Sakura-Shinmachi in south-central Tokyo is a quiet residential area bordered by the Tamagawa River on its western edge. The town is known for its connection to cartoonist Machiko Hasegawa and as the setting of her manga Sazae-san.

Sazae-san has never been exported overseas, but in Japan, it has been a beloved comic series since its release in 1946. In 1969, the manga landed on the small screen with an animated series still broadcasting to this day. In 2013, the anime achieved the Guinness World Record for the longest running animated TV series.

My Filipina wife even enjoys the series and credits the 30-minute program with helping her raise her Japanese language proficiency.

Sazae-san is 30-minutes long and consists of three short vignettes with funny but family-oriented, heartwarming stories featuring Sazae’s careless, funny yet humane gestures. My wife said the show never fails to cheer her up and she never misses it when it airs on Sundays.

To me, the old-fashioned settings and traditional behaviors always remind me of the good old days of my youth.

To enjoy the unique atmosphere of the town filled with Sazae-san’s cheerful spirit, my wife and I recently visited Sakura-Shinmachi, where cartoonist Hasegawa lived and illustrated the townscape and people in her manga series.

A bronze statue of Sazae-san and her family welcomed us at the station. As the name Sakura-Shinmachi (literally, cherry blossoms’ new town) shows, cherry trees along the streets were blossoming, adding spring colors to the town of Sazae-san. While strolling in the town, we found 12 statues, and the street between the station and Hasegawa Machiko Museum named “Sazae-san Street” boasts countless colorful illustrations and statues along the walk. For a Sazae-san enthusiast like my wife, anywhere on the street offered a great photo-op.

The Hasegawa Machiko Museum displays about 800 art pieces and craftworks that were collected by the cartoonist, and the annex includespanels of her life and cartoon works. Fans can also shop at the museum store or grab a refreshment at the café on-site.

Whether you’re familiar with the hit manga or not, Sakura-Shinmachi is a fun area to explore and learn more about Sazae-san.

Hasegawa Machiko Museum

Location: 1-30-6 Sakura-shinmachi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Tue – Sun, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Admission: Adults 900 yen, college and high schoolers 500 yen, middle and elementary schoolers 400 yen

URL

Tel: 03-3701-8766

Yokota Air Base

Camp Zama

Naval Air Facility Atsugi

Yokosuka Naval Base