The Teaser Shows Only a Sliver of the New Nontan
The reveal came as a single teaser visual rather than a trailer, according to a report carried by Japanese news portal Livedoor News. In it, Hachi-san, the bee character from the books, appears alongside the new three-dimensional Nontan, who does little more than peek into the frame. The full redesign is still under wraps.
What the project promises is a balancing act: keep the warmth and charm of creator Sachiko Kiyono's original picture book art while using current 3DCG technology to give Nontan richer expressions and more dynamic movement. For now, a partial glimpse is all anyone gets.
Fifty Years and 35 Million Copies
Kiyono created Nontan in 1976, and the picture books have been a fixture of Japanese early childhood ever since. Published by children's book publisher Kaiseisha, the series has passed 35 million cumulative copies in print, and Japanese coverage routinely calls Nontan a national picture book character. These are the books that parents who grew up on Nontan now read to their own kids.
The anniversary math is precise, too. July 11, 2026, marks 50 years since the character's debut, and the anime announcement was timed to that exact birthday rather than to a convention or a magazine issue.
An Anniversary Exhibition Opens July 18 in Tokyo
The anime is one piece of a larger birthday celebration. A commemorative exhibition, Nontan Zutto Tomodachi!!! (roughly "Nontan, Friends Forever!!!"), runs from July 18 through September 27, 2026, at PLAY! MUSEUM in Tachikawa, western Tokyo. The show gathers around 50 pieces of Kiyono's original artwork and sketches and adds hands-on, interactive exhibits.
Doors are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with no closing days during the run.
Looking Ahead
Right now the anime has no announced format, studio, staff, or release window. Whether it becomes a TV series or a film hasn't been stated, and no international streaming or distribution partner has been announced.
The next concrete date on the calendar is the exhibition opening on July 18, 2026. After that, the milestone to watch is a full reveal of the redesigned 3DCG Nontan, since the teaser keeps most of the character out of frame.