Ritsuko Kawai was born on March 3, 1964 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. She earned a design degree from Kyoto Saga University of Arts before moving to Tokyo to pursue a career as a manga artist. Her professional debut came in 1981 when she won the first Hello Friend Comedy Manga Award for her work Anata ni Oyogiyo, published under the name Ritsuko Kawai.

Kawai is best known as the original creator of the Hamtaro franchise, which began as a series of childrens storybooks first published in 1997. The books were serialized in Shogaku Ni Nensei, a magazine for Japanese schoolchildren published by Shogakukan. The Hamtaro stories follow a small hamster and his friends, with Kawai emphasizing themes of non violence, teamwork, cooperation, and sharing throughout the series.

The Hamtaro books were adapted into an anime television series titled Tottoko Hamtarō, which began broadcasting in Japan in July 2000. The anime ran for 296 episodes and also produced four OVAs and four movies, including the theatrical features Hamtaro the Movie 3 and Hamtaro: 3000 Hammy Steps In Search Of Mommy. The animation series began airing in English in the United States in July 2002. Her Hamtaro books have sold more than six million copies in Japan.

Beyond Hamtaro, Kawai has created other shōjo manga serialized in Ciao magazine. Her additional manga works include Ultra Maririn, Nandemo Alice, Dracula Musume Madonna, and various Mario themed manga such as Mario to Donkey no Daibouken, written in collaboration with scriptwriter Hiroshi Tomita. In 2013, she became a visiting professor at Kyoto Saga University of Arts.