is a Japanese ''

yonkoma is a comic strip format that 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 requiremen ...

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 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 a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...

'' wished to have Hasegawa draw the four-panel comic for their paper, she moved to Tokyo in 1949 with the explanation that the main characters had moved from

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...

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 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 ...

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 British reference book published annually, listi ...

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 a 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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 feminism, feminist intellectualism. It emerged in the late 1960s and continued till the 1980s, primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which resu ...

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'' ) : 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 * : 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 (1969–2014),

Chafurin , better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor and narrator who is affiliated with Office Osawa. He graduated from Toyo University, and he often plays middle-aged or older characters in anime. Filmography Television Original net animati ...

(2014–present) * (''née'' ) : Sazae's mother. In her 50s (48 in the manga); born in Shizuoka. : 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 (1969–2015), Yorie Terauchi (2015–present) * : Sazae's husband. He is a

salaryman The term is a Japanese word for salary, salaried workers. In Japanese popular culture, it is portrayed as a white-collar worker who shows unwavering loyalty and commitment to his employer, prioritizing work over anything else, including family. ...

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

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

. : 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 (1969–1978), Hiroshi Masuoka (1978–2019), Hideyuki Tanaka (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 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 , known professionally as , was a Japanese language, Japanese actress, voice actress, screenwriter, singer, essayist, and television personality affiliated with Actors Seven. Her husband was the television personality Keisuke Sagawa. She is bes ...

(1969–1970), Kazue Takahashi (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'' (a ...

(1998–present) * : 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, and no longer than shoulder-length, often with a fringe at the front. The standard bob ...

. : 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 (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 Septem ...

(2005–present) * : 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 (1969—2023), Rikako Aikawa (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 (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 ''S ...

(2000–present) * : 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 Masako (written: , , , or in hiragana) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * *, (1888–1940), 6th daughter of Emperor Meiji *, Japanese long-distance runner *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese linguist *, ...

(1969–1979), Emiko Tsukada (1979–2013), Sayaka Kobayashi (2013–present) * : 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 (1969-2025), Sachie Hirai (2025-present) * : Namihei's Meiji Revolution

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

ancestor. Around the time of the

Bon Festival or just is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ance ...

, he haunts Namihei's (or sometimes Katsuo's) dreams. :''Voiced by:'' Ichirō Nagai (1970–2013),

(2014–present) * : Namihei's twin older brother. :''Voiced by:'' Ichirō Nagai (1970–2013),

(2014–present)

Isasaka family

* : A novelist who lives in the next house over from the Isono family's house. :''Voiced by:'' Sanji Hase (1970–1978), Eken Mine (1985–2002), Atsushi Ii (2002), Yasuo Iwata (2002–2009), Kōtarō Nakamura (2009–2023),

Shigeru Ushiyama is a Japanese actor who specializes in Voice acting in Japan, voice acting. He is affiliated with Theatre Company Subaru, Gekidan Subaru and is married to fellow voice actress Keiko Aizawa. Filmography Television animation *''Mobile Suit Gundam ...

（2023–present) * : Nanbutsu's wife. Fune's childhood friend. :''Voiced by:'' ? (1970–1978), Reiko Yamada (1985–2023), ? (1994, 1996), Yui Komazuka（2023–present) * : Nanbutsu's daughter. : She is one of the characters that Katsuo is secretly in love with. :''Voiced by:'' ? (?), Miho Ochiai (1974), ? (?), Keiko Han (1985–1989), Reiko Katsura (1989),

(1989–1998), Eriko Kawasaki (1998–present) * : Nanbutsu's son. :''Voiced by:'' ? (1970–1978), Hiroshi Takemura (1985–2023), Manabu Sakamaki（2023–present) * : 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), Eken Mine (1985–2002), Atsushi Ii (2002–2013), Mitsuru Takakuwa (2013–present), * : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : ''Ura-no'' Grandpa's wife. :''Voiced by:'' ?, Sumiko Shirakawa, Keiko Yamamoto, Reiko Yamada, ? (1990s substitute) * : 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 * : An original anime character. : One of Tarao's friends. :''Voiced by:'' Reiko Katsura (1969-2025),

Taeko Kawata is a Japanese voice actress best known for voicing Amy Rose from the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Her former stage name is . After graduating from Jissen Commercial High School, she worked at 81 Produce until 2010. On October 1, 2019, ...

(1997),

Sayaka Kitahara , (born on November 29, 1993, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese voice actress, actress and former singer. Biography In 2004, Sayaka Kitahara became a member of Hello Pro Egg, under Hello! Project. In 2008, she became a part of the u ...

(2025-present) * : An original anime character. : One of Tarao's friends. :''Voiced by:'' Sumiko Shirakawa (?), Reiko Yamada (?–2019), Eriko Kawasaki (?),

(?), Nozomi Mikajiri (2020–present) * : An original anime character modeled after a guest character from the manga. : Katsuo's best friend and his classmate. :''Voiced by:'' Sumiko Shirakawa (1969–2015), Rumi Ochiai (2015–present) * : 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:'' ? (1969–?), Reiko Katsura (?–present), Michiko Nomura (1972, 1975),

(1997) * : One of Katsuo's classmates. : She is one of the characters that Katsuo is secretly in love with. :''Voiced by:'' ? (?), Reiko Katsura (1975), Keiko Han (1985–1990),

(1990–1998), Eriko Kawasaki (1998–present), * : 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:'' Mitsuko Asō (1971–?), Tikako Akimoto (1971–?), Yoshiko Ōta, Keiko Yamamoto (?–2023), Teiyū Ichiryūsai (2015),

Kazue Ikura is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator who works for Aoni Production. She was previously affiliated with theater groups/production companies 劇舎燐, 俳協, Production Baobab and NABEYA. She is most known for the roles of Kao ...

(2020), Kumiko Watanabe (2023—present) * : An original anime character. : One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' ? (1971–?), Reiko Yamada (?–present) * : An original anime character. : One of Katsuo's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' Katsue Miwa (1972–?), Emiko Tsukada (?–2013), Sayaka Kobayashi (2014–present) * : An original anime character. : Katsuo's teacher. :''Voiced by:'' Hiroshi Ōtake (1969), ? (?),

Kaneta Kimotsuki was a Japanese actor and voice actor. Career During his life he had been attached to TBS broadcast theater company and then Aoni Production, Production Baobab, he became a director of his own agency 21st century FOX; he was attached to 81 Pr ...

(1971), ? (?), Eken Mine (?–2002), Sanji Hase (?), ? (2002), Ikuya Sawaki (2002–present) * : 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, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

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:'' Sumiko Shirakawa (1971–?), ? (?), Emiko Tsukada (?–2013), Sayaka Kobayashi (2014–present) * : An original anime character. : One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' Reiko Katsura (?–2022), Sayaka Kitahara (2022–present) * : An original anime character. : One of Wakame's classmates. :''Voiced by:'' Reiko Katsura (?–1990),

(1990–1998), Eriko Kawasaki (1998–present), * : 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 (1971−197?),

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 ...

(197?–present) * :''Voiced by:'' ? (?),

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

(?), Ikuya Sawaki (2019–present) * : An original anime character. : Hanako's father. Boss of the Hanazawa Real Estate Agency. :''Voiced by:'' ? (?),

(?–present)

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 publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

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 in 1962.

Anime

In October 1969,

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- ...

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, the anime achieved the

for the "Longest running animated TV series". 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 stories are based on at least one strip of the original manga. Due to the limited number of strips, different episodes are based on the same strips. 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 as ...

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 ...

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

, etc, but within a year the genre shifted towards a

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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...

. From this point onward, there has been no major change in style for more than 50 years, in either directing, scriptwriting, or 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 a change is made, 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 being "

anachronistic An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common typ ...

" or a "period piece", due to elements such as the absence of

smartphones A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as mult ...

and

convenience stores A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lottery t ...

in the setting even though the time period is the present day. In response to this, the staff stated, "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." However, some things which have come to be considered inappropriate due to changing times, such as smoking and corporal punishment, 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 Midori Katō, 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 anime was first broadcast, four of the seven main characters were the original cast members, but in 2014 Ichirō Nagai, who played Namihei, was replaced due to his sudden death at age 82, and the following year Miyoko Asō, who played Fune, was changed to reflect her age at 89. Takako Sasuga, 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 to and visited throughout Japan. The settings change 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 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 is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...

—Later, in 1998, the program expanded to other sponsors, but the association between Toshiba and Sazae-san remained strong. When Toshiba withdrew its sponsorship due to poor management, it was widely covered in the media. ''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 of the 20th century, until there was a shif ...

, 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 Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

in December 2018 to release the 1969 and early-to-mid 1970s episodes available on their streaming service. Some episodes from the mid-2000s are also on the service. The Opening Song and Ending Song are original songs sung by Yuko Uno. Since the anime first started airing, the audio itself has not been altered in any way, such as by arrangement, although it was trimmed to fit the length of the sequences during the early years of airing. 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 the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 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 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.

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 by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

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 "25 years later" commercials, as adults, for the firm's "Otona Glico" chocolates. The characters were portrayed by Eita (as Tarao Fuguta),

Tadanobu Asano better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor, director, and musician, who has had an extensive career working in both Japanese and international cinema. He has been nominated for five Japan Academy Film Prizes, twice for Best Actor and ...

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

Shun Oguri is a Japanese people, Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, 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 ...

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

Cup Noodles A cup noodle is an instant ramen product in a disposable cup, first developed in 1971 and manufactured by the Japanese food company Nissin Foods. The product was first introduced in the United States as "Cup O' Noodles" in 1972, before being ren ...

commercial drawn by

Katsuya Kondō is a Japanese mangaka, 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 (film), Ocean Waves'', as well as t ...

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* * * {{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 Television original programming Josei manga Slice of life anime and manga Television shows based on manga Works originally published in Asahi Shimbun Yonkoma Anime postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic Anime productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic