![[August 8, 1968] The Little Witch Girl and The Little Ghost Boy (<i>Mahoutsukai Sally</i> and <i>GeGeGe no Kitaro</i>)](https://galacticjourney.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/680808sally2-672x372.jpg)
by Janice L. Newman
We visited Japan earlier this summer, and had a lovely time. It’s always interesting comparing how life is different in Japan from our Southern California home, whether it be fish and rice for breakfast or the excellent train system that got us around Tokyo quickly and easily.
Our hotel room had a television, and since we craved immersion whether inside the hotel or out, we often have the boob tube on. Sadly, Japan has a "vast wasteland", too. Between the sumo bouts, the soap operas, the game shows, and the period dramas, there wasn't much of interest to us, although the fact that everything was in Japanese was a plus.
However, we found that if we tuned in at the right time of the day, there was gold to be found. Indeed, we found them in the surprising form of a couple of children’s cartoon shows. They both echoed Western shows in familiar ways, yet also had elements we’d never seen before.