is a Japanese

yonkoma , a comic strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom. They also sometimes run right-to-left horizontally or use a hybrid 2×2 style, depending on the layout requirements of ...

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by

Machiko Hasegawa was a Japanese manga artist and 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 ...

. It was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the ''

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...

'' wished to have Hasegawa draw the four-panel comic for their paper, she moved to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

in 1949 with the explanation that the main characters had moved from

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

to Tokyo as well. The first ''Sazae-san'' strip run by the ''Asahi Shimbun'' was published on November 30, 1949. The manga dealt with everyday life and contemporary situations in Tokyo until Hasegawa retired and ended the series, with the final comic published on February 21, 1974. As of 1999, the manga had over 86 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. An

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television adaptation by TCJ (later renamed

Eiken Eiken may refer to: Places Norway * Eiken, Norway, a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county * Eiken, Agder, a village in Hægebostad municipality in Agder county ** Eiken Church, a church in Hægebostad municipality in Agder county Swi ...

) began airing in Japan in October 1969 and holds the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for the longest-running animated television series. It has also been adapted into a radio show, theatrical plays and songs.

Plot

In the beginning, Sazae was more interested in being with her horse 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 II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. 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 The women's liberation movement (WLM) was a political alignment of women and feminist intellectualism that emerged in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which effected great ...

group. Despite the topical nature of the series, 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 Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

, with Katsuo remarking about the happiness the "little things" in life can bring. In current culture, the popular ''Sazae-san'' anime is frequently viewed as a nostalgic representation of traditional Japanese society, since it represents a simpler time before many of the changes brought by modern technology. Its social themes, though very liberal at the time of its publication, are evocative of a bygone and nostalgic era.

Characters

Isono and Fuguta family

* (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' ) : The main character. Age 24 (27 in the manga). She marries Masuo. : She is a housewife, but occasionally works part-time as a maid for the Yumizu family, a wealthy family in the neighborhood. : She has a unique hair style. This is one of the Victory rolls that were popular at the time Manga was started, and she has maintained this hairstyle since the fad passed. : She is bright, cheerful, and popular in the town with a personality like that of a split bamboo. : Her talkativeness and goofiness are shortcomings, and she is sometimes taken aback by her family, but most of the time she is well-liked by those around her. :''Voiced by:''

Midori Katō is a Japanese actress, voice actress, and narrator who is most famous for the role of Sazae Fuguta from the long-running family anime ''Sazae-san''. She is also known for voicing Yoshiko in ''Sally the Witch'' and Osomatsu Matsuno in ''Osomatsu ...

(1969- ) * : Sazae's father and patriarch of the family. Aged 54. : He is characterized by a single hair on his bald head, and he is very protective of that single hair. : He hates crookedness and can be stubborn, often scolding Sazae and Katsuo, but he also has a compassionate and good-natured side. : He appears to be full of dignity and dignity, but in fact has an unreliable side. : When he scolds, he often says, (It means "Fool!") However, he does not really believe this, and in his heart of hearts, he has a love for his children, wanting them to grow up to be good people. This is also known as a famous line that symbolizes him. :''Voiced by:''

Ichirō Nagai was a Japanese actor, Voice acting in Japan, voice actor and narrator from Ikeda, Osaka. He was previously affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, and was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of his death. Career Nag ...

(1969–2014),

Chafurin , better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who is affiliated with Office Osawa. After graduating from Toyo University is a university with several branches in Japan, including Hakusan, Asaka, Kawagoe, Ita ...

(2014–) * (''

'' ) : Sazae's mother. In her 50s (48 in the manga); born in

Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...

. : She is a stay-at-home mom and proud of her position. She does all the housework and is the epitome of a good wife and wise mother. : She is calm and trusted by all of her family. She is an important behind-the-scenes supporter of the family, mediating domestic disputes. : On the other hand, as a girl she was a tomboy, and this side of her personality is sometimes apparent. :''Voiced by:''

Miyoko Asō was a Japanese actress. She is best known for her role as the first voice of Fune Isono from 1969 to 2015 in the longest-running Japanese anime series ''Sazae-san'', which first aired in 1969. She was the voice of Dr. Pinako Rockbell in both ''F ...

(1969–2015),

Yorie Terauchi is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. Filmography Television animation *''Detective Conan'' (1997) – Etsuko (eps 88–89); Takako (ep 53) *'' In the Beginning: The Bible Stories'' (1997) – Eve *'' Fighting Spirit'' (2 ...

(2015–) * : Sazae's husband. He is a

salaryman In Japan, a is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works. Salarymen are expected to work long hours, to put in addit ...

in the sales department of a trading company. 28 years old (32 in the manga). Born in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

. : After marrying Sazae, they lived together in a rented house, but were advised by the landlord to move out of the house due to misconduct (in his case, trying to remove the fence of the house without permission), and soon moved in with her family. : He is good-natured and timid, which can lead to a loss-making role, and he sometimes says and does things that one might consider black-hearted. However, his gentle and honest nature has earned him the trust of Sazae's family, and he himself lives happily every day surrounded by Sazae's family. :''Voiced by:''

Shinsuke Chikaishi Shinsuke (written: , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese actor *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese basketball player *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese actor *, Japanese professi ...

(1969–1978), Hiroshi Masuoka (1978–2019),

Hideyuki Tanaka is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo who is attached to Aoni Production. He is a graduate of the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He is most known for his roles in ''One Piece'' (as Donquixote Doflamingo), '' Dokaben'' (as Tarou Y ...

(2019—) * : Sazae's little brother who is an 11 year old fifth grader. : He is quick-witted, well-spoken, and has a flattering personality. He knows how to get on in the world and to be good with people. In the manga in 1973, he was sarcastically referred to by Sazae as "the

Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the preside ...

of our family". but, he does not do well with schoolwork and refuses to do his homework. : He likes mischief and often suffers under the wrath of Sazae when he accidentally insults other guests in the manner of faux-pas. : He is often scolded by Namihei, usually when he finds out about Katsuo's low test grades and mischief. : His main activities consist of playing baseball and soccer with his friends. :''Voiced by:''

Nobuyo Ōyama , born , is a former Japanese actress, voice actress and singer affiliated with Actors Seven. She is best known for playing the title character in the long-running ''Doraemon'' anime series. She is also well known as the voice of Monokuma, the m ...

(1969-1970),

Kazue Takahashi , known by the stage name , was a Japanese actress and voice actress. Kazue was best known as the voice of Shoutarou Kaneda ("Jimmy Sparks") in ''Tetsujin 28-go'' ("Gigantor"). She debuted in 1949. Kazue was also known for roles in Kaiju Booska a ...

(1970–1998),

Miina Tominaga , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. Tominaga is best known for her roles in ''Sazae-san'' (as Ka ...

(1998–) * : Sazae's little sister. Age 9 (7 in the manga). She features a

Bob cut A bob cut, also known as a bob, is a short to medium length haircut, in which the hair is typically cut straight around the head at approximately jaw level, but no longer than shoulder-length, often with fringe or bangs at the front. The standar ...

. : She is one of the characters whose personalities differ greatly between manga and anime. : In the manga, she is a talkative girl with a noticeably mischievous personality due to her young age. : In the anime, she is a kind honor student. Therefore, her role in the manga is sometimes handled by Tarao, but sometimes, she shows her mischievous nature from the manga. : She likes to study, but is not good at PE. Her main hobbies are reading and fashion. :''Voiced by:'' Yoshiko Yamamoto (1969–1976),

Michiko Nomura is a Japanese actress and voice actress. Career Nomura was previously affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, then Aoni Production and now she is affiliated with Ken Production, an agency founded by the late Kenji Utsumi. ...

(1976–2005),

Makoto Tsumura is a Japanese voice actress. She entered a training school attached to Ezaki Productions in 1991 and belonged to Mausu Promotion (formerly Ezaki Productions) from 1993 to 2007. After leaving Mausu, she worked as a freelancer from 2007 to Septemb ...

(2005-) * : Sazae and Masuo's 3-year old son. Usually called . : He is interested in everything and has a curious nature. : While a mostly well-behaved toddler, he can be a bit stubborn. : Sometimes he tries to be selfish and annoys Sazae and Masuo. However, he is a child who can honestly admit and apologize when he knows he is wrong. : In the anime, he is so polite and uses honorifics that makes it hard to believe he is 3 years old. This is said to reflect the character of Takako Sasuga, who played him from the beginning of the broadcast until her sudden death in 2023. :''Voiced by:''

Takako Sasuga was a Japanese actress and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress from Tokyo. Career Sasuga was born and raised in Tokyo in a family that runs a hospital. Her career began after high school when, because she did not want to practice cooking and ...

(1969—2023),

Rikako Aikawa is a Japanese actress and voice actress affiliated with Atomic Monkey. She was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She was originally a child actress. Her real name after she married Mitsuo Iwata, a Japanese voice actor, is . She appears in the ...

(2023-present) * :The Isono family's pet cat. He hates mice. :''Voiced by:'' ? ''

Isono and Fuguta family's kin

* : He is a nephew of Namihei and a cousin of Sazae, Katsuo, and Wakame. Ages 24-26. He works for a newspaper publisher. : He is a cheerful character, an optimist who is always ready to take it easy without worrying about details. : He is also shrewd and has a brazen side, such as entering Isono family's house without telling them and eating the cakes they keep without permission, but he is not a hateful type of person, so he gets a lot out of life. :''Voiced by:''

Ichirō Murakoshi was a Japanese narrator and voice actor from Tokyo, Japan. He was a Waseda University graduate. His real name was . Voice roles Anime *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (role unspecified) *Doraemon (1973 anime) (Nobisuke Nobi) * GeGeGe no Kitaro 1985 ...

(1969–1998), Tarō Arakawa (1998–2000),

Yasunori Matsumoto is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Sigma Seven. 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 ...

(2000–) * : Norisuke's wife. Age is about 22 years old. : She is known as a particularly beautiful woman in the anime and has a demure personality. She also has a strong core and supports Norisuke behind his back like his wife would, and Norisuke cannot resist her. : She is very comfortable with Sazae, who she is close in age with. :''Voiced by:'' Ryoko Aikawa, Masako Ebisu (1969–1979),

Emiko Tsukada is a feminine Japanese given name. Possible writings The name Emiko can have a variety of different meanings depending on which kanji characters are used to write it. Some possible variations include: *栄美子; "prosperous, beauty, child" *恵� ...

(1979–2013),

Sayaka Kobayashi is a Japanese actress and voice actress. She is affiliated with Seinenza Theater Company from April 1, 1992 through the Institute of Literary Research and the Juvenile Research Institute of the 16th period. She was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido. G ...

(2013–) * : Norisuke and Taiko's son. Age is about one and a half years old. : He is Tarao's friend and only says "chan", "hai", and "babuu". :''Voiced by:''

Reiko Katsura Voice acting in Japan is an industry where actors provide voice-overs as characters or narrators in media including anime, video games, audio dramas, commercials, and dubbing for non-Japanese films and television programs. In Japan, and ...

* : Namihei's Meiji Revolution

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

ancestor. Around the time of the

Bon Festival or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and 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 retu ...

, he haunts Namihei's (or sometimes Katsuo's) dreams. :''Voiced by:''

(?–2013),

(2014–) * : Namihei's twin older brother. :''Voiced by:''

(1970–2013),

(2014–)

Isasaka family

* : A novelist who lives in the next house over from the Isono family's house. :''Voiced by:''

Eken Mine was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Nagasaki. Filmography Anime *3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (Federico) * Alps no Shōjo Heidi (bakery owner) * Anime Sanjushi (Bonacieux) *Candy Candy (Garcia) *DNA² (Saburo Kurimoto) *Doraemon (role ...

(1985–2002),

Atsushi Ii was a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Tokyo. He was formerly attached to Mausu Promotion and before settling at Arts Vision. Roles Television animation *''GeGeGe no Kitaro, GeGeGe no Kitarō'' (fourth series) (Grandpa) *''GeGe ...

(2002),

Yasuo Iwata was a Japanese voice actor from Iwate, most known for his role as Nanbutsu Isasaka in ''Sazae-san''. Death Yasuo Iwata died from lung cancer on October 24, 2009, aged 67. Voice roles * Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san (King, Mago-Consigliere) * Heat ...

(2002–2009), Kōtarō Nakamura (2009–) * : Nanbutsu's wife. Fune's childhood friend. :''Voiced by:''

Reiko Yamada Reiko (れいこ,　レイコ,　麗子, 怜子, 伶子, 玲子, 令子, 礼子, 禮子, 冷子) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese women's basketball player *Reiko Aylesworth (born 1972), an Ameri ...

* : Nanbutsu's daughter. : She is one of the characters that Katsuo is secretly in love with. :''Voiced by:''

Keiko Han is a Japanese actress, voice actress and western astrologer. She sang the theme songs in productions such as '' Story of the Alps: My Annette'' and '' Kazoku Robinson Hyōryūki Fushigi na Shima no Furōne''. Han is a fortune teller of western ...

(1985–1990),

(1990–1998),

Eriko Kawasaki is a feminine/neutral Japanese given name. Possible writings Eriko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *恵梨子, "blessing, pear, child" *恵理子, "blessing, reason, child" *絵里子, "picture, hometown, child" *絵 ...

(1998–) * : Nanbutsu's son. :''Voiced by:''

Hiroshi Takemura is a Japanese voice actor. He is an alumnus of the theatrical troupe Gekidan Baraza, which was directed by Nachi Nozawa. His hobbies include billiards, skiing, fishing and tennis. Takemura is employed by a talent management firm. Anime TV *''Aft ...

* : The Isasaka family's pet dog.

Other characters

* : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : An old man who lives in a house in back of the (''ura-no'') Isono family's house. :''Voiced by:''

(1985–2002),

(2002–2013), Mitsuru Takakuwa (2013–), * : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : ''Ura-no'' Grandpa's wife. :''Voiced by:''

Sumiko Shirakawa was a Japanese actress and voice actress from Shibuya, Tokyo. She was best known for her roles in Sazae-san (as Hiroshi Nakajima), Doraemon (as Hidetoshi Dekisugi from 1980 to 2005) and Space Ace (as Ace). On November 26, 2015, Shirakawa faile ...

Keiko Yamamoto , born August 7, 1943, is a Japanese voice actress from Osaka Prefecture. Many of her roles have been older women, young boys, or tomboyish young girls. Filmography Anime television series * Akado Suzunosuke – Akadō Suzunosuke * Andersen ...

* : The employee of Mikawaya who makes house calls for food orders. : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. :''Voiced by:''

Issei Futamata is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Misawa, Aomori. He is best known for the roles of Skullomania ('' Street Fighter EX'' and '' Fighting EX Layer''), Yusaku Godai ('' Maison Ikkoku''), Chibi ('' Urusei Yatsura''), Kiyoshi Shusse ('' Hi ...

* : An original anime character. : One of Tarao's friends. :''Voiced by:''

* : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : Katsuo's best friend and his classmate. :''Voiced by:''

(1969–2015),

Rumi Ochiai is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She is currently affiliated with Theatre Company Subaru. After the death of Sumiko Shirakawa in 2015, she took over her role as Hiroshi Nakajima in ''Sazae-san''. Biography Oc ...

(2015–) * : An original anime character. : One of Katsuo's classmates, she is said to be the most beautiful girl in her class. : She is one of the characters that Katsuo is secretly in love with. :''Voiced by:''

* : One of Katsuo's classmates. : She is one of the characters that Katsuo is secretly in love with. :''Voiced by:''

(1985–1990),

(1990–1998),

(1998–), * : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : One of Katsuo's classmates, who has a crush on him. She is the daughter of a real estate agent. : Although Katsuo is bewildered and avoids her ardent approach, they actually tend to get along quite well. :''Voiced by:'' Tikako Akimoto (1969–?),

Tarako , known under the professional name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer.Doi, Hitoshi.Tarako. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 5, 2010. Her debut role was as a preschooler on ''Urusei Yatsura''. She is currently employed by the talent mana ...

(?–) * : An original anime character. : One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

* : An original anime character. : One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

(?–2013),

(2014–) * : An original anime character. : Katsuo's teacher. :''Voiced by:''

(?–2002),

Sanji Hase , better known by the stage name , was a Japanese voice actor and the father of Macross star Arihiro Hase. He died of lung cancer on March 8, 2002, at the age of 66. At the time of his death he was a free agent, but he had been previously represe ...

(?),

Ikuya Sawaki , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with Arts Vision. Filmography Anime television series *''Dirty Pair'' (1985) (Goolley) *''Kyatto Ninden Teyandee'' (1990) (Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami) *'' Berserk'' (1 ...

(2002–) * : An original anime character. : One of Wakame's classmates. : Since the 2010s, he has been described as a psychopathic speaker and has become an

Internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

in Japan. also, He used to be set up by Wakame as secretly liking him, but in recent years Wakame has sometimes made statements that seem to indicate that he dislikes him. :''Voiced by:''

(?–2013),

(2014–) * : An original anime character. : One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

* : An original anime character. : One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

(?–1990),

(1990–1998),

(1998–), * : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : One of Masuo's co-workers. He has thick lips, which are his charm. :''Voiced by:''

Kazuya Tatekabe was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born in Kimobetsu, Hokkaidō. He was represented by Kenyu Horiuchi's Kenyu Office at the time of his death. He was most known for the roles of Jaian (''Doraemon''), Walsa (''Time Bokan''), and Tonzur ...

(–197?),

Norio Wakamoto is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with the Sigma Seven talent agency. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University. On adult works, like OVAs or dating sims, ...

(197?–) * :''Voiced by:''

* : The shopkeeper of Mikawaya, a sake shop. :''Voiced by:''

(?–?),

(?–) * : An original anime character. : Hanako's father. Boss of the Hanazawa Real Estate Agency. :''Voiced by:'' ?,

(?–)

Media

Manga

The comic strip was published in book form by from 1946 to 1974, 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 Shimbun'' purchased the right to publish the forty-five paperback volumes. Twelve bilingual (Japanese-English) manga volumes were published by

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

between 1997 and 1999 as ''The Wonderful World of Sazae-San''. The volumes were re-released in 2004, and in 2015 another three bilingual manga volumes were released as ''The Best of Sazae-san''. By 1999, it has sold over 86 million copies.''Sazae-san'' won the 8th

Bungeishunjū Manga Award The was an annual award established in 1955 and given out by Bungeishunjū in Japan for gag, , one-panel, and satirical manga. The award was also given out for works considered the magnum opus of manga creators. Past winners of the award inclu ...

in 1962.

Anime

In October 1969,

Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially b ...

started an anime series, which is still on the air today and currently in production, making it one of the longest-running scripted TV series in history and the longest running animated show. The broadcast time is every Sunday from 18:30 to 19:00 and has never been changed since its inception. The format is in the form of three vignettes. The anime series has some characters, like Katsuo's classmates, who have not appeared in Hasegawa's original works. On September 5, 2013, This anime was awarded the

for the "Longest running animated TV series". The record continues to be broken even today, As of November 2021, there have been over 2250 episodes aired.Each weekly airing of ''Sazae-san'' consists of three separate seven-minute segments. The episode count includes specials. The story will be based on at least one episode of Machiko Hasegawa's manga, from which an original story developed. Due to the limited number of episodes, a new story is created every few years using the same episodes. In addition, the unique culture and events in a typical Japanese household, including the four seasons, will always be reflected in the story. At the start of the anime, it was a

slapstick comedy Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...

with references to

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...

, but within a year it had become a sedate

family drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...

. From that point to the present, there has been no major change in style for more than 50 years, from directing, scriptwriting, and character design. Also because of its popularity, a survey conducted by NIPPON RESEARCH CENTER, LTD. (NRC) in 2020 recorded a high recognition rate of 97% for this anime in Japan. For this reason, it is often described as a "national anime" in Japan and is regarded as a symbol of "universality" and "permanence". Whenever there is a change, such as a change in voice actors, there is always a great deal of media coverage, and the anime retains a strong influence on the public. In recent years, due to the influence of its unchanging style, it is sometimes criticized as "anachronistic" or "this anime depicts the

20th century The 20th (twentieth) century began on January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nuclear ...

," such as the absence of

smartphones A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which ...

and

convenience stores A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...

in the work even though the period setting is the present day. In response to this comment, the staff said, "The appeal of this anime is that it depicts scenes of everyday life and universal relationships that can be found in any family. Therefore, we have no plans in the future to incorporate events or items that would change them." He responded. However, some of the phenomena, such as smoking and corporal punishment, which have come to be considered inappropriate due to changing times, have been removed or otherwise addressed. The anime is not well known outside of Japan, as it has never been exported overseas or otherwise developed globally due to the wishes of the rights holders. However, in 2019, the producer said in a conversation that he hopes to be able to expand globally in the future. As for voice actors, as of 2023, only

, who plays Sazae, has never been changed. Katō was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the "Longest career as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series". As of 2008, 40 years after the broadcast, four of the seven main characters were original cast members, but in 2014

, who played Namihei, was replaced due to his sudden death at age 82, and the following year

, who played Fune, was changed to reflect her age at 89.

, who played Tarao, died suddenly in 2023 at the age of 87 and was replaced. The opening is an introduction to the places that Sazae has traveled and visited throughout Japan since 1974. This video changes approximately every three months. Because of the popularity of the anime, this has come to be viewed by cities as a "cost-effective means of promoting tourism," and since 2000, the program has received approximately 5-10 million yen in aid from prefectures and municipalities wishing to introduce the program. Since November 1991, after the closing credits and the next episode previews, each show has ended with a

janken Rock paper scissors (also known by other orderings of the three items, with "rock" sometimes being called "stone," or as Rochambeau, roshambo, or ro-sham-bo) is a hand game originating in China, usually played between two people, in which each ...

match between Sazae and the viewers at home, in which Sazae holds up a sign representing one of the appropriate hand gestures. From 1969 until October 1991, Sazae ended each episode by tossing a bean or rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth. Fuji Television switched to the janken match after doctors at Tohoku University Hospital and the National Center for Child Health and Development raised concerns that children may try to imitate Sazae and potentially choke on food. The anime series was originally sponsored solely by

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure system ...

—Later, in 1998, the program expanded to other sponsors, but the unity between Toshiba and Sazae-san remained strong. So when Toshiba withdrew its sponsorship due to poor management, it was big news. ''Sazae-san'' was the last animated television series to use traditional

cel animation Traditional animation (or classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation) is an animation technique in which each frame is drawn by hand. The technique was the dominant form of animation in cinema until computer animation. Proce ...

, although as of April 2009, the opening credits were digital; the series finally switched to fully digital animation in 2013. Despite the series being a hit, Hasegawa stated that she never wanted any merchandise to be made for it, including home video rights, making availability of past episodes, especially those prior to the introduction of the VCR, very rare. Following her death, her request to prohibit older episodes from being released in home media was honored. Despite this however, Fuji TV made an agreement with Amazon Prime Video in December 2018 to release the 1969 and early-to-mid 1970s episodes available on their streaming service. The episodes from the mid 2000s happened to also be on the service. The Opening Song and Ending Song are original songs sung by Yuko Uno from the start. Also, the audio itself has not been altered in any way, such as by arrangement, although it was trimmed to fit the length of the video in the early stages of the broadcast. There have been two previous suspensions of animation production: the first, for about a month beginning in February 1975, due to the

1970s energy crisis The 1970s energy crisis occurred when the Western world, particularly the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, faced substantial petroleum shortages as well as elevated prices. The two worst crises of this period wer ...

; the second, for about a month beginning in May 2020, due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Programming during these periods was handled by rebroadcasting past productions. In Japan, there is a term called "Sazae-san

syndrome A syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms which are correlated with each other and often associated with a particular disease or disorder. The word derives from the Greek σύνδρομον, meaning "concurrence". When a syndrome is paired ...

" (サザエさん症候群, ''Sazae-san shōkōgun''), which refers to a depressed mood on Sunday night after an episode has finished on television, reminding people that the weekend is coming to an end.

Episodes

=1969

Live-action

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. In November 1965, TBS started a dramatic television series modeled after the comic strip. It aired until September 1967. In 1979,

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

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 anime series and uses the same elements, including the theme music and the closing janken match.

Commercials

In 2008,

Glico , commonly known as just Glico, is a Japanese multinational food processing company headquartered in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka. It does business across 30 countries, in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Overview Ezaki Glico's primary ...

showed the family in the "25 years later" commercials, as adults, for the firms "Otona Glico" chocolates. The characters were portrayed by Eita (as Fuguta Tarao),

Tadanobu Asano , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in ''Electric Dragon 80.000 V'', Kakihara in ''Ichi the Killer'', Mamoru Arita in '' Bright Future'', Hattori Genosuke in ''Zatoichi'', Kenj ...

(as Isono Katsuo), Rie Miyazawa (as Isono Wakame) and

Shun Oguri is a Japanese actor and voice actor, son of stage director Tetsuya Oguri, and the youngest of 3 siblings, including older brother Ryo, who is also an actor. He started in small roles as extra in the works in which his father and brother worked ...

(as Namino Ikura). In 2017, the characters Sazae and Masao were depicted in a

Cup Noodles Cup noodle is a registered trademark of Nissin Foods and is known as precooked instant noodle with flavoring powder and/or seasoning sauce sold in a polystyrene, polyethylene, or paper cup. The flavoring can be in a separate packet or loose in t ...

commercial drawn by

Katsuya Kondō is a Japanese manga artist, character designer, animator and animation director. He is best known for his character design work on the Studio Ghibli films ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' and ''Ocean Waves'', as well as the PlayStation game '' Jad ...

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1946 comics debuts 1946 manga 1969 anime television series debuts 1974 comics endings Japanese children's animated comedy television series Animated sitcoms Comedy anime and manga Comics adapted into animated series Comics adapted into plays Comics adapted into radio series Comics adapted into television series Comics characters introduced in 1946 Comics set in Tokyo Eiken (studio) Fuji TV original programming Josei manga Slice of life anime and manga Television shows based on comic strips Works originally published in Asahi Shimbun Yonkoma Anime postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic Anime productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Plot

Characters

Isono and Fuguta family

Isono and Fuguta family's kin

Isasaka family

Other characters

Media

Manga

Anime

Episodes

=1969

Live-action

Commercials

See also

Notes

References

External links