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 ...

series written and illustrated by Machiko Hasegawa. 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 a ...

'' 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 37.46 ...

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. ''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 includ ...

in 1962. 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) 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. 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 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 ...

, 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), born on November 22 in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

. In the beginning Sazae's mother was worried that Sazae wasn't ladylike enough to ever attract a husband, but she ended up marrying Masuo. She is very cheerful but always quarrels with Katsuo. :''Voiced by:'' Midori Katō * :Sazae's father and patriarch of the family. Aged 54. Born on September 14. He is very stubborn. He always scolds Sazae and Katsuo. :''Voiced by:''

Ichirō Nagai was a Japanese actor, 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 Nagai played '' GeGeGe no ...

(1969–2014), Chafurin (2014–) * (''

'' ) :Sazae's mother. Age 52 (48 in the manga); born on January 11 in Shizuoka. She is calm and trusted by all of her family. :''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 (2015–) * :Sazae's

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 ...

husband. 28 years old (32 in the manga). Born on April 3 in

Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is located on the southern part of the Uemachi Plateau, in the southernmost part of Osaka City, and is separated from Sakai City's Sakai-ku and Kita-ku by the Yamato River. There are six rail lines, and thr ...

. After marrying Sazae, he moved in with her family. He is a very earnest and calm person. :''Voiced by:'' Shinsuke Chikaishi (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 ...

(2019—) * :Sazae's mischievous little brother who is an 11 year old fifth grader and often suffers under the wrath of his older sister Sazae, when he refuses to do his homework or accidentally insults other guests in the manner of faux-pas. The same thing occurs when Namihei, his father, usually finds out about Katsuo's low test grades and lectures him through scolding. His main activity consists of playing baseball 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 ...

(1969-1970), Kazue Takahashi (1970–1998), Miina Tominaga (1998–) * :Sazae's little sister. Age 9 (7 in the manga). She is a kind honor student. 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 Septembe ...

(2005-) * :Sazae and Masuo's 3-year old son. Usually called . While a mostly well behaved toddler, he can be a bit stubborn. He was born on March 18. :''Voiced by:'' Takako Sasuga * :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 kin

* :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 Murakoshi (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 '' Sl ...

(2000–) * :Norisuke's wife. :''Voiced by:''

Ryoko Aikawa Ryōko or Ryouko is a Japanese female given name. The meanings of Ryoko vary depending on which Kanji is used to write the name. Possible writings * 涼子 – "refreshing, child" * 亮子 – "helpful, child" * 良子 – "good, child" * 諒子 ...

, Masako Ebisu (1969–1979), Emiko Tsukada (1979–2013), Sayaka Kobayashi (2013–) * :Norisuke and Taiko's son. he is Tarao's friend and he just say 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 a ...

* :Namihei's

Meiji Revolution The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were r ...

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 ...

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

(1970–2013), Chafurin (2014–) * :Masuo's big brother. :''Voiced by:'' Hiroshi Masuoka (?),

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'' ...

(2002) * :Masuo's nephew. :''Voiced by:'' Fujiko Takimoto * :Fune's big brother. :''Voiced by:''

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 sim ...

Isasaka family

* :A novelist who lives in the next house of 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 (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 * :Nanbutsu's daughter. :''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), Miina Tominaga (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 ...

* :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:''

* :Hama's daughter. A high school student. :''Voiced by:''

* :The Hama family's pet dog, a shiba-mixed with nunyabizness genes in there.

Other characters

* :An old man who lives in a house in back of (''ura-no'') Isono family's house. :''Voiced by:''

(1985–2002), Atsushi Ii (2002–2013), Mitsuru Takakuwa (2013–), * :''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, Reiko Yamada * :The employee of Mikawaya who makes house calls for food orders. :''Voiced by:'' Issei Futamata * :One of Tarao's friends. :''Voiced by:''

* :One of Tarao's friends. :''Voiced by:'' Reiko Yamada * :Katsuo's best friend and his classmate. :''Voiced by:''

(1969–2015), Rumi Ochiai (2015–) * :One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

* :One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

(1985–1990), Miina Tominaga (1990–1998),

(1998–), * :One of Katsuo's classmates, who has a crush on him. :''Voiced by:'' Tikako Akimoto (1969–?), Tarako, Keiko Yamamoto (?–) * :One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' Reiko Yamada * :One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' Emiko Tsukada (?–2013), Sayaka Kobayashi (2014–) * :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 ...

(?),

(2002–) * :One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' Emiko Tsukada (?–2013), Sayaka Kobayashi (2014–) * :One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

* :One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:''

(?–1990), Miina Tominaga (1990–1998),

(1998–), * :One of Masuo's co-workers. :''Voiced by:'' Kazuya Tatekabe(–197?),

(197?–) * :One of Namihei's co-workers. :''Voiced by:''

(?–?), Atsushi Ii (?–2002), ? (2013–?) * :One of Namihei's co-workers. :''Voiced by:''

* :''Voiced by:''

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

(?–?),

(?–) * :''Voiced by:'' Кiyoshi Кomiyama (?–1985) * :Hanako's father. Boss of the Hanazawa Real Estate Agency. :''Voiced by:'' ?,

(?–) * :''Voiced by:''

(?–2002), Atsushi Ii (2002–2013), Mitsuru Takakuwa (2013–), * * * * * * *

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'' ...

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.

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, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network ...

started an anime comedy 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. It has been broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and contains three vignettes. The anime 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 (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. On November 16, 2008, the series' 2000th 30-minute broadcast was aired in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the anime series; this special episode also featured Sazae-san wearing five costumes based on submissions from viewers. 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 systems, ...

—including placement of its products within the show—but later expanded to other sponsors. ''Sazae-san'' was the last animated television series to use traditional cel animation, 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. On September 5, 2013, ''Sazae-san'' was awarded the

for the longest running animated television series in the world. As of November 2021, there have been 8333 episodes aired.Each weekly airing of ''Sazae-san'' consists of three separate seven-minute segments. The episode count includes specials. * Opening Song: "Sazae-san" by Yuko Uno * Ending Song: "Sazae-san Ikka" by Yuko Uno On January 27, 2014, while recording narration for a program in Hiroshima, Nagai suffered a bout of myocardial infarction and was found by a hotel employee. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead; Nagai was 82 years old at the time of his death. The Daily Sports newspaper reported that the role of Sazae's father Namihei in Sazae-san, which was previously voiced by Ichirō Nagai, will now be filled by the show's staff. The first Sazae-san episode after Nagai's passing was recorded on January 30, 2014. On February 10, 2014,

announced that Chafurin has succeeded Ichirō Nagai as the voice of Sazae-san's father Namihei Isono. On April 4, 2020, Midori Kato stated that voice recordings have been halted 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 identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

concerns. On May 9, 2020, it was announced that the anime will be put on hiatus for the first time since 1975 because of COVID-19. On June 14, 2020, it was announced that the anime would resume on June 21, 2020. 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 language, Greek σύνδρομον, meaning "concurrence". When a sy ...

" (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.

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 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'', Ke ...

(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 commercial drawn by Katsuya Kondō.

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