JAPAN: JAPANESE DISNEYLAND CELEBRATES MICKEY MOUSE'S 70 TH BIRTHDAY

Record ID: 387884

  • Title: JAPAN: JAPANESE DISNEYLAND CELEBRATES MICKEY MOUSE'S 70 TH BIRTHDAY
  • Date: 19th November 1998
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) SUMIYO IMAE, HOUSEWIFE SAYING: (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "He's great because he doesn't age. He'll always be young and be without wrinkles -- I suppose I'd be scolded for saying that"
  • Embargoed: 4th December 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TOKYO DISNEYLAND, JAPAN
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAAGOU30SUDTVMIWPWF2BZ308GW
  • Story Text: Famed U.S.cartoonist Walt Disney's character, Mickey Mouse, turned 70 on Wednesday.Japan began the celebrations at the Tokyo Disneyland with a special presentation in honour of the wonder mouse.
    Several thousand people gathered on Wednesday (November 18) beside the fairy tale castle towering over Tokyo Disneyland for a special ode to Mickey Mouse -- Disney's most popular cartoon character.
    More than 2,300 men and women between the ages of 15 and 73 were chosen from over 20,000 applicants to participate in this event celebrating the birth of Walt Disney's primary cartoon character, Mickey Mouse.
    The fictitious rodent, originally christened Mortimer Mouse, debuted on November 18, 1928 in a short feature called Steamboat Willie at the Colony Theatre in New York.
    His immediate success kicked off a mass industry in what was then a new form of entertainment.
    In Japan he competes squarely and beats by a long shot most domestic cartoon characters in the popularity stakes.
    To the thousands gathered at Tokyo Disneyland there was no question of competition for their affections although some of his fans were just a little jealous of his failure to age or gain even a single wrinkle in his seven-decade long career.
    Many of his most fanatic fans in Japan are adults like Tomoko Sato, who's been to the Tokyo Disneyland at least 30 times since it threw open its doors in Japan 15 years ago.
    Today her boyfriend Nori Kobayashi was the one to invite her on a special date to share their favourite mouse's special day.
    After the stunt, the organisers provided all those who attended with free passes to Disneyland - Tokyo's biggest year-round entertainment attraction.
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