Astro Boy at the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum

Shane Sakata — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:00:41 +0000

Osamu Tezuku created one of the world’s best know manga and anime characters in Astro Boy during the 1950′s. In Japan Astro Boy is better know as Tetsuwan Atomu, or Mighty Atom in English. Astro Boy was serialized in Japan from 1952-1968 and was the first domestically-produced animated program on Japanese television when it debuted in 1963. Astro Boy also became the first Japanese animation to be shown on US television with 104 of the 193 episodes shown between 1963 and 1966 on NBC.

Today you can visit the Osamu Tezuku Manga Museum in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture (about an hour by train from Kyoto – Osamu Tezuku Manga Museum Access Map ) to learn more about Osamu Tezuku, the artist, and his creations including Astro Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion Princess Night and Phoenix, his life’s work.

Known as the “Father of Anime” or “Japan’s Walt Disney”, Osamu Tezuku lived and worked in Takarazuka for 20 years – he was born in 1926 in Osaka and died at the age of 1989 in Tokyo. The museum was inaugurated in 1994 to honor his life and work.

The Osamu Tezuku Manga Museum is open Thursday through Tuesday from 9:30AM to 5PM (last admission at 4:30PM). Admission is Y500 for adults, Y300 for Junior and senior high school students and Y100 for elementary school students. Those over the age of 60 or with disabilities are admitted free.

For those of you that love Astro Boy who can’t get to the Osamu Tezuku Manga Museum in Japan you will be sure to look forward to an animated feature film titled Astro Boy that is slated for release by Imagi Studios in October of 2009 starring Academy Award®-winning actor Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy and Donald Sutherland, with Freddie Highmore in the title role.

Enjoy the Astro Boy move trailer below and learn more about companion Astro Boy video games slated for release around the same time.

Image Credit: Flickr, Astro Boy, Kyoto Video: YouTube, Astro Boy (2009) HD Teaser Trailer

Nihon on the Net – 12/7/08

Shane Sakata — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:00:54 +0000

If you are planning a trip to Tokyo for the holidays take note: Tsukuji Fish Market will ban spectators at the morning auctions from December 15th to January 17th.

Oscar winning animator, Hayao Miyazaki, of “Ponyo On the Cliff by the Sea” fame, spoke at a rare press conference in Tokyo at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan on November 20th. Tony McNicol took some great photos and The Japan Times reports on the event in an article titled “An audience with Miyazaki, Japan’s animation king”

Japanese is home to 4 of the top 10 spots in a survey by London-based ECA International ranking the most expensive places for expatriates to live. Tokyo comes in at #2 followed by Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe.

Visit the Universal Citywalk Osaka, the shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to Universal Studios Japan to check out Japanese robot guides in action.

The Japanese are fascinated by blood types – what does your blood type say about you? I’m apparently a strong-willed samurai.

An American chef, Ivan Orkin from New York, served delicious homemade Ramen out of his restaurant, Ivan Ramen, in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward. I wonder if he will ever make and serve Ramen burgers? Enjoy this video from Reuters:

To find more great articles about Japan consider joining me at JapanSoc. If it’s about Japan and it’s being read or talked about on the internet you will find it at JapanSoc.

Nihon Sun » anime

Astro Boy at the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum

Nihon on the Net – 12/7/08