The anime adaptation of Machiko Hasegawa's "Sazae-san" manga has been recognized by the Guinness World Records committee as the world's "longest-running animated television series," surpassing "The Simpsons."

Actress Midori Kato, 73, who voices the titular Sazae, accepted the award at a ceremony which took place in Tokyo on Thursday, Sports Nippon reported. Kato has been voicing Sazae-san since the show began in 1969.

Upon receiving the award on behalf of the show, Kato said, “This award is a reflection of the fact that Japan has been watching and supporting our show the whole time. I'm overwhelmed. I hope to be able to continue working on the show, taking great care with each and every episode.”

The anime adaptation of "Sazae-san" manga began airing on Oct 5 1969, and celebrated its 45th anniversary this year. Over 2,250 episodes of the family-friendly cartoon had been screened in Japan as of Sept 1.

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