アンパンマンはなぜ顔を差し出すのか　(英語版) “Why Does Anpanman Give His Own Face?”

After retiring, I began watching NHK’s morning dramas more often.
Recently, it was the story of Takashi Yanase, the creator of Anpanman, and his wife. Knowing the series will soon end, I find myself reflecting on what remains in my heart.

Not long ago, I sent an Anpanman picture book to my grandchild who lives in New Zealand. My son said to me, “The idea of giving your own face to someone in need — that kind of self-sacrifice — doesn’t resonate much in Western culture.” I understood his point intellectually, yet something inside me felt unsettled.

Then I learned more about Yanase’s wartime experience. During the war, he suffered from extreme hunger. He crawled on the ground searching desperately for dandelion roots, hoping they might be edible — and he actually ate them. When I realized that such a powerful memory formed the background of Anpanman’s creation, everything made sense.

Yanase pursued what he called “justice that does not reverse.” Not the justice of the strong defeating the weak, nor the glamorous hero admired for power. True justice, for him, was simple: bringing food to someone who is starving. It does not have to look cool. It only has to help. Anpanman embodies that belief.

In an age of abundance, we often discard food without much thought. Perhaps that is precisely why adults — not only children — need to rediscover Anpanman’s quiet kindness.

Anpanman is not merely a hero. He invites us to ask: What is kindness?

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#Anpanman
#TakashiYanase
#JapaneseCulture
#JusticeThatDoesNotReverse
#KindnessMatters
#WartimeExperience
#PictureBooks
#CrossCulturalPerspective
#LifeAfterRetirement
#GrandparentLife