll accounted for 25% of all Sanrio sales. In 2017, the city of Shinagawa named him an official tourism ambassador. From 2020 to 2024, he won the Sanrio Character Award five times in a row — a popularity ranking voted by fans worldwide.
Collector Collaborations
😴 Pop Mart × Sanrio Fall Asleep Series
Cinnamoroll and friends in sleepy poses. First edition available in the USA from 2025.
🦷 Labubu × Sanrio (2026)
Labubu dressed as Cinnamoroll. Limited edition blind box keychains — sold out in minutes.
🎨 Pop Mart DIMOO × Cinnamoroll
A meeting of two aesthetics — dreamy DIMOO in the world of Cinnamoroll.
💄 Beauty Series
Cinnamoroll in beauty styles — pastel, elegant, collectible.
Three pillars of creativity
Born on a cloud
Literal and metaphorical softness — light as a cloud, close as a blanket
The courage of blue
A defiance of convention that became an icon
Healing design
Simplicity that truly soothes — not just looks good
Miyuki Okumura created a character that Sanrio first rejected, and then the world loved more than Hello Kitty. Cinnamoroll proves that the best designs often start with the word "no."
Find Cinnamoroll
Discover the Cinnamoroll collection
kickomi.com →
