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Hello Kitty products never before seen in the United States are some of the many products on view at Felissimo Design Gallery in Midtown as part of an exhibit called Japan C.

Director Haruko Smith says it's a showcase of contemporary Japanese culture, specifically Japan's "4 Cs": cute, clever, creative, and cool!

"Japanese are really into little things. We call them zaka," Smith explained.

Among these zaka are the popular cell phone straps. The ones on display at Japan C are made from recycled computer parts

"In Japan, cell phone straps are very big," said Smith. "There are millions of different kinds of cell phone straps and this is way to individualize and personalize their cell phones because they all look alike."

The four-floor exhibit is free and open to the public.

Gallery employee Thomas Fitzpatrick showed off some solar powered items by "Eneloop" that show the sleek and cute side of Japanese design.

"In Japan they don't have central heating so much in the homes, so they use a lot of space heaters and portable heaters," said Fitzpatrick.

A solar-powered battery charger in the shape of a dog is sold with its own accessories – dog biscuits.

There are more than one thousand items on view.

Robert Fish, director of education at the Japan Society, brought a group of teachers to the exhibit to learn about Japanese culture through its products.

"They have lots of different theories on the culture of cute," said Fish. "One is just that it is an aesthetic quality, the other is that it fulfills some need; it creates a fantasy world that provides a relief from stressful daily life."

Japan C is at the gallery through November 1st. The Felissimo Design House is located at 10 West 56yh Street.

For more details, including information on the charity auction to benefit the New York Restoration project, go online to Felissimo.com or go to Japan-C.com.