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Nerima: Animation Wonderland

I don't think I've ever stated it outright -- there's been no reason to -- but I live in Nerima, the second most populous of Tokyo's 23 wards (though way down at 14th in terms of pop. density, thankfully). Those of you who live in Tokyo or are familiar with the city probably have little or no impression of Nerima beyond Toshimaen (where the excellent United Cinemas have a house) and daikon. But if you're J-film literate then you know Nerima is where Juon festers and more importantly is ground zero for much of the Japanese animation that entertains the nation and the world.

Why cover this now after having lived in Nerima for a number of years? I've been meaning to write about it for a while. If you follow the blog you know I'm more of a jissha eiga person but some recent news stories tied to my 'hood motivated me to get something down.

When you alight at Nerima station you're greeted with the above pictured sign, installed last year, that proudly describes Nerima ward as anime hasshô no chi, "the birthplace of anime". The sign also displays images from Japan's first animated colour feature film The Tale of the White Serpent aka Panda and the Magic Serpent (Hakujaden, 『白蛇伝』).

Indeed, this adaptation of the Chinese fairy tale was Toei Animation's inaugural production after acquiring education-oriented animation house Nichidô Eiga, established a decade earlier as the country's first animation company. Toei Animation moved out to Ôizumi, five train stops west of Nerima station, a year before Hakujaden's 1958 release and remains there today (Google street view -- you can see mascot Pero the cat on the façade of the building). The Toei film studios themselves are also nearby. Jasper Sharp and I shot an interview with Miike there back in 2003 when he was in production on Gozu, I believe it was.

It's quite amazing that then Toei president Ôkawa Hiroshi had the ambition to compete with Disney features and export Japan's own brand of animation to the world, all from Nerima. And he succeeded. Hakujaden was the also the first Japanese animated feature to gain a US release, in 1961.

Miyazaki Hayao and other luminaries cite this film as the reason for entering the animated world, with Miyazaki going on to work at Toei Animation along with Takahata Isao and Nagai Gô. Hakujaden "inbetweener" Rintarô would later go on to co-found Madhouse, which is just outside of Nerima in neighbouring Suginami ward (I did an interview with Kon Satoshi there). Miyazaki and Takahata of course set up Studio Ghibli in Musashino City, bordering Nerima to the south west.

In fact, Rintarô-directed T.A. production Galaxy Express 999　(Ginga Tetsudô Three-Nine『銀河鉄道９９９』) would become the territory's first animated feature to become the top grossing film of the year in '79. Toei cleverly capitalized on the TV show and manga's popularity by releasing the movie version in the middle of the broadcast season.

As we know, T.A. also went on to produce pop culture sensations Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, One Piece and on and on. Cels ad infinitum.

On a Toei tangent, they took over theatrical distribution of Matsumoto/Nishizaki/Masuda's Space Battleship Yamato aka Space Cruiser Yamato (Uchû Senkan Yamato,『宇宙戦艦ヤマト』), a feature-length edit of Yomuri TV/NTV show of the same name (exported as Star Blazers, which I enjoyed as a kiddy). It was apparently the first movie in Japan to see patrons lining up the night before and turned into a box office hit, as did its sequels.

Now, I know Space Battleship Yamato was developed at Zuiyo in Sumida ward, but the actual production ended up being done at Nishizaki Yoshinobu's Office Academy. Where was that located? In any case, Nerima is where (in)famous producer "the Nish", as he's affectionately known, chose to set up production offices last year on the stalled, re-stalled and finally greenlit Uchû Senkan Yamato Fukkatsu-hen (something like Space Battleship Yamato: Revival Chapter, or Redux).
See this translated article on Anime News Network for the latest update, and the official site here.　

Nishizaki graduated from the Nihon University College of Art a couple stops away from here in Ekoda and joined Mushi Production subsidiary Mushi Pro Shôji before they collapsed. And can I just say that Nishizaki exec-produced Legend of the Overfiend was a mondo touchstone in my VHS bootleg days? Its tentacle-penised demons were spawned at Phoenix Entertainment, a couple of stops the other way in Fujimidai.

Aforementioned Mushi Pro of course brings us to the Godfather, the genius of geniuses, Tezuka Osamu. After being commissioned for several features at Toei Animation he set up Mushi Pro in the early 60s where he produced a TV series based on his slightly popular manga Tetsuwan Atomu. It became known around the world as Astro Boy. Need I write more? Tezuka stepped down from the company some time before it eventually went bankrupt and set up Tezuka Production (in Shinjuku ward/Saitama prefecture). A revived incarnation of Mushi Pro was established in '77 in Fujimidai (and has a website that looks like it dates back to '97). Tezuka Pro's site, other on the hand, is brand spanking new.

Mushi Pro offshoot Sunrise, creators of Mobile Suit Gundam and later Cowboy Bebop, also took a hop, skip and a jump out of Nerima into Suginami ward like Madhouse did and set up shop. Is there a feudal angle I'm not picking up on?

What else? Erm...I used to live down the street from AIC (Anime International Inc). They've produced everything from Bubblegum Crisis to Tenchi Muyo! (see a partial list in English here). They apparently did some outsource work on the Don Adams-voiced Inspector Gadget, another show on tee-vee when I was small.

One of the big Asia stories to come out of Cannes was of course the six country co-production of a $30m live action version of Bubblegum Crisis, one of the most famous OAVs ever produced.

At the time the apartment next door to me doubled as an AIC cel/graphics production hovel. The chubby male and female inhabitants would beaver away day and night churning out images in cramped confines. On the rare occasion we crossed paths it was all averted eyes and zero verbal interaction -- the most anti-social people I've ever "met". But very quiet, needless to say!

A couple other companies based in my ku are Studio Nue (Macross) and a little outfit called Gonzo is walking distance from my crib. According to a recent white paper published by Nerima ward, there are some 94 companies extant.

If all that wasn't enough there's even the Nerima Animation Association and people like Matsumoto Leiji joining the ward to increase synergy between all of these contents producers, especially in light of the anime bubble bursting in the last couple years. A recent pact formed with France's legendary Annecy animation festival adds another lip to the Nouvelle Tsunami.

There's plenty more to be said about Nerima's undeniable place in animation history. Someone should write a book. That won't be me, though I have the time -- Nerima's life expectancy for male residents is the highest in the city...

Posted by Jason Gray at 5/25/2009 03:37:00 AM