Japan within Australia: Pearl divers play their roles in Australian society, history, and TV animation series

The presence of Japanese pearl divers who worked in Australia from the late 1800s to the early Shōwa period lives on within Australian history and society. We spoke with Australian Noel Cleary, director of the recently released TV anime series "Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia," and Norihiko Wakutani from Kushimoto Town Office in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.

Still from ABC's TV animation series 'Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia.' Insets (from left): Director Noel Cleary, a helmet used by Japanese divers in the 1870s (Kushimoto Town in Wakayama Japan), and Norihiko Wakutani, local staff at Kushimoto Town Hall who provided dialect coaching for this series. Credit: Flying Bark Productions/Kushimoto Town/SBS

Japanese version of 'Tales from Outer Suburbia' written by Shaun Tan. Credit: Shaun Tan

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Japan within Australia: Pearl divers play their roles in Australian society, history, and TV animation series

SBS Japanese

11:58Japanese

(Top) The rest area within Yoshino-Kumano National Park where the historic materials are stored (Bottom-left) Friendship City Agreement between Torres Shire Council and Kushimoto Town in Japan, (Bottom-right) Japanese Cemetery on Thursday Island. Credit: Kushimoto Town

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