Sketch for the cartoon series ‘Heidi, Girl of the Alps’, first aired in 1974.
Yoichi Kotabe

However, Heidi’s popularity in Japan is not just due to the anime version. As early as the 1920s, the first of scores of Heidi translations, which are still bestsellers in the 21st century, appeared. The fictional Swiss miss, transcribed as Haiji or renamed Kaede depending on the translation, had her real ‘breakthrough’ in the aftermath of the Second World War, when attention started to shift to idyllic, innocent nature. Interestingly, it is precisely these motifs that appeal to the Japanese even in the digital age – and, in connection with Heidi, create a positive image of Switzerland. In addition, the Heidi cult is supported by a booming merchandise industry, theme parks and new adaptations.

Just how far Japan’s Heidi image, and in particular the 1974 ‘Heidi, Girl from the Alps’, has also affected the concept of Heidi elsewhere around the globe is demonstrated by the 3D animated series aired in 2015 which, although in fact produced by a Belgian studio in cooperation with German, French and Australian TV channels, has a design that has been significantly shaped by the Japanese model from the 1970s.

Cornelia Mechler

A packed programme of activities – painted on glass