Also check this clip. It’s a Japanese-dubbed “Flea Circus” by Tex Avery. The point of interest, however, are one of the in-between segments in the very beginning featuring Tom, Jerry, Droopy and Barney Bear that was animated in Japan.

Look how OFF-MODEL the characters are!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZG5icVmUxU

Hey, now…THAT is about as off-the-wall as CB can GET!! Wow! Amazing how they try their best to have them NOT look like them!!

Too much fun!

That was very catchy!

Haha, I wish I understood Japanese.
The expression on Tom’s face at the end is so odd.. it’s like the chose a frame just before the overshoot or something.

I’m almost positive that Tom is farting on Jerry in the second image, that’s dirty pool.

Tom and Jerry look a bit like the Phil DeLara figures he did for Gold Key in the late 60s.

The 1960’s Gold Key must have served as models for this artwork.

Oh, that is wonderful!! Too bad that a TOM & JERRY series had already been compiled for DVD, because this (along with Mark Kausler’s deliriusly funny “CAT AND MOUSE” independent short) could have been added as special feature as representations of TOM & JERRY-related animation, if Warners would allow such a thing! How far does this Japanese TOM & JERRY theme date back?

Kevin,

At least around 1964.

Tom and Jerry aired in Japan on Tokyo Broadcast System (TBS) from May 13, 1964 to February 23, 1966; Wednesday nights at 7:30 to 8:00 PM.

Should be of note this was the first time the Japanese have ever seen Tom & Jerry in their lives since the cartoons hadn’t been seen elsewhere in the country like in theaters. The openings of each cartoon would feature that sequence Brubaker mentioned before instead of the usual MGM openings (though they kept the endings anyway).

Being reminded Tom & Jerry inspired a cute bit in the opening of this classic Toei Animation series (which by itself, inspired by another American import Bewitched)…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bis8sD7AYc

And that series (Sally the Witch) was a creation of Yokoyama Mitsuteru, who also created what is known in the US as “Gigantor.”

Hard to explain why this is so atractive! But it’s! :-)

Yokoyama also created “Giant Robo”, whose 60’s live-action adaptation was picked up and aired in the US as “Johnny Sokko & His Flying Robot” (not to mention a familiar 90’s OVA series that combined many Yokoyama characters in a totally original storyline).

Another version of this intro is actually on the Japanese Tom and Jerry DVDs. They’ve replaced the still images with clips from the various shorts, but the music and subtitles are still there.