Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō

Did You Know?

• Shimajirō Shimano is a curious tiger cub living on Challenge Island, an island where all anthropomorphic animals live.
• His friends include a bunny named Mimirin Midorihara, a bird named Torippii Sorano, a lamb named Ramurin Makiba, and later a cat named Nyakkii Momoyama.

Media

The initial run of Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō began on TV Setouchi and other TXN stations on December 13, 1993, concluding on March 31, 2008. With 726 episodes total, it ranks as the 19th longest-running anime in Japan from its premiere to its finale, following Hello Kitty's Paradise and Hamtaro. For its first 226 episodes, the opening theme was “Shima Torando Island” by Shima Shima Kids; the remaining 500 episodes used “Skip Step Island” by Omi Minami. The first ending theme, “Zutto Motto Daisuki” by Shima Shima Kids, played for the initial 176 episodes. The second ending, “Happy Jam Jam” by M.S.J, was used for the final 550 episodes, including spring and autumn broadcasts from 2005 to 2008 and starting with episode 701. The third ending, “Nyanda Korya” by Omi Minami and Bin Shimada, also covered the same 550-episode stretch, airing during winter and summer from 2005 to 2007. The second series, Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō, aired from April 7, 2008, to March 29, 2010. Its opening theme was “Everyday Challenger,” and its ending theme was “Happy Jam Jam,” both performed by Omi Minami, Miki Takahashi, Takumi Yamazaki, and Saori Sugimoto. The third series, Shimajirō Hesoka, ran from April 5, 2010, to March 26, 2012. The first 51 episodes used the opening “SoraSora☆Aozora” by Aki Toyosaki, while the remaining 50 used “Rainbow” by Yusuke Kamiji. For the ending, “Shima Mimi Tori Ramu” by Fusanosuke Kondō played for the first 18 episodes and later for the remaining 62 episodes. A second ending, “Happy Jam Jam (HE SO KA Version)” by Tomomi Ukumori, was used for episodes 19 through 39.

Critical reception

When it first aired, Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō became the most popular educational anime on TV Setouchi in Japan, going head-to-head with NHK’s long-running Okaasan to Issho. The show is considered one of the top educational preschool programs, spanning eight seasons and three anime sequels, making it Benesse’s most successful take on the Kodomo Challenge series. Reruns still air on channels like Kids Station and TV Tokyo. The series gained its biggest following in the Kanto region, attracting children, parents, and adults alike, and built a steady fanbase over time. A 2015 Benesse study found that 99.2% of parents with kids aged 0 to 6 recognized the show. It did draw some criticism for an episode where Shimajirō’s mother tries to slap her son but is stopped by her husband; that scene was heavily edited or cut from international broadcasts and official streaming releases to align with modern views on child abuse. The show’s very earnest live-action and animated toilet-training segments from Kodomo Challenge were pulled out and went viral online. The most recent series earned a nomination at the 2016 International Emmy Awards for best animated series, alongside Ronia the Robber’s Daughter. In 2021, the episode Shimajiro: A World of WOW! Our Oceans won the Asian Academy Creative Award for Best Preschool Program and the ContentAsia Award for Best Kids TV Program (non-animated). Shimajirō became a major icon for Japanese preschoolers, competing with Anpanman in ratings. From the start, the character appeared widely in Kodomo Challenge products and in items from other companies and sponsors. Takara Tomy and Benesse teamed up to create a limited-edition Tomica “Shimajiro Car,” distributed only to Kodomo Challenge members across Japan. Toyota then built a life-sized replica of that toy car, called the “426GT Shimajirō Car,” which was a customized Toyota Estima Hybrid. In 2013, a new version, the “426EV Shimajirō Car II,” came out, based on the Tesla Model S. Tomica released a model of this car as the “Dream Car Tomica Shimajiro II” in February 2014 for Kodomo Challenge members, with a retail version following in March 2014.