Japan: All The Children Love Anpanman!

During my primary school days, stories of Doraemon occupied an important place of my reading list, and that of many other Asians of my age. The animated series of this Japanese cultural icon, besides Crayon Shin-chan, are still one of the children's favorite TV programmes in Malaysia now.

When I was in Japan, Emi introduced to me Anpanman,

whose author Takashi Yanase was a Christian. This manga superhero with a head made of "anpan" (bread filled with red bean jam) goes anywhere to help anyone in trouble, to drive away villains, and to save people from starvation by allowing them to eat his head. After that, his father Jam Ojisan will bake a new face for him.

The fact that Anpanman, who sacrifices himself for the sake of justice, shares a lot of similarities with Jesus has been arousing questions of the analogy. Maybe that is why Malaysia has imported neither the manga nor the cartoon series to make known Anpanman, currently the most popular fictional character among the children under twelve in Japan.

Heavily merchandised, Anpanman appears on every imaginable children's product: game machines,

food packets,

even diapers packets, etc.

After seeing this cute man of justice everywhere for more than one week, not only I did not get bored, I grew to love Anpanman more and more.

May the children who are touched by stories of Anpanman will know Jesus Christ, the true bread of God who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world (John 6:32-33).