This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and two programs related to the disaster will be aired on NHK E-television’s puppet show “Zawazawa Mori no Ganko-chan”. In the play, actress Ooshima Yuuko will play the role of Lampupu, a spirit who accompanies Ganko-chan as she panics over natural disasters and teaches her what she should do. A comment from Ooshima-san has also arrived.
“Zawazawa Mori no Ganko-chan” is a puppet show that has been running for 25 years on E-television.
In the special program “Moshimooshi no Toki no Ganko-chan: Jishin ga Okitara” (meaning “Ganko-chan: What to do if an Earthquake Happens” and aired on February 23, 2021), Ganko-chan (CV: Nemoto Keiko), a dinosaur girl who is in a panic after a big earthquake in the Zawazawa Forest, is confronted by Lampupu (CV: Ooshima Yuuko), a spirit of the “Lamp Tree,” a huge tree several hundred years old. She teaches them what they should do and helps them.
It is a natural way for children to learn the evacuation procedures they need to know in order to protect themselves from natural disasters.
Also, the special program on the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, “Ganko-chan and the Lost Hometown” (aired on March 11, 2021), is a special program for children and their families who do not know about 3.11 (Touhoku earthquake and tsunami).
Through the story of Ganko-chan’s encounter with Sora, a baby bird who was evacuated after a major disaster, and their heart-to-heart communication despite various difficulties, the program conveys what it means to be a victim of a disaster and depicts the importance of “caring for the victims from your own perspective.
“Moshimo no toki no Ganko-chan: Jishin ga okite” was shown from 9:00 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. on February 23, 2021. “Ganko-chan and the Lost Hometown” will be aired on NHK E-television from 6:20 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. on March 11, 2021.
Ooshima Yuuko as Lampuu
I’ve been watching a lot of E-television programs since I was a child, so when I heard about this project, I was so excited to be able to join the ranks of E-television characters!
Lampupu has an impressive vermilion outfit. I liked her so much when I first saw her that I put on a reddish down jacket just like Lampupu’s and got really excited for the day of the recording (lol). For the voice, I went into the recording hoping to bring out a fluffy feeling and a sense of transparency as a spirit.
Lampupu’s lines made me realize again, “Oh, yes!
It’s been 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, but I thought I had gotten used to earthquakes. How should I act and what path should I take in case of emergency?” Together with When I was thinking “What should I do in such a situation?” with Ganko-chan, Lampupu taught me many useful things. I think it is difficult to make a decision in an emergency, but I would be happy if she remembers that “Lampupu said this is the better way.
When I was a child, I always participated in disaster drills, and I still remember the things I was taught, such as “In case of an earthquake, things might fall, so you should hide under your desk.
I think it is safer to learn how to protect yourself than to live without doing anything, so I hope many people will watch this program.
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