Astro Boy and Takadanobaba

Have you visited Takadanobaba station along the JR Loop line – Yamanote line?

You should visit the station if you are a fan of Astro Boy. 

Astro Boy is the English name of  “Tetsuwan Atom”  pronounced in Japanese., “Atomu”.

Atom is a Japanese manga series first published in 1952. The story’s main character is a robot-boy who is a kind and peace-loving little boy.  Most  stories evolve around him with the various characters in the manga.   The  television program was  the  first “Anime” that was broadcast  in Japan in 1963.  And it was a hit in Japan, and this they say – started the “Anime” .

It originated as a manga in 1952 by Osamu Tezuka.   He is considered as the  “Godfather of Manga” or sometimes even the “God of the Manga”  in Japan.  He is a genius manga creator.  Atom is one of his most famous creations together with Kimba the White Lion.   He worked and lived at the place where we stayed for many years, that is in Takadanobaba.

Although he is gone, his office is still in that area. Please “Look him up” if you are interested to know more about him,  there are materials about him in the internet arena.


Takadanobaba station painted the wall in front of the station with “Atom” and the other characters .  It is also worth noticing that the  JR Yamanote line’s music when the train is about to close it’s doors,  plays the tune of  the theme song of  this popular show.  That is only played at the Takadanobaba station.

At Takadanobaba Station

Astro Boy enjoyed the success and was shown in several countries, and also was re-made in later years.

According to Wikipedia – “In November 2007, he was named Japan’s envoy for overseas safety. An American computer-animated 3-D film based on the original manga series by Tezuka was released on October 23, 2009.”