10 Longest-Running Anime Still Airing: Series, Franchises, and Cutoff Dates

Sazae-san is the longest-running anime television series: Guinness dates its first broadcast to October 5, 1969, and its official portal lists an October 25, 2026 broadcast. But a list of the longest-running anime still airing needs two clocks: the age of a particular series and the age of a franchise.

Here are ten long-running examples with Japanese television histories reaching back before 2000: eight series histories and two franchise histories. They are not an exhaustive world top ten. Series entries appear in order of their relevant TV start year; the two franchises follow separately. The cutoff is October 21, 2026. A regular broadcast slot, a new episode announcement, and an archive available to stream are different kinds of evidence. One Piece's next date is not listed on Fuji TV's page, so its schedule gap is identified below.

The ranking depends on what counts as a series

A series is a particular television production; a franchise can contain several series, films, specials, and changes of lead character. Annual seasons within a continuing program do not automatically mean a new adaptation, while a fresh adaptation cannot inherit every year of an older one. The year column therefore states exactly which history it measures. It does not measure uninterrupted weeks of new episodes.

Chibi Maruko-chan's second series began in January 1995, although its first television adaptation began in 1990. The current Doraemon television adaptation began in 2005, according to Shin-ei Animation's anniversary timeline. That puts it outside this selection of pre-2000 series histories. It would belong in a broader franchise comparison; excluding its earlier adaptations from a series table is not a judgment about the franchise's age.

Guinness's published Sazae-san record is dated October 6, 2024. It establishes the record and premiere date, while current broadcast status comes from the program's own schedule. Reading the record's historical duration as a freshly counted 2026 total would mix two different dates.

Ten anime timelines and their official broadcast status

Japanese television status at October 21, 2026. Years measure the stated series or franchise, not episode totals. Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.

1. Sazae-san — series began in 1969

The record holder's longevity is unusually straightforward: the same family sitcom, rather than a succession of differently titled adventures. The official Sazae-san portal gives October 25 at 6:30 p.m. as the next broadcast and names three stories. That is a dated program announcement, not just an old anniversary article. Its self-contained domestic stories also make the practical viewing commitment very different from catching up with a serialized adventure.

2. Soreike! Anpanman — series began in 1988

The official Anpanman history separates the 1973 picture book from the television anime's 1988 launch and describes the latter as still broadcasting. That history supports ongoing broadcast status, not a promise that every local airing is a premiere. Its rescue stories offer a simple entry point for preschool viewers without requiring a franchise-wide episode count.

3. Crayon Shin-chan — series began in 1992

Shin-ei Animation's production timeline dates the television launch to April 1992. The official franchise portal announces three stories for October 24, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. The neighborhood and family premise supplies the continuity; the individual story is the smaller unit. A page advertising thousands of available stories should not be mistaken for a count of equally long television episodes.

4. Nintama Rantarō — program began in 1993

NHK Enterprises identifies the ninja-school program as beginning in 1993, and its official story archive organizes it by annual series. NHK's 2026 program listing includes seasons 34 and 30 and explicitly labels an older episode as an encore. The correct reading is a continuing program that mixes newer and older material, not uninterrupted premieres every weekday. The school setting makes individual adventures approachable without treating each annual season as a wholly unrelated adaptation.

5. Chibi Maruko-chan — second series began in 1995

The official archive begins the first series in January 1990. Its 1995 archive starts a new numbered run in January 1995; that is the comparison date here. Fuji TV's current listing names two stories for October 25, 2026. Using the older franchise date would move Maruko ahead of several neighbors, but it would answer a different question from the age of the current series.

6. Detective Conan — series began in 1996

Yomiuri TV's thirtieth-anniversary project supplies the January 8, 1996 premiere date. Its current program page lists Saturdays at 6 p.m., with regional exceptions. That slot establishes the continuing broadcast, not whether any particular Saturday is a new case or a repeat. The combination of individual mysteries and an overarching story explains why a viewer can sample a case without immediately committing to the entire archive.

7. Ojarumaru — program began in 1998

NHK Enterprises dates the debut to October 5, 1998 in its official anniversary announcement. Its character page lists an E-Tele Monday-through-Thursday slot, and NHK On Demand identifies a season-29 story. These support a continuing seasonal program; they do not establish a fresh episode on every listed weekday. A short comic visit to the prince's adopted neighborhood is a different time commitment from a full-length adventure episode.

8. One Piece — series began in 1999; check the next broadcast

The official overview dates the television anime to 1999. Its history includes production breaks: the official episode archive lists Elbaf broadcasts in 2026, while Fuji TV's program page shows September 27, 2026 as the latest broadcast and says the next time will be posted when available. At this cutoff, the next broadcast date is not listed. That does not establish cancellation, but it also does not support promising a new episode this Sunday.

9. Shimajiro — franchise began in 1993

Benesse's company timeline records a 1993 television anime launch and a 2012 start for Shimajiro no Wow!. The current title began in 2012; it has not carried that title since 1993. TV Tokyo lists a Saturday 8:30 a.m. slot. This is a franchise history, kept out of the series chronology above. The program mixes animation with other children's segments, another reason its total broadcasts should not be equated with half-hour animated episodes.

10. Pokémon — franchise began in 1997

TV Tokyo's current Pokémon page announces episode 154 for October 23, 2026 and identifies Liko and Roy as its central adventurers. The broadcaster's news archive covers the 2023 series launch. The franchise reaches back to 1997, but the present series does not. Keeping both dates visible prevents a change of protagonists and production from disappearing into one apparently continuous episode counter.

Episode counts are not always comparable

A broadcast, a story segment, and a numbered episode can be three different units. Sazae-san's next program lists three story titles; Maruko's lists two. NHK identifies Ojarumaru's short episodes separately, while Shimajiro combines animation and other material. Multiplying a weekly slot by the years since a premiere would count repeats and breaks as new work.

Films, television specials, remakes, and changing series titles introduce further choices. A Pokémon franchise total can cross several productions; a count for the 2023 series has a narrower scope. Decide what you want to compare before using a number: unique TV broadcasts, animated stories, individual series, or the whole franchise. This guide uses dated histories and broadcast evidence instead of presenting incompatible totals as a leaderboard.

Running time is often more useful for choosing something to watch. Ten short episodes can take less time than a few full-length installments. Animation style and format can also change across decades without resetting a story's identity. Our guide to optical illusions explores another way visual presentation shapes what you notice.

A short series or a standalone film may be a better first step

Longevity is a historical distinction, not a requirement for enjoying anime. For a small commitment, choose a self-contained film or a completed short series and check whether its ending depends on another season. For an older episodic comedy, one officially distributed episode can be a useful sample. Japanese broadcast status alone does not establish a complete licensed U.S. catalog.

If the appeal is the era rather than a viewing marathon, our 1990s candy guide offers a different nostalgia detour. Choose by the kind of experience you want, rather than treating the oldest start date as a recommendation score.

Sources and the next review trigger

The chronology and broadcast evidence above use official broadcaster, producer, franchise-owner, and Guinness pages checked October 21, 2026. A named upcoming date is stronger evidence of a scheduled program than a permanent weekly banner. A season archive establishes production history; a streaming archive may also include reruns.

The next meaningful update is an official season launch, ending, adaptation change, or broadcast announcement. One Piece's next scheduled date deserves particular attention. A new calendar year alone does not change the order, turn an earlier premiere into a new one, or justify adding another year to a record body's published measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which anime has been running the longest?

Sazae-san holds the Guinness record for longest-running animated TV series and first aired on October 5, 1969. Its official portal lists an October 25, 2026 broadcast. That answer concerns a television series; comparing franchise origins or total story segments requires a different method.

Does still airing mean new episodes every week?

No. A continuing program can have seasonal breaks, reruns, or a production pause. A regular schedule banner does not prove a new episode that week. At the October 21, 2026 cutoff, Fuji TV lists One Piece's latest broadcast as September 27 and does not list the next date.

Why are Pokémon and Shimajiro listed separately?

Their early dates describe television franchises, not the start of their current series. Shimajiro began on television in 1993, but Shimajiro no Wow! began in 2012. Pokémon's television franchise began in 1997; the current Liko-and-Roy series began in 2023.