SAGA--The 1964 U.S. puppet animation film "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" that is so beloved by children around the world owes much of its magic to a Japanese animator.

But even in his homeland, Tadahito Mochinaga (1919-1999) is not well known.

Moves are afoot in the city of Saga, where Mochinaga spent his early childhood, to recognize anew how much he contributed to the film industry.