- "Well, I'm pretty sure this [time being messed up with everyone being late] all has something to do with the town clock, Big Ben. I found some information in Mr. Schmidt's library. One book said that Big Ben is the master of all the clocks in this village. If Big Ben is not working properly, all of the other clocks don't know what to do anymore."
- —The Cuckoo Clock Bird, Hello Kitty and Friends: The Day the Big Clock Stopped
The Clock Tower, formerly known as St. Stephen's Tower, known since 2012 as the Elizabeth Tower, and better known regardless of era as Big Ben is a clock tower that is part of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
Owing to the fact that it is an iconic landmark of the city, it has appeared numerous times in Hello Kitty media.
Its most prominent appearance was in the OVA "The Day the Big Clock Stopped" (the original Japanese name even refers to Big Ben directly). The clock tower is portrayed not just as London's central clock, but also as a deity of time itself for the entire city. If Big Ben's clock hands are stopped for any reason, then not only will all clock hands within city limits will have their hands stopped in the same position as well, but alarm clocks and bells will ring at inopportune times (such as leaving no time for gym class at Hello Kitty's school), and in general, nobody will what the time is, causing many to be late for work or school. Additionally, cooking and baking will not be viable in this situation, with results being burnt food every single time.
Indeed, such a scenario is precisely the plot of the OVA/episode; all of the aforementioned events actually occur within the runtime.
The Bird Stuck On The Minute Hand was indirectly responsible for this incident, having attempted to fly, but lacking experience, falling onto the minute hand of Big Ben, causing it to fail, taking London's other clocks with it. The OVA/episode ends with the bird finally facing its fears, learning how to fly when Kitty and Mimmy needed to be rescued from falling off the top of Big Ben. Having flown off of the minute hand of the clock tower, Big Ben was able to strike the hour immediately afterward, indicating that it was working properly again. The next day, Big Ben functions as usual, as does every other clock in London, barring the cuckoo clock which the cuckoo bird lived in, in which case the cuckoo bird is seen sleeping.
Big Ben makes a cameo appearance in Hello Kitty no London ni Orita Uchuujin along with the Palace of Westminster/House of Parliament, of which Big Ben is a part of.