Hashimoto-san
Encyclopedia
Hashimoto-san was an animated Japanese
mouse
created by the Japanese-born animator Bob Kuwahara
for the Terrytoons
animation company.
The first cartoon in the series, Hashimoto-san, was a seven-minute short released theatrically on September 6, 1959. The final cartoon, Spooky-Yaki, was released on November 13, 1963.
However, in the series, there were some stereotypes. For instance, he was a Judo master but never used it to hurt anyone. Today, this could be seen as a stereotype but back then, it was unexpected. In the series Hashimoto frequently told stories about Japan
to an American reporter named G.I. Joe. Hashimoto was an expert in judo
and the ninja
arts, and had a wife (Hanako), a son (Saburo), and a daughter (Yuriko).
Hashimoto and the other characters in the series were voiced by John Myhers. All of the shorts were directed by Kuwahara. Bob Kuwahara had an intimate knowledge of Hashimoto's culture through his own family ties.
Between 1963 and 1965 the shorts were incorporated into The Hector Heathcote Show as part of NBC
's Saturday morning cartoon
lineup. During the mid-1960s Hashimoto had his own board game
, and also appeared in a handful of comic books published by Gold Key Comics
; always with other Terrytoon characters like Deputy Dawg
or Hector Heathcote
.
Since it was common to portray Japanese and other Asians as houseboy
s or manservants (or worse) in American cartoons prior to the Hashimoto series, Hashimoto the Mouse is today regarded as having perhaps been the first positive characterization of an Asian character in American animation. Some episodes contained scenes whose artwork reflected Japan's traditional ukiyo-e
woodblock prints.
To date the Hashimoto-san series has not been released on DVD, though a bootleg DVD is available containing 12 of the 14 episodes.
Hashimoto-san - by then middle-aged - made a cameo appearance in an episode of Ralph Bakshi
's late '80s CBS
cartoon Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
created by the Japanese-born animator Bob Kuwahara
Bob Kuwahara
Rokuro "Bob" Kuwahara was a Japanese-born American animator best known for his work with Walt Disney and Terrytoons between the 1930s and 1960s....
for the Terrytoons
Terrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
animation company.
The first cartoon in the series, Hashimoto-san, was a seven-minute short released theatrically on September 6, 1959. The final cartoon, Spooky-Yaki, was released on November 13, 1963.
However, in the series, there were some stereotypes. For instance, he was a Judo master but never used it to hurt anyone. Today, this could be seen as a stereotype but back then, it was unexpected. In the series Hashimoto frequently told stories about Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to an American reporter named G.I. Joe. Hashimoto was an expert in judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and the ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
arts, and had a wife (Hanako), a son (Saburo), and a daughter (Yuriko).
Hashimoto and the other characters in the series were voiced by John Myhers. All of the shorts were directed by Kuwahara. Bob Kuwahara had an intimate knowledge of Hashimoto's culture through his own family ties.
Between 1963 and 1965 the shorts were incorporated into The Hector Heathcote Show as part of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
lineup. During the mid-1960s Hashimoto had his own board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
, and also appeared in a handful of comic books published by Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
; always with other Terrytoon characters like Deputy Dawg
Deputy Dawg
Deputy Dawg is a Terrytoons cartoon character featured on the animated television series of the same name in an original TV weekly run from 8 September 1962 to 25 May 1963, with no episodes on 8 December to 29 December 1962, resuming on 5 January 1963. The cartoons are between four and six minutes...
or Hector Heathcote
Hector Heathcote
Hector Heathcote was a was a Terrytoons cartoon character. Created by Eli Bauer, he first appeared in 1959 in The Minute and a Half Man.Hector started out as a scientist who invented a time machine to take him back to the American War of Independence....
.
Since it was common to portray Japanese and other Asians as houseboy
Houseboy
A Houseboy is typically a male servant or assistant who performs domestic or personal chores. Examples of its usage include:*An American slang term that originated in World War II for a native boy who helped a soldier perform basic responsibilities like cleaning, laundry, ironing, shoe-shining,...
s or manservants (or worse) in American cartoons prior to the Hashimoto series, Hashimoto the Mouse is today regarded as having perhaps been the first positive characterization of an Asian character in American animation. Some episodes contained scenes whose artwork reflected Japan's traditional ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
woodblock prints.
To date the Hashimoto-san series has not been released on DVD, though a bootleg DVD is available containing 12 of the 14 episodes.
Hashimoto-san - by then middle-aged - made a cameo appearance in an episode of Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
's late '80s CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
cartoon Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures is a 1987 revival of the classic Mighty Mouse cartoon character. Produced by Bakshi-Hyde Ventures , it aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from fall 1987 through the 1988-89 season...
.