Yanase Rabbit is a recurring character in the Anpanman franchise including spinoff material. The character is designed and based on Takashi Yanase (creator of the Anpanman franchise). Takashi Yanase himself even provided the voice of the character in the 2011 and 2012 Anpanman movies. After Yanase's death in 2013, Ken Shiroyama took over the voice role of Yanase Rabbit in future animated media related to the franchise.