Pokonyan!

Aired: 1993 - 1996

A Shin-Ei Animation TV series based on Fujiko F. Fujio's fantasy manga, broadcast on NHK from April 1993 for roughly three years. Pokonyan, a mysterious tanuki-like creature from the deep mountains, settles into the home of a little girl named Mikako, where his magical bamboo leaf turns everyday family life into a string of gentle fantastical capers. Flying shoes, transformations and encounters with folklore creatures populate the ten-minute episodes, making the show a warm, slice-of-life comedy aimed at preschoolers and lower-grade elementary viewers.