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Sazae-san Cast, Toei Staffers Win Tokyo Anime Awards (Updated)

The executive committee of the Tokyo International Anime Fair announced the winners of the 7th Annual Awards of Merit in the Tokyo Anime Awards on Tuesday. Since 2005, these awards have honored pioneers in Japanese animation — not just in production, but also in training, international cultural exchange, and other areas.

The four actors honored this year have voiced Sazae-san for over 41 years. This is also the first year that an award has been given to a "Science-Fiction Researcher" — the production credit coined just for the contributions of the late Japanese science-fiction author and editor Takumi Shibano.

People who worked at Toei Dōga (now known as Toei Animation) during its early years are well represented; Takeshi Ariga (Mazinger Z Vs. Devilman), Shun'ichi Yukimuro (Mahōtsukai Sally), Tomoharu Katsumata (Cyborg 009), Mataji Urata (Little Norse Prince), and Hiromi Kanbara (Mazinger Z) are among the honorees who worked at this studio.

The awards ceremony will take place during the Tokyo International Anime Fair, which runs from March 24 to March 27 at the Tokyo Big Sight event center.

The executive committee confirmed at the Tuesday press conference that manga creator Noboru Kawasaki (Kyojin no Hoshi) declined an Award of Merit. According to Champion RED Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jun Itō, Kawasaki declined the award due to the recently passed amendment to the Tokyo Youth Healthy Development Ordinance. (The amendment will expand the number of manga and anime that fall under "harmful publications," the legal category of works that must not be sold or rented to people under the age of 18.)

Tokyo Anime Awards' 7th Annual Awards of Merit

Producer
Takeshi Ariga

Writer
Shun'ichi Yukimuro

Science-Fiction Researcher
Takumi Shibano

Director
Tomoharu Katsumata

Character Designer/Animation Director
Shingo Araki

Art Director
Mataji Urata

Audio Recording Engineer
Hiromi Kanbara

Editor
Yutaka Chikura

Actor
Midori Katō
Ichirô Nagai
Miyoko Asō
Takako Sasuga

Source: Anime Anime Japan

Update: Takeshi Ariga's spelling corrected. Thanks, Denys.