The anime adaptation of Machiko Hasegawa’s family life manga Sazae-san began airing in October 1969, and Toshiba was the founding and exclusive sponsor of Sazae-san from the anime’s premiere to October 1999.
Toshiba was the exclusive sponsor of the world’s longest-running animated series during its first three decades, and then its primary sponsor for almost two more decades.
Sazae-san is usually the highest ranked animated series in Japan each week.
Electronics manufacturer Toshiba contacted the staff of the long-running television anime Sazae-san to end its sponsorship of the anime, which it plans to do as early as the end of next March.