東京ハイジこれまでの歩み
青森県出身の姉トモコと妹ワカバで結成された実の姉妹ユニット東京ハイジ。 役割分担は、姉トモコが、文章と音楽。妹ワカバがイラスト。
もともとは、トモコは、東京でゲームのサウンドクリエイター、 ワカバは、岩手で広告代理店でデザインをやっていたのだが、 「デザインフェスタ」への出展を機に、二人でそれぞれの特技を生かして、 いろいろな作品を作りはじめる。 これが、東京ハイジの結成となった。 都会に憧れを抱くりんごほっぺの裸足の少女が 雑踏の中で途方に暮れているイメージからこの名前に。
数年後「王様の銀の鈴」がイーハトーブマルチメディアグランプリを受賞。 また第1回オペラ賞エントリー作品となる。 篠山チルドレンズミュージアム常設「ガチャと一緒にお仕事たんけん」はマルチメディアコンテストのエデュティメント賞と新人部門銀の翼賞。
二人はそれぞれ仕事をかかえつつも、 ライブ活動をしたり、個展を開いたり、こつこつ活動を続けていたが、 二人ともフリーになって、本格的に東京ハイジという名前で仕事をし始める。
キッズステーションで、東京ハイジオリジナルアニメ「カレーの国のコバ〜ル」を制作。 ショートアニメ「王様かるた」でユーリーノルシュテイン大賞ノミネート。 web絵本「まーだまーだぴっぴっぴ」はおはなし絵本クラブで読み聞かせ賞受賞。webゲーム「ポンチャックと暗黒のネリモノ王国」はshockwave award2003でゲーム部門賞と一般投票賞を受賞。
ディズニーファミリータイムにてオリジナルアニメを制作。
現在も、がんばって働いています。応援よろしくお願いします。
Tokio Heidi is a unit by Tomoko Sasaki and Wakaba Sasaki, who are sisters born in Aomori Prefecture, a northern part of Japan.
The name of the unit is inspired by an image of a girl who is lost in a big city.
The elder sister Tomoko writes stories and music, the younger sister Wakaba creates illustrations and animations.
A long time ago, Tomoko came to Tokyo alone and became a sound creator of some games, while Wakaba was still working as a designer for an ad agency in Iwate prefecture, near Aomori.
After they exhibited in “Design Festa” in Tokyo, they began to collaborate on the works using their respective skills.
That was the very first step of establishing “Tokio Heidi”.
After several years, finally Wakaba came to Tokyo. Since then, they both became freelance and have been working together under the name of “Tokio Heidi”.
Tokio Heidi is sporting a strong network among their family and friends. The brother is a programmer and the mother is a professional “Kataribe” — storyteller, those people around them allow the unit to create everything.
They are blessed with a lot of amazing, helpful friends, a programming visualist, an arranger, a photographer, a wardrobe specialist and so on.
The characteristics of Tokio Heidi is in its catchy and cute appearance, also it has a hint of wonder somehow.
Because its key phrase is “Pop! Cute! Wonder!”
They especially good at making kid’s-song-animations and games.
They are famous for their original animation, “Kobal from the Curry Kingdom” which was broadcasted on Kids Station.
Their short animation, “Oosama Karuta (King’s Cards)” was nominated for the Yury Norshtein Award.
The web picture book, “Maada, Maada, Pi-pi-pi” was awarded for Yomi-Kikase Award at the Ohanashi Ehon Club.
The web game, “Ponchakku and the Nerimono Kingdom of Darkness” was awarded the shockwaveaward’s Game Category Award and the General Voters’ Award.
A trilogy is now downloadable at the iTunes Store, which consists of three videos, “Oideyo Chino Soko”, “Oosama no Gin no Suzu”, “Ooashi Pajua”.
Recently, they are regularly creating kid’s-song-animation for Disney’s site.
They are selling original merchandise by mail-order since September 2009.