Do the KNT (Kagaku Ninja Tai) live in Japan?
No, our heroes appear to live in or near Utoland, a fictional city. Gatchaman is based in an alternate universe with fictional cities and countries, often with names based on puns (for example, Hontwal, where Ken had once lived, comes from the Japanese term, honto wa aru, or, “It really exists.” (Groan.) You’ll see the equivalent of all kinds of major cities and countries, with key features sometimes scrambled together. • Where in the heck is Utoland? Utoland is where our heroes live. The Snack Jun is here, Ken’s airstrip and Ryu’s yacht harbor are said to be nearby, and even Dr. Nambu has a residence somewhere outside the city. There is no absolute information on what country Utoland is located in, but fans speculate it’s in the nation of Ameris, which is modeled after the US. Ameris is also home to the city of Amegopolis, where ISO Headquarters is located, and other landmarks in the country are Mammoth Canyon and Bluestone Park. Because Utoland appears to be on the west coast of Amer
