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, originally known as , is a Japanese
manga 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 history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series created in 1960 by Shigeru Mizuki. It is best known for its popularization of the
folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
creatures known as , a class of spirit-monster which all of the main characters belong to. This story was an early 20th-century Japanese folk tale performed on . It has been adapted for the screen several times, as
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
,
live action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games o ...
, and
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s. The word in the title is similar to
Japanese sound symbolism The Japanese language has a large inventory of sound symbolic or mimetic words, known in linguistics as ideophones. Such words are found in written as well as spoken Japanese. Known popularly as ''onomatopoeia'', these words do not just imitat ...
for a cackling noise but refers to Mizuki's childhood nickname, a mispronunciation of his given name. Selections of the manga and the theatrical
live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...
films have been published in English, simply titled ''Kitaro''. The 2018 anime series is streamed with English subtitles as ''GeGeGe no Kitaro''. The publisher of the North American English manga is
Drawn & Quarterly Drawn & Quarterly (D+Q) is a publishing company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, specializing in comics. It publishes primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections. The books it publishes are noted for their artistic con ...
.


Plot

''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' focuses on the young Kitarō—the last survivor of the Ghost Tribe—and his adventures with other ghouls and strange creatures of Japanese mythology. Along with: the remains of his father, Medama-Oyaji (a mummified Ghost tribesman reincarnated to inhabit his old eyeball); Nezumi-Otoko (the rat-man); Neko-Musume (the cat-girl) and a host of other folkloric creatures, Kitarō strives to unite the worlds of humans and Yōkai. Many storylines involve Kitarō facing off with myriad monsters from other countries, such as the Chinese vampire Yasha, the Transylvanian Dracula IV, and other such non-Japanese creations. In addition to this, Kitarō also locks horns with various malevolent who threaten the balance between the Japanese creatures and humans. Some storylines make overt reference to traditional Japanese tales, most notably the folk tale of
Momotarō is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...
, in which the young hero defends a Japanese territory from demons with the help of the native animals. The Kitarō series draws a great deal of influence from this story, with Kitarō and his friends driving a group of Western ghouls away from an island. While the character of Kitarō in ''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' is a friendly boy who genuinely wants the best outcome for humans and alike, his earlier incarnation in ''Hakaba Kitarō'' portrays him as a much more darkly mischievous character. His apparent lack of empathy for humans combined with his general greed and desire for material wealth drives him to act in an unbecoming manner towards the human characters—often deceptively leading them into nightmarish situations or even to hell itself.


Characters

; : : Kitarō is a boy born in a cemetery and, aside from his mostly decayed father, the last living member of the . His name, rendered with the character for (a kind of ogre-like ) can be translated as "Demon Boy"—a name which references his heritage. He is missing his left eye, but his hair usually covers the empty socket. He fights for peace between humans and , which generally involves protecting the former from the wiles of the latter. When questioned in the 2007 movie, Kitarō responds that he is three hundred and fifty years old. In the 1985 series, he is half-human on his mother's side. As a member of the Ghost Tribe, Kitarō has an assortment of powers and weapons. : While his powers are featured prominently in the ''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' series, ''Hakaba Kitarō'' plays down Kitarō's supernatural abilities. Beyond having the power to travel through hell unharmed with the help of his Chanchanko, as well as the ability to regenerate from almost any injury (as evidenced when his body is recoverable after being dissolved by Johnny in the Fog), his powers are more of deception than of fighting prowess: something much more in line with traditional characters. ; : : Medama-oyaji is Kitarō's father. Once a fully-formed adult Ghost Tribe member, he perished from a disease, only to be reborn out of his decayed body as an anthropomorphic version of his own eyeball. He looks small and fragile, but has a strong spirit and a great love for his son. He is also extremely knowledgeable about ghosts and monsters. He enjoys staying clean, and is often seen bathing in a small bowl. He has a great love for sake. : In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...
's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Daddy Eyeball". ; : : Nezumi Otoko is a rodent-like –human half-breed. He has been alive for three hundred and sixty years, and in that time has almost never taken a bath, rendering him filthy, foul-smelling, and covered in welts and sores. While he is usually Kitarō's friend, Nezumi Otoko will waste no time cooking up vile schemes or betraying his companions if he thinks there's money to be had or a powerful enemy to side with. He claims to be a college graduate of the . He can immobilize even the strongest that accost him with a pungent flatulence attack. And, akin to cats and mice, he and Neko Musume cannot stand being around each other. : Nezumi Otoko first appears in the story "The Lodging House" (rental manga version) as Dracula IV's minion. : In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Ratman". ; : : A normally quiet half-human girl, who shapeshifts into a frightening catlike monster with fangs and feline eyes when she is angry or hungry for rats and fish. Predictably, she does not get along well with Nezumi-Otoko. She seems to harbor a slight crush on Kitarō, who sees her only as a friend. In recent iterations (possibly due to the recent anime phenomenon of fanservice), she is very fond of human fashion and is seen in different outfits and uniforms. She bears some resemblance to the of
Japanese folklore Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, Tradition, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The Folklor ...
. : Neko Musume first appears in the story "Neko-Musume and Nezumi-Otoko" (''
Weekly Shōnen Magazine is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...
'' version); however, another cat-girl named simply "" appears in the earlier stories "The Vampire Tree and the Neko-Musume" and "A Walk to Hell" (rental version). : In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, she is referred to as "Catchick". ; : (Japanese) : Sunakake Babaa is an old human-like woman who carries sand which she throws into the eyes of enemies to blind them. She serves as an advisor to Kitarō and his companions, and manages a apartment building. The original ''sunakake-baba'' is an invisible sand-throwing spirit from the folklore of
Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...
. : Sunakake babaa first appears in a cameo as one of many attending a party in the story "A Walk to Hell" (rental version) before making a more prominent appearance in "The Great ''Yōkai'' War" (''Shōnen Magazine'' version). :In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, she is referred to as the "Sand Witch". ; : (Japanese) : Konaki Jijii is a comic, absent-minded old human-like man who attacks enemies by clinging to them and turning himself to stone, increasing his weight and mass immensely and pinning them down. He and Sunakake Babaa often work as a team. The original ''konaki jijii'' is a ghost which is said to appear in the woods of
Tokushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...
in the form of a crying infant. When it is picked up by some hapless traveller, it increases its weight until it crushes him. : Konaki Jijii first appears in a cameo as one of many attending a party in the story "A Walk to Hell" (rental version) before making a more prominent appearance in "The Great Yōkai War" (''Shōnen Magazine'' version). :In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Old Man Crybaby". ; : : Ittan Momen is a flying resembling a strip of white cloth. Kitarō and friends often ride on him when traveling. The original is a spirit from
Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...
myth which wraps itself around the faces of humans in an attempt to smother them. : Ittan Momen first appears in the story "The Great ''Yōkai'' War" (''Shōnen Magazine'' version). : In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Rollo Cloth". ; : : Nurikabe is a large, sleepy-eyed, wall-shaped , who uses his massive size to protect Kitarō and his friends. The original ''nurikabe'' is a spirit which blocks the passage of people walking at night. : Nurikabe first appears in a cameo as one of many attending a party in the story "A Walk to Hell" (rental version) before making a more prominent appearance in "The Great ''Yōkai'' War" (''Shōnen Magazine'' version). : In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Wally Wall". ; : : Kitarō's old rival, he is depicted as an old man who comes at other people's houses and drinks their tea. He is also a member of the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, and Nurarihyon has a member he always uses named Shu no Bon. ; : : Back Beard is the boss of the Western and Kitarō's second greatest foe after Nurarihyon. He is loosely based on the
bugbear A bugbear is a legendary creature or type of hobgoblin comparable to the boogeyman (or bugaboo or babau or cucuy), and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children. Etymology ...
. He is a giant, round shadow with a single large eye in the center and several tentacles extending from his body. He appeared most prominently in the story "The Great ''Yōkai'' War", where he rallied all the Western into a war against the Japanese . He used his hypnotic powers to make Nezumi Otoko betray Kitarō and later hypnotized Kitarō himself. He has since appeared semi-regularly throughout the franchise.


Media


Kamishibai

The Kitarō story began life as a in 1933, written by and illustrated by . Itō's version was called ; the title is generally written in
katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
to distinguish it from Mizuki's version of the tale. According to Itō, her Kitarō was based on local legends describing the same or similar stories. It is also said to be a loose reinterpretation of the similar Japanese folktale called the or , which were inspired by Chinese folklore from 12th to 13th centuries. In 1954, Mizuki was asked to continue the series by his publisher, Katsumaru Suzuki.


Manga

''Kitarō of the Graveyard'' was published as a rental manga in 1960, but it was considered too scary for children. In 1965, renamed to ''Hakaba no Kitarō'', it appeared in '' Shōnen Magazine'' (after one of the editors came across the ''kashibon'' and offered Mizuki a contract) and ran through 1970. The series was renamed ''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' in 1967 and continued in ''
Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, making it ...
'', ''Shōnen Action'', '' Shukan Jitsuwa'' and many other magazines. In 2002, ''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' was translated by Ralph F. McCarthy and compiled by Natsuhiko Kyogoku for Kodansha Bilingual Comics. Three bilingual (Japanese–English) volumes were released in 2002. Since 2013, compilation volumes of selected manga chapters from the 1960s have been published by
Drawn & Quarterly Drawn & Quarterly (D+Q) is a publishing company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, specializing in comics. It publishes primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections. The books it publishes are noted for their artistic con ...
, with English translations by Zack Davisson and an introduction by Matt Alt in the first compilation volume. Drawn & Quarterly later published a large collection of Kitaro manga under the title ''Kitaro'', with Jocelyne Allen as the translator. Zack Davisson wrote the volume's afterword.


Anime

Seven anime adaptations were made from Mizuki's manga series. They were broadcast on
Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...
and animated by
Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
. The opening theme to all six series is "GeGeGe no Kitarō", written by Mizuki himself. It has been sung by Kazuo Kumakura (1st, 2nd), Ikuzo Yoshi (3rd), Yūkadan (4th), Shigeru Izumiya (5th), the 50 Kaitenz (6th) and
Kiyoshi Hikawa is a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977, in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.Hikawa Kiyoshi: Pr ...
(7th). The song was also used in the live-action films starring
Eiji Wentz is a Japanese singer, entertainer, actor, and a member of the singer-songwriter duo WaT. Early career Born in Mitaka, Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a German Americans, German American father, Wentz became involved in the entertainment indust ...
. In the first film, it was performed by Wentz'
WaT A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...
partner
Teppei Koike is a Japanese actor and singer associated with Burning Productions. After appearing in the television drama ''Tentai Kansoku'' in 2002, Koike began appearing in several other films and dramas, notably as Atsushi Otani in ''Love Com''. At the s ...
. In January 2008, a series based on , (also produced by Toei) premiered on
Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...
during the late night hours in the
Noitamina is a Japanese programming block on Fuji Television devoted to anime, originally broadcast every Thursday late night/Friday morning from 0:45 to 1:15 JST. It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical you ...
block. and unlike the usual anime versions, it is closer to Mizuki's manga and is not part of the existing remake canon. It also features a completely different opening theme song ("Mononoke Dance" by
Denki Groove is a Japanese music group founded in 1989. It consists of Takkyu Ishino and Pierre Taki. History Denki Groove was founded in 1989 by Takkyu Ishino and Pierre Taki, both of whom are natives of Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. They ...
) and ending theme song ("Snow Tears" by
Shoko Nakagawa is a Japanese tarento, media personality, singer, actress, Voice acting in Japan, voice actress, illustrator, YouTuber, and cosplayer. Also known by her nickname , she is best known as the presenter of ''Pokémon Sunday'', and as the performer o ...
). A seventh series, announced in early 2018, directed by Kōji Ogawa and written by Hiroshi Ohnogi started airing on Fuji TV on April 1, 2018, to celebrate the anime's 50th anniversary. The series concluded on March 29, 2020, as it entered its final arc, the "Nurarihyon Arc", on October 6, 2019. It streamed on
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...
, making it the first ''Kitarō'' anime to be available in North America. An English dub aired as ''Spooky Kitaro'' on
Animax Asia Animax is an Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The channel was originally owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and took its name from the Japanese satellite TV network; which was then-majority owned by subsidiary Sony ...
. ''Hakaba Kitaro'' was released with English subtitles on DVD in Australia and New Zealand. A rebroadcast program of all six of the franchise's television series, titled , premiered on Fuji TV and other channels on April 6, 2025. The theme song for the program is a rendition of "" by Ado while the ending theme is "Party of Monsters" by
Kiyoshi Hikawa is a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977, in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.Hikawa Kiyoshi: Pr ...
featuring
Tetsuya Komuro is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and has introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of t ...
.


''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' series


''Hakaba Kitarō''


Films

; 1968 series * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' (July 21, 1968) (edited version of episodes 5 and 6) ; 1971 series * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Divining Eye'' (July 12, 1980) (edited version of episode 37) ; 1985 series * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Yokai Army'' (December 21, 1985) * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Great Yokai War'' (March 15, 1986) * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Strongest Yokai Army!! Disembark for Japan!'' (July 12, 1986) * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: Clash!! The Great Rebellion of the Dimensional Yokai'' (December 20, 1986) ; 1996 series * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Great Sea Beast'' (July 6, 1996) * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: Obake Nighter'' (March 8, 1997) * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: Yokai Express! The Phantom Train'' (July 12, 1997) ; 2007 series * ''GeGeGe no Kitarō: Japan Explodes!!'' (December 20, 2008) ; 2018 series * '' Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe'' (2023) ;Other * '' Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu'' (December 16, 2017) — crossover film with the '' Yo-kai Watch'' series


Live-action films

Two live-action films have been released. The first one, ''Kitaro'' (released in Japan as ), was released on April 28, 2007. It stars
Eiji Wentz is a Japanese singer, entertainer, actor, and a member of the singer-songwriter duo WaT. Early career Born in Mitaka, Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a German Americans, German American father, Wentz became involved in the entertainment indust ...
as Kitarō and Yo Oizumi as Nezumi Otoko. The film follows Kitarō as he tries to save a young high school girl, Mika Miura, while also trying to stop the powerful "spectre stone" from falling into the wrong hands. The live-action film makes extensive use of practical costumes and CG characters to depict the cast of . The second film, , was released on July 12, 2008. Wentz reprised his role as Kitarō. It follows Kitarō and his friends as they try to solve a 1000-year-old curse that threatens the life of his human companion Kaede Hiramoto.


Video games

* for the
Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
(April 17, 1986;
Bandai is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered ...
) * for the Famicom (December 22, 1987; Bandai) * for the
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
(February 5, 1993; Bandai) * for the Super Famicom (July 19, 1996; Bandai) (requires Sufami Turbo) * for the
Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
(December 13, 1996; Bandai) * for the
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the succes ...
(December 27, 1996; Bandai) * for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
(January 24, 1997; Bandai) * for the PlayStation (July 19, 2000;
Sunsoft , is a Japanese electronics manufacturer, video game developer and publisher. They are known for their video games under the brand name Sunsoft. History In April 1971, Sun Electronics Corporation (alternatively called Sun Denshi) was founded i ...
) * for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
(August 9, 2001; Unbalance) * for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
(December 11, 2003; Konami) * for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
(December 11, 2003;
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
) * for the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
(December 11, 2003; Konami) * for the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
(November 22, 2007;
Namco Bandai Games is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game video game publisher, publisher, and the video game branch of the wider Bandai Namco Holdings group. Founded in 2006 as it is the successor to Namco's home and arcade video game ...
) * for the
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
(July 10, 2008; Namco Bandai Games)


See also

* ''
Yokai Monsters is a trilogy of Japanese horror/fantasy films written by Tetsuro Yoshida and released in the late 1960s. The films were produced by Daiei Film, and productions were largely influenced by ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' franchises where Daimajin was ...
'': Shigeru Mizuki and his friends (most notably
Hiroshi Aramata is a Japanese author, polymath, critic, translator and specialist in natural history, iconography and cartography. His most popular novel was '' Teito Monogatari'' (''Tale of the Capitol''), which has sold over 5 million copies in Japan alone. ...
and Natsuhiko Kyogoku) have participated in productions, resulting in minor crossovers between ''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' and '' Teito Monogatari'', and
Daiei Film Daiei Film Co. Ltd. ( Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, produci ...
(
Kadokawa Corporation , formerly is a Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Fujimi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Created as a result of the merger of the original Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango (company), Dwango Co., Ltd. on October 1, 2014, the company has ...
) characters including
Gamera is a fictional giant monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the Gamera, the Giant Monster, eponymous 1965 Japanese film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' ...
and
Daimajin is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' series centering on an eponymous fictitious giant warrior god. It initially consisted of a film trilogy shot simultaneously and released in 1966 with three different directors and predominantly the same crew. The seri ...
and
Sadako Yamamura is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Koji Suzuki's ''Ring'' novel series and its eponymous film series. Her backstory varies between continuities, but all depict her as the vengeful ghost of a young psychic who was murdered and ...
. Characters from these franchises also serve as
mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...
s of
Chōfu is a Cities of Japan, city in the western side of Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 238,087, and a population density of 11,000 per km2. the total area of the city is . Geography Chōfu is approximately ...
, with occasional joint exhibitions.


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * *


External links


Sakaiminato: The town where you can meet Kitaro

''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' 2007 TV anime official site

''Hakaba Kitaro'' official site

Poor Little Ghost Boy, ''Japanzine'' by Zack Davisson

Yanoman Corporation

"Spooky Ooky" – brief history of Shigeru Mizuki and ''GeGeGe no Kitaro''
by
Jonathan Clements Jonathan Michael Clements (born 9 July 1971) is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shi Huang, as well as monthly opinion columns for '' Neo'' magazine. He is also the co-au ...
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gegege No Kitaro 1959 manga 1968 anime television series debuts 1971 anime television series debuts 1985 anime television series debuts 1996 anime television series debuts 2007 anime television series debuts 2008 anime television series debuts Comedy anime and manga Dark fantasy anime and manga Drawn & Quarterly titles Fuji Television original programming Japanese mythology in anime and manga Kodansha manga Manga adapted into films Shigeru Mizuki Shōnen manga Supernatural anime and manga Toei Animation television Yōkai in anime and manga