Who owns Kuromi?
Kuromi is owned by Sanrio (Japan, TSE: 8136).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Sanrio Company, Ltd. — Company Profile. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Sanrio Company, Ltd. reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇯🇵 Japan, Tokyo
- Origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Founded
- 2005
- Category
- Media & entertainment › Franchises & parks › Entertainment franchises
- Parent ticker
- TSE: 8136
- Last verified
- · 3 sources
About Kuromi
Kuromi is the character whose twentieth anniversary Sanrio celebrated in 2025, in the same year as My Melody's fiftieth, which places her creation in 2005. She belongs to the group of characters Sanrio introduced in the 2000s rather than to its 1970s core, and she appears on the corporate brands page with the rest of the portfolio the company licenses.
Ownership timeline of Kuromi
Where Kuromi sits in Sanrio
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Sanrio ownership tree →
See the full Sanrio brand portfolio (10) →
Other brands owned by Sanrio
Sanrio controls 10 brands on Brandtree, 10 of them in media & entertainment.
Also in media & entertainment
- Aggretsuko (2015)
- Cinnamoroll (2001)
- Gudetama (2013)
- Harmonyland (1991)
- Hello Kitty (1974)
- Little Twin Stars (1975)
- Mr. Men and Little Miss (1971)
- My Melody (1975)
- Sanrio Puroland (1990)
Other brands in entertainment franchises, and who owns them
Sanrio has more brands in entertainment franchises on Brandtree than any other owner: 8 of 18.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Degrassi | WildBrain | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Disney | Disney | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Gundam | Bandai Namco | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| Kakao Friends | Kakao | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| Godzilla | TOHO | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| DC | Warner Bros. Discovery | 🇺🇸 United States |
| In the Night Garden | WildBrain | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Strawberry Shortcake | WildBrain | 🇨🇦 Canada |
About the owner: Sanrio
Sanrio is a publicly listed company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1960. Brandtree records 10 brands under its control, and it is listed as TSE: 8136.
Sanrio was established on 10 August 1960 as Yamanashi Silk Center and took its present name in 1973, after it had started selling gift products carrying its own designs. Its business is the creation and licensing of characters, together with gifts, greeting cards, publishing, recorded music, musicals, theme parks and digital content. Founder Shintaro Tsuji is honorary chairman and Tomokuni Tsuji is president and chief executive. It reported consolidated net sales of ¥194,088 million for the year to 31 March 2026 and employed 1,423 people.
🇯🇵 Kuromi and other Japanese brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 437 brands that began in Japan. 21 of them (5%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Kuromi is not one of them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Kuromi?
The parent company of Kuromi is Sanrio, a publicly listed company headquartered in Japan.
Is Kuromi Japanese?
Yes. Kuromi originated in Japan in 2005 and its owner, Sanrio, is also headquartered in Japan.
Is Kuromi still owned by Sanrio?
Yes. As of 26 September 2026, Kuromi is still owned by Sanrio. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (3) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Sanrio Company, Ltd. — Company Profile — Sanrio Company, Ltd., Official document; retrieved 26 September 2026.
- [2] Sanrio Company, Ltd. — Our Brands — Sanrio Company, Ltd., Official document; retrieved 26 September 2026.
- [3] Sanrio Company, Ltd. — Company History — Sanrio Company, Ltd., Official document; retrieved 26 September 2026.
Report a correction Opens a pre-filled GitHub issue. See our corrections policy.