Anpanman, with his iconic round face and bright red nose, is arguably the king of cartoon characters in Japan.The superhero with an "anpan," or Japanese sweet bean paste-filled pastry, for a head is literally everywhere, going beyond TV shows and children's books into daily life -- on supermarket shelves, at clinics and hospitals, and even on trains and buses.[Photo courtesy of the Yanase Takashi Memorial Anpanman Museum Promotion Foundation]The "Soreike! Anpanman" TV series has continued to thrive for over three decades since it first aired in October 1988. Its message of "helping those in…READ FULL ARTICLE
