Sazae-san
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese comic strip
created by Machiko Hasegawa
. It was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the wished to have Hasegawa draw the comic strip for their paper, she moved to Tokyo
in 1949 with the explanation that the main characters had moved from Kyūshū
to Tokyo as well. The comic dealt with contemporary situations in Tokyo until Hasegawa retired and ended the comic on February 21, 1974.
.
Sazae was a very "liberated" woman, and many of the early plotlines revolved around Sazae bossing around her husband, to the consternation of her neighbors, who believed that a man should be the head of his household. Later, Sazae became a feminist and was involved in many comical situations regarding her affiliation with her local women's lib group.
Despite the topical nature of the comic, the core of the stories revolved around the large family dynamic, and were presented in a lighthearted, easy fashion. In fact, the final comic, in 1974, revolved around Sazae's happiness that an egg she cracked for her husband's breakfast produced a double yolk, with Katsuo remarking about the happiness the "little things" in life can bring.
Today, the popular Sazae-san anime
is frequently taken as nostalgia for traditional Japanese society (since it lacks modern marvels such as video games and otaku
culture), even though it was leftist to the point of controversy when it originally ran in Japanese newspapers.
)
(née
)
The names of the characters are derived from marine animals and things relating to the sea
:
The inspiration for the characters is said to have come to Hasegawa as she was strolling along the beach one day.
Although the comic ran for twenty-eight years, the characters never aged: Sazae was always 27 years old, her husband 28, her father and mother were always 54 and 48, and Sazae's siblings were around eleven and seven years of age, respectively.
America, Inc.
started an animated comedy series, which is still on the air today and currently in production, making it the longest-running animated and non-soap opera scripted TV series in history. It has been broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and contains three vignettes. The animated series has some characters, like Katsuo's classmates, who have not appeared in Hasegawa's original works.
The end credits for each episode include brief animations of the original comic strips, with dialogue appearing in word balloons. Since November 1991, after the closing credits and the next episode previews, each show has ended with a janken
match between Sazae and the viewers at home, in which Sazae holds up a sign representing one of the appropriate hand gestures. From 1969 to 1991, Sazae ended each episode by tossing a bean or rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth. This was often imitated by viewers. In 1990, a child choked to death after imitating the trick, and Fuji Television switched to the janken match.
On November 16, 2008, the series' 3000th episode was broadcast in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the animated series; this special episode also featured Sazae-san wearing five costumes based on submissions from viewers.
The animated series was originally sponsored solely by Toshiba
—including placement of its products within the show—but later expanded to other sponsors.
Sazae-san was the last television anime to use traditional cel animation, although as of April 2009, the opening credits were digital.
The same year, a short-lived live-action television series was started, and was aired on what is now TBS
.
In November 1965, TBS started a dramatic television series modeled after the comic strip. It aired until September 1967.
In 1979, NHK
made a dramatic serial which ran for six months, focusing on the creation of Sazae-san and Machiko Hasegawa in her younger days.
In 2010, Fuji Television debuted a live-action situation comedy series, , followed the following year with . The series is patterned after the animated series and uses the same elements, including the theme music and the closing janken match.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
created by Machiko Hasegawa
Machiko Hasegawa
, January 30, 1920 – May 27, 1992, in Taku, Saga Prefecture) was one of the first female manga artists.She started her own comic strip, Sazae-san, in 1946. It reached national circulation via the Asahi Shimbun in 1949, and ran daily until Hasegawa decided to retire in February 1974...
. It was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the wished to have Hasegawa draw the comic strip for their paper, she moved to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1949 with the explanation that the main characters had moved from Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
to Tokyo as well. The comic dealt with contemporary situations in Tokyo until Hasegawa retired and ended the comic on February 21, 1974.
Plots
The comic was very topical. In the beginning, Sazae was more interested in being herself than dressing up in kimono and makeup to attract her future husband. Hasegawa was forward-thinking in that, in her words, the Isono/Fuguta clan would embody the image of the modern Japanese family after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Sazae was a very "liberated" woman, and many of the early plotlines revolved around Sazae bossing around her husband, to the consternation of her neighbors, who believed that a man should be the head of his household. Later, Sazae became a feminist and was involved in many comical situations regarding her affiliation with her local women's lib group.
Despite the topical nature of the comic, the core of the stories revolved around the large family dynamic, and were presented in a lighthearted, easy fashion. In fact, the final comic, in 1974, revolved around Sazae's happiness that an egg she cracked for her husband's breakfast produced a double yolk, with Katsuo remarking about the happiness the "little things" in life can bring.
Today, the popular Sazae-san anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
is frequently taken as nostalgia for traditional Japanese society (since it lacks modern marvels such as video games and otaku
Otaku
is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
culture), even though it was leftist to the point of controversy when it originally ran in Japanese newspapers.
Isono and Fuguta family
(néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
)
- The main character. Age 24 (27 in the manga), born on November 22 in FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuokais the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
. In the beginning Sazae's mother was worried that Sazae was too unladylike to ever attract a husband, but she married Masuo. - Voiced by: Midori KatōMidori Katōis a Japanese voice actress, actress, and narrator represented by Gekidankawa, Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, and Sigma Seven , but is now a free agent....
- Sazae's salarymanSalarymanrefers to someone whose income is salary based; particularly those working for corporations. Its frequent use by Japanese corporations, and its prevalence in Japanese manga and anime has gradually led to its acceptance in English-speaking countries as a noun for a Japanese white-collar...
husband. 28 years old (32 in the manga). Born on April 3 in Sumiyoshi-ku, OsakaSumiyoshi-ku, Osakais one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is located on the southern part of the Uemachi Plateau, in the southern most part of Osaka City, and is separated from Sakai City's Sakai-ku and Kita-ku by the Yamato River...
. After marrying Sazae, he moved in with her family. - Voiced by: Shinsuke Chikaishi (1969-1978), Hiroshi Masuoka (1978-)
- Sazae and Masuo's 3-year old son. Usually called . Born on March 18.
- Voiced by: Takako Sasuga
- Sazae's father and patriarch of the family. Age 54. Born on September 14. (Originally his birth year was given as 1895).
- Voiced by: Ichirō NagaiIchiro Nagaiis a male seiyū from Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. He was formerly represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, but is now represented by Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Akuma-kun *Bikkuriman...
(née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
)
- Sazae's mother. Age 50 (48 in the manga); born on January 11 in ShizuokaShizuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
. - Voiced by: Miyoko AsōMiyoko Asois a Japanese voice actress. She is best known for the role of Fune Isono in the longest-running Japanese anime series Sazae-san that began in 1969 and recently celebrated its 40 year anniversary. Her recent works include Dr. Pinako Rockbell in the 2009-2010 anime series Fullmetal Alchemist:...
- Sazae's mischievous little brother. Age 11. He was often suffered under the wrath of his older sister Sazae, when he refused to do his homework or accidentally insults other guests in the manner of faux-pas. Same thing occurs for Namihei, his father when he usually finds out about Katsuo's low grade on his tests and lectures through scolding. His main activity consist of playing baseball with his friends.
- Voiced by: Nobuyo ŌyamaNobuyo Oyamais a Japanese voice actress currently represented by Actors Seven.She is best known for playing the title character in the long-running Doraemon anime.- Notable voice work :* Sazae-san * Doraemon...
(1969), Kazue TakahashiKazue Takahashiwas a female voice actress who was born in Tochigi, Japan. Kazue was best known as the voice of Shoutarou Kaneda in Tetsujin 28-go...
(1970-1998), Mina Tominaga (1998-)
- Sazae's little sister. Age 9. She is kind.
- Voiced by: Yoshiko Yamamoto (1969-1976), Michiko NomuraMichiko Nomurais a Japanese voice actress. She is married to fellow voice actor Kenji Utsumi.-Notable voice roles:*Speed Racer : Mitchi Shimura *Sazae-san : Wakame Isono *Doraemon : Shizuka...
(1976-2005), Makoto TsumuraMakoto Tsumurais a Japanese voice actress from Hokkaidō formerly affiliated with Mausu Promotion.-Television animation:*Astro Boy *Dokkiri Doctor *Idaten Jump *Inukami! *Ghost Stories...
(2005-)
- The Isono family's pet cat. He hates mice.
- Voiced by: ? (The meaning of this "?" credit has been a topic of debate amongst viewers for years.)
Isono and Fuguta family's kinship
- A little sister of Namihei and Umihei. Norisuke's mother.
- Voiced by: Kamina Hamano, Reiko Yamada (2009-)
- Nagie's son and Sazae's cousin who works for a newspaper publisher.
- Voiced by: Ichirō MurakoshiIchiro Murakoshiwas a male Japanese voice actor from Tokyo, Japan. He was a Waseda University graduate. His real name was .-Anime:*The Adventures of Tom Sawyer *Doraemon *GeGeGe no Kitaro 1985 *Gekisou Rubenkaiser...
(1969-1998), Tarō Arakawa (1998-2000), Yasunori MatsumotoYasunori Matsumotois a Japanese voice actor. He currently works for Sigma Seven, formerly for Production Baobab.-About:Some of Matsumoto's most notable roles are Wataru Akiyama in Initial D, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Magnum Ace in Shippū! Iron Leaguer, Gourry Gabriev in Slayers and Ryou in Sonic Soldier...
(2000-)
- Norisuke's wife.
- Voiced by: Ryoko Aikawa , Masako Ebisu (1969-1979), Emiko Tukada (1979-)
- Norisuke and Taiko's son.
- Voiced by: Reiko Katsura
- Namihei's Meiji RevolutionMeiji RestorationThe , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
samuraiSamuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
ancestor. Around the time of the Bon FestivalBon Festivalor just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed...
, he haunts Namihei's (or sometimes Katsuo's) dreams. - Voiced by: Ichirō NagaiIchiro Nagaiis a male seiyū from Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. He was formerly represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, but is now represented by Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Akuma-kun *Bikkuriman...
- Namihei's twin older brother.
- Voiced by: Ichirō NagaiIchiro Nagaiis a male seiyū from Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. He was formerly represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, but is now represented by Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Akuma-kun *Bikkuriman...
- Masuo's newphew.
- Voiced by: Fujiko TakimotoFujiko Takimotois a Japanese voice actress born in Osaka, Japan who is famous for her part in voicing child Link from The Legend of Zelda series. She is currently affiliated with Arts Vision.-Anime:*Captain Tsubasa *Mahoujin Guru Guru...
- Fune's big brother.
- Voiced by: Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
Isasaka family
- A novelist who lives in the next house of Isono family's house.
- Voiced by: Sanji HaseSanji Hase', born ' on January 2, 1936 in Tokyo, Japan, was a seiyū and the father of Macross star Arihiro Hase. He died of lung cancer on March 8, 2002 at the age of 66...
, Eken MineEken Minewas a Japanese voice actor from Nagasaki, Japan.-Anime:*3000 Leagues in Search of Mother *Alps no Shōjo Heidi *Anime Sanjushi *Candy Candy *DNA² *Doraemon...
, Yasuo IwataYasuo Iwatawas a Japanese seiyū from Iwate, most known for his role as Nanbutsu Isasaka in Sazae-san.-Voice roles:*Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san *Heat Guy J *Last Exile...
- Nanbutsu's wife. Fune's childhood friend.
- Voiced by: Reiko Yamada
- Nanbutsu's daughter.
- Voiced by: Keiko HanKeiko Hanis a Japanese voice actress. She attended Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin, going on to study theatre arts at Nihon University. She gained experience in theater while attending school by obtaining work through Aoni Production, singing the theme songs in productions such as Story of the Alps: My Annette and...
, Miina TominagaMiina Tominaga, better known by her stage name of is a Japanese seiyū and tarento from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Mint Avenue....
, Eriko Kawasaki
- Nanbutsu's son.
- Voiced by: Hiroshi TakemuraHiroshi Takemurais a Japanese voice actor. He is an alumnus of the theatrical troupe Gekidan Baraza, which is directed by Nachi Nozawa. His hobbies include billiards, skiing, fishing and tennis. Takemura is employed by the talent management firm Office Kaoru.-TV:...
- Isasaka family's pet dog.
Hama family
A next-door neighbor of the Isono family.- An art painter. His given name is unknown.
- Voiced by: Eken MineEken Minewas a Japanese voice actor from Nagasaki, Japan.-Anime:*3000 Leagues in Search of Mother *Alps no Shōjo Heidi *Anime Sanjushi *Candy Candy *DNA² *Doraemon...
- Hama's daughter. A high school student.
- Voiced by: Keiko HanKeiko Hanis a Japanese voice actress. She attended Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin, going on to study theatre arts at Nihon University. She gained experience in theater while attending school by obtaining work through Aoni Production, singing the theme songs in productions such as Story of the Alps: My Annette and...
- The Hama family's pet dog.
Other characters
- An old man who lives in a house in back of (ura-no) Isono family's house.
- Ura-no Grandpa's wife.
- The employee of Mikawaya who makes house calls for food orders.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Issei FutamataIssei Futamatais a veteran seiyū who was born on March 15, 1955 in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Towada Technical High School. He is a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....
- One of Tarao's friends.
- Voiced by: Reiko Katsura
- Katsuo's best friend and his classmate.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Sumiko Shirakawa
- One of Katsuo's classmates.
- Voiced by: Keiko HanKeiko Hanis a Japanese voice actress. She attended Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin, going on to study theatre arts at Nihon University. She gained experience in theater while attending school by obtaining work through Aoni Production, singing the theme songs in productions such as Story of the Alps: My Annette and...
, Miina TominagaMiina Tominaga, better known by her stage name of is a Japanese seiyū and tarento from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Mint Avenue....
, Eriko Kawasaki
- One of Katsuo's classmates.
- One of Katsuo's classmates, who has a crush on him.
- Voiced by: TarakoTarako, known simply as Tarako, is a Japanese voice actress and singer-songwriter. Her debut role was as a preschooler on Urusei Yatsura. Tarako is currently employed by the talent management firm Troubadour Musique Office.- TV :...
, Keiko YamamotoKeiko Yamamoto', born August 7, 1943, is a veteran female voice actor from Osaka Prefecture. Many of her roles have been young boys or tomboyish young girls.-TV Anime:*Akadō Suzunosuke 1972 *Aria the Natural...
- One of Katsuo's classmates.
- One of Katsuo's classmates.
- Katsuo's teacher.
- One of Wakame's classmates.
- One of Wakame's classmates.
- One of Masuo's co-workers.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Kazuya TatekabeKazuya Tatekabeis a Japanese voice actor. He is currently represented by Kenyu Horiuchi's Kenyu Office.He is most known for the roles of Jaian , Walsa , and Tonzura .-Notable voice work:...
(-197?), Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
(197?-)
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
- The shopkeeper of Mikawaya, a sake shop.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
- Hanako's father.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
:Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
The names of the characters are derived from marine animals and things relating to the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
:
- the JapaneseJapanese namein modern times usually consist of a family name , followed by a given name. "Middle names" are not generally used.Japanese names are usually written in kanji, which are characters of usually Chinese origin in Japanese pronunciation...
family nameFamily nameA family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
s Isono, Fuguta, and Namino: iso means beachBeachA beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, fuguFuguis the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to...
means blowfishBlowfishThe blowfish, or Tetraodontidae, is a fish in the Tetraodontidae family.Blowfish may also refer to:* The Blowfish, a satirical newspaper at Brandeis University* Blowfish , encryption algorithm...
, and nami means wave - Masuo: masu means troutTroutTrout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
- Fune: ship
- Sazae: horned turban shell—a kind of sea snail
- Tara: codfish
- Namihei: nami means wave
- Katsuo: skipjack tunaSkipjack tunaThe skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish...
, a type of fish - WakameWakame, Undaria pinnatifida, or Miyeok in Korean, is a sea vegetable, or edible seaweed. It has a subtly sweet flavour and is most often served in soups and salads....
: means seaweedSeaweedSeaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
, a green plant that lives underwater. - Norisuke: noriNoriis the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver. Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking...
, dried seaweed used to wrap sushiSushiis a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari... - Taiko: tai is sea bream
- Ikura: salmonSalmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
roeRoeRoe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
The inspiration for the characters is said to have come to Hasegawa as she was strolling along the beach one day.
Although the comic ran for twenty-eight years, the characters never aged: Sazae was always 27 years old, her husband 28, her father and mother were always 54 and 48, and Sazae's siblings were around eleven and seven years of age, respectively.
Publishing
The comic strip was published in book form by , which Machiko ran with her sister, Mariko. In April 1993, this publishing company went out of business and the comic books went out of print. The same year, Asahi Shinbun purchased the right to publish the forty-five paperback volumes. Selected comics have been published in the United States by KodanshaKodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
America, Inc.
Animated series
In October 1969, Fuji TelevisionFuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
started an animated comedy series, which is still on the air today and currently in production, making it the longest-running animated and non-soap opera scripted TV series in history. It has been broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and contains three vignettes. The animated series has some characters, like Katsuo's classmates, who have not appeared in Hasegawa's original works.
The end credits for each episode include brief animations of the original comic strips, with dialogue appearing in word balloons. Since November 1991, after the closing credits and the next episode previews, each show has ended with a janken
Rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people. The game is also known as roshambo, or another ordering of the three items ....
match between Sazae and the viewers at home, in which Sazae holds up a sign representing one of the appropriate hand gestures. From 1969 to 1991, Sazae ended each episode by tossing a bean or rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth. This was often imitated by viewers. In 1990, a child choked to death after imitating the trick, and Fuji Television switched to the janken match.
On November 16, 2008, the series' 3000th episode was broadcast in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the animated series; this special episode also featured Sazae-san wearing five costumes based on submissions from viewers.
The animated series was originally sponsored solely by Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
—including placement of its products within the show—but later expanded to other sponsors.
Sazae-san was the last television anime to use traditional cel animation, although as of April 2009, the opening credits were digital.
- Opening Song: "Sazae-san" by Yuko Uno
- Ending Song: "Sazae-san Ikka" by Yuko Uno
Live-action series
In 1955, a radio station aired a serial drama based on the comic strip.The same year, a short-lived live-action television series was started, and was aired on what is now TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
.
In November 1965, TBS started a dramatic television series modeled after the comic strip. It aired until September 1967.
In 1979, NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
made a dramatic serial which ran for six months, focusing on the creation of Sazae-san and Machiko Hasegawa in her younger days.
In 2010, Fuji Television debuted a live-action situation comedy series, , followed the following year with . The series is patterned after the animated series and uses the same elements, including the theme music and the closing janken match.
See also
- Miki HayasakaMiki Hayasakais an illustrator and manga artist born on 1955-09-05 in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from high school in 1973, he moved to Tokyo and began attending classes at Chiyoda Designer Academy, though he left before completing his degree. During the mid-1970s, he worked as a background...
's Maiko! manga series has been called a "hard bishōjoBishojois a Japanese term used to refer to young and pretty girls, usually below university age. Bishōjo is not listed as a word in the prominent Japanese dictionary Kōjien...
Sazae-san".