Animation Kikou Marco Polo no Bouken  

Marco Polo`s Adventures, アニメーション紀行 マルコ・ポーロの冒険, Marco Polo's Adventures

Marco Polo, who was seventeen at the time, embarked on a journey with his father Nicolo and uncle Matteo to explore the unfamiliar land known as "Yuan". The purpose of their expedition was twofold; they were tasked with delivering the holy oil from the tomb of Christ and also conveying a message from the Pope to the Kublai.

This was an animated documentary on Marco Polo, mixed in with live-action footage. 43 episodes were broadcast on NHK from 1979 to 1980, but only the first and last episodes survive. While the cel animation was shot on film, post-production and editing were done on videotapes (normal for NHK programs), which have since been wiped.(Source: Cartoon Research)