Learning from Takashi Yanase's "roundabout" way of life

"The Power of Our Ancestors: The Fountain of Wisdom" is a program on NHK Educational TV (Tuesdays at 10pm) that teaches us the wisdom of our ancestors. On June 24th, as a "selection", they will rebroadcast an episode that focuses on Takashi Yanase , the manga artist and picture book author who created "Anpanman".

Yanase's life was a series of hardships. He was sent to fight in mainland China during the war, suffered from hunger, and his younger brother was killed in action. These wartime experiences were strongly reflected in his later works. Yanase, unable to produce a hit as a manga artist, began taking on a variety of jobs, including stage design, radio scriptwriting, and even as a presenter. He may seem like a handyman, but what was he thinking?

Eventually, he released "Anpanman" but was met with a storm of harsh criticism. What was the wisdom that made Yanase continue to draw despite this? "Anpanman" gained national support when he was 69 years old, and we can learn from it the "roundabout" way of life.

Appearing in the studio will be Motoki Nakazawa , who plays Chihiro Yanai in the currently airing Asadora drama "Anpan ."