Most famous Japanese families
The most famous Japanese families are not the Suzukis, the Satos, or the Tanakas - all common family names. Nor are they famous historical families like the Tokugawas or the Nobunagas (sort of like the Kennedys of America, or the Windsors, the Stuarts, the Tudors, the or the Lancasters of the U.K.). The most famous families in Japan are the Isono family, the Nohara family and the Sakura family. They are all examples of comic books (“manga”) that were re-tooled as TV cartoon series.
1) the Isono Family
This is the family of Sazae san. Sazae is the first name of the main character, the wife of businessman Masuo, the daughter of Namihei and Fune, the older sister of Katsuo and Wakame, and the mother of young Tara. They are a traditional, multi-generational family, all living together. The Isono family is a joke. I mean it is a grand pun. The name of every character has something to do either with the sea or with fish. “Fune,” the grandmother, for example, means “ship.” “Wakame,” the younger sister, is a common kind of “seaweed.”
This is the family of Crayon Shin chan. More correctly, he is Shinosuke, a mischievous 5-year-old nursery school boy living in the Tokyo suburb of Saitama Prefecture. He is sort of like Dennis the Menace or Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes in America. Shin chan has a younger sister, Himawari, which means “sunflower.” He’s a delightfully precocious and mischievous little kid. Unlike the Isonos and the Sakuras, the Nohara family is a “nuclear family,” not multi-generational. The humour focuses on Shinosuke’s weird misuse of language, or inappropriate language, oddly unexpected use of adult speech patterns and mannerisms, in addition to confounding his parents with an endless string of embarrassing situations he either gets into or creates himself. Of all three cartoons, I think I like Crayon Shin chan the best.
This is another traditional, multi-generational family. The Sakura family is the family of “Chibi Maruko chan,” although “Maruko” is only her nickname. Her real name is Momoko. The stories are supposed to be told from Maruko’s perspective. Maruko is nine years old and she has a 12-year-old older sister, Sakiko. The grandfather of the family, Tomozou, is kind and absent-minded, and seems to be Maruko’s best friend. He is the most tolerant of all the situations the girl gets herself into and indulgent of her peculiarities.