Children's programming in Kawagoeland

**Children's programming** had been existed in Kawagoeland since the 1960s.

## History

The first children's television program produced in Kawagoeland was *The Fun Classroom on Television* (Japanese: 電視の楽しい教室 *Denshi no tanoshī kyōshitsu*), premiered in English in 1960, Japanese in 1961, and Dutch in 1962.

The first animated cartoons to be shown on Kawagoenese television were *Yama the Black Bird* (Japanese: 黒鳥ヤマさん *Kurotori yama-san*) (domestic) and *The Flintstones* (Japanese: 原始家族フリントストーン *Genshi kazoku furintosutōn*) (imported). Kawagoeland was one of the first countries to air anime, with *Astro Boy* airing in 1964, and some of the 1960s anime never dubbed in English aired in Kawagoeland from 1967. In 1966, Kawagoeland started the "animation window" and spanned Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Western and domestic cartoons based on advertising material as well as anime not produced by one of these Five Studio System (non-FSS) constitutes were heavily restricted by the Kawagoenese Animated Television Shogunate (Japanese: 川越国動画電視幕府 *Kawagoe-koku dōga denshi bakufu*; abbr.: KATS/KDDB) in 1969, the latter relating to the *Yamaishi Policy*, and KATS/KDDB banned any non-American cartoons that were deemed to be "too violent", such as super robot anime. For example, magical girl anime like *Pretty Cure* and *Sailor Moon* would be approved for broadcast and release, but something like *Voltes V* or *Neo Human Casshern* would not be allowed by KATS broadcast standards, and therefore would never be released there. These were repealed in 1979 and 1995 respectively. In 1972, Kawagoeland stopped flagging of animation as being for children in favour of the "open animation" policy, which made adult animation possible. Over the years, Kawagoeland was the only major country that produced adult animation prior to the 1990s.

In 1971, *Sesame Street* was first broadcast in Kawagoeland.

Kawagoeland was one of the first countries to broadcast magical girl anime: Mitsuteru Yokoyama and Toei Animation's *Sally the Witch* premiered on Kawagoenese airwaves on 7 March 1969 as a Friday night time cartoon, three years after its Japanese premiere. Friday night time became the home for magical girl anime over the years, it aired *Himitsu no Akko-chan*, *Mahou no Mako-chan*, *Sarutobi Ecchan*, *Chappy the Witch*, *Cutie Honey*, *Majokko Megu-chan*, *Majokko Tickle*, *Hana no ko Lunlun*, *Lalabel, the Magical Girl*, *Minky Momo* and *Sailor Moon*. *The Magical Girl Club* (Japanese: 魔法少女倶楽部 *Mahō shōjo kurabu*), a monthly magazine published by Toei Animation Kawagoeland, began its publication in 1969. In between 1972 and 1984, magical girls (excluding *Tickle* and *Minky Momo*) started to have their own Kawagoeland-exclusive Halloween specials.

Over 400 cartoons, including some anime that have not been released in English or have never hit on American airwaves (but still dubbed in English), aired throughout Kawagoeland between the years of 1969 and 1984. Among those was Tokyo Movie Shinsha's *The Rose of Versailles* which was released in Kawagoeland in early 1982. Oscar from *The Rose of Versailles* was Kawagoeland's fifth most popular Halloween costume in 1983.

Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s on Hakone Television (Japanese-language channel), the Friday evening block was home to magical girl anime and Nippon Animation's *World Masterpiece Theatre*, and the Saturday morning block was home to American cartoons and several *shonen* anime. The Friday evening block was refactored in 1997, 2009 and 2016 (to focus on Disney shows). In December 2019 most Disney shows were removed from the lineup to make way for reruns of *Sally the Witch*, as a signal that marked end of the child-oriented Friday evening block after 49 years.