December 11, 2009
Children's Animation Series Airs on TV in Chile and Malaysia
Calama TV's Executive Director Victor Tapia (right) and others with the certificate of appreciation (Calama City, Chile, November 19, 2009)
Calama Television of Calama City, Antofagasta, Chile, recently presented Daisaku Ikeda with a certificate of appreciation for the animated adaptations of his children's stories and the spirit of peace and tolerance, which they promote. The films, originally produced in Japanese by Shinano Art & Culture Consultant in Japan, convey values such as friendship, courage, hope and striving for one's dreams. The Chilean TV station aired a series of the animated films, dubbed in Spanish, for three months beginning July 2009. Victor Tapia, executive director of Calama, said the programs, which drew favorable responses from viewers, share a valuable message of peace and respect for life in a global society in which such values are being lost.
Holvoet Television in Copiapó City, Atacama Region, also began televising the animated series on December 1, 2009. A December 3, 2009, issue of the daily paper Atacama carried an article profiling Mr. Ikeda and introducing the series.
Prince and the Coral Sea
In Malaysia, four animated adaptations including The Prince and the Coral Sea--dubbed in Cantonese and subtitled in Malay--were aired on ntv7, a Malaysian TV station, in December 2009, to favorable responses from children and adults alike.
The Sin Chew Daily and the Kwong Wah Daily, two major Chinese newspapers in Malaysia, featured an interview with Mr. Ikeda in both the December 10 and 11, 2009, issues. The SGI president reminisced about his youth when he worked for his mentor second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda as managing editor of a boys' magazine. Mr. Ikeda said it was this experience which led him to writing stories for children on contemporary issues such as environmental protection, out of his wish to inspire children with the sense that each of them, as they grow and take their place in society, can make a difference.
Mr. Ikeda's children's stories have aired in 23 countries to date, including the Philippines, Australia, Iceland, India, Panama and Malaysia.
[Adapted from an article in the January 8, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
