アンパンマン公式HP
http://anpanman.jp/index.html

Do you know "Anpanman"?He is one of Japan's most beloved cartoon characters.Anpanman is a superhero with a head made of anpan, or bread filled with red bean paste, a snack in Japan. The round-faced, smiley hero, clad in a red suit and a long cape, fights his arch-rival Baikinman, or 'germ man', while rescuing the weak.
The Anpanman television cartoon series; "Let's go Anpanman" started in 1988 and is still running at present. The self-sacrificial hero, who even allows starving people to bite into his head, was a big shock to people at the time and became a star not only in Japan but across Asia in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The same as Doraemon, every Japanese has watched the cartoon, and can sing the theme song. "Love and braveness are your only friends" is one of the most memorable parts. "Only love and braveness are friends of yours? So sad lol". I guess most Japanese have had this kind of conversation once. Or, "where has his old face gone?" "I have watched another bite of Anpanman!". While writing this, it reminds me of a lot of conversations I had about Anpanman with friends. We, Japanese, really love him.

Takashi Yanase, creator of Anpanman died of heart failure at Tokyo hospital last Sunday aged 94.
He experienced World War II and the postwar period, which was a miserably poor time nationwide and he realized the most suffering was from starvation. His experience caused him to make a hero whose face made of bread.

He said " You never perform justice without hurting yourself". His character teaches us the importance of self-sacrifice to help others. Anpanman is already a part of our heart!!
Thank you so much Mr. Takashi Yanase!
May he rest in peace.