Asian Drama

Chihiro used to work as a prostitute. She happened to stop by a seaside town and have a bento meal there. She loved the meal so much, she decided to settled down in the seaside town and work at the bento shop. She now greets customers with a smile at the bento shop and makes small talk with them. She doesn't even hide her past. Chihiro talks with customers about various problems and, through their conversations, they are comforted by her. Chihiro herself suffers from loneliness, which started with her family when she was little. By meeting her customers, she also faces her loneliness and gets over that slowly.

Adapted from the manga series "Chihiro-san" (ちひろさん) by Yasuda Hiroyuki (安田弘之).

10 years ago, Tanioka Hatsune was a famous young violinist. She won many international music competitions and performed with prestigious orchestras. For some reason, Tanioka Hatsune decided to walk away from her career and never perform on stage again. Now, she is 28-years-old and works as a public officer in Nishi Ward, Saitama City. She still enjoys to play the violin in private, but Tokiwa Asahi becomes aware of her. Tokiwa Asahi is a rising maestro, who is based in Germany. His love for music is so much, that he is very strict on his players. One day, his father, who is the head of Nishi Ward in Saitama City, tells him to return to Japan and rebuild the local Kodama Symphony Orchestra. He returns to Japan and begins to rebuild the local symphony in Saitama City. He tries to recruit Tanioka Hatsune to play the violin on stage once again.

10 years ago, Tanioka Hatsune was a famous young violinist. She won many international music competitions and performed with prestigious orchestras. For some reason, Tanioka Hatsune decided to walk away from her career and never perform on stage again. Now, she is 28-years-old and works as a public officer in Nishi Ward, Saitama City. She still enjoys to play the violin in private, but Tokiwa Asahi becomes aware of her. Tokiwa Asahi is a rising maestro, who is based in Germany. His love for music is so much, that he is very strict on his players. One day, his father, who is the head of Nishi Ward in Saitama City, tells him to return to Japan and rebuild the local Kodama Symphony Orchestra. He returns to Japan and begins to rebuild the local symphony in Saitama City. He tries to recruit Tanioka Hatsune to play the violin on stage once again.

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Shibusawa Eiichi was born in 1840 to a farmer’s family. He grew up helping his family with work, which was to manufacture and sell indigo production and also silk farming. He left his hometown at the age of 23 and began working for the government. He later traveled to Paris and learned about banking. Upon his return to Japan, he helped build up the first modern bank in Japan. He eventually became a founder or supporter to about 500 companies and was involved with about 600 public services, including education for women.

It depicts a man who seriously pursues spicy food (Gekikaradou) not only as a man but also as a worker under the influence of his boss who loves spicy food

Masashi is a photographer. He has his parents and an older brother Yukihiro. For Masashi’s photography school graduation project, he replicates a funny family moment from his childhood as adults. The photo is a huge success, and sparks a series of humorous, staged family photos, starting with his father’s dream of being a firefighter. This success continues into cumulating into a photobook that eventually wins a huge award. Afterwards, Masashi begins to travel throughout Japan taking family portraits, leading him to the prefecture of Iwate. It's after taking several more family portraits that the Great Tohoku Earthquake strikes, and Masashi is compelled to return to Iwate in search of the first family he photographed outside of his own. During his search he encounters Ono Yosuke, who is recovering photographs found in hopes of returning these memories to their families, and Masashi joins him.

Inspired by photographer Masashi Asada’s photography books “Asadake” and “Album no Chikara”.

The story is based on the life of a japanese composer named Yuji Koseki from Fukushima in the Showa Era.

In 1909, a long-awaited baby boy was born to a family which has run a dry goods store for generations in Fukushima Prefecture. He would later become the talented composer Koyama Yuichi who wrote many famous songs. Although Yuichi was brought up as the heir of the business, he was rather dreamy and considered a child with no redeeming traits by the people around him. However, when he encountered music, it sparked joy and unleashed his gift in composing music through self-study. As a youth, Yuichi secretly put his name down for an overseas songwriting competition. This would change his destiny. He won runner-up for the song he entered for the competition. As a result, he got to know a female student who wanted to be a singer. Despite the long distance between them – Fukushima and Toyohashi – the two of them tied the knot. When they came to Tokyo, they met all sorts of people and weathered a dark period to produce a number of hit songs. However, war broke out and Yuichi had to compose wartime songs at the army’s request. It pained him that young men died in battle after singing the songs he had written. After the war, the country began to recover amid the chaos. The couple made a new era of music in an attempt to encourage the wounded through the power of music.

Onda Kokoro is an oncologist called Dr Onkoro for short by the people around her and teased that she was born for this path. She got married to Takumi, whom she had known since she was a student, and they had a son. Life was going smoothly for her. But three months ago, her husband fell in an accident and remained unconsciousness even though he underwent emergency surgery. Although Kokoro puts on a brave face at work, she still has not been able to accept reality. One day, she meets Kajiyama Kaoru, a competent gastroenterologist who has transferred to work at the hospital. Kaoru understands the need for oncology as a surgeon and gives emotional support with her sunny personality as a colleague. She becomes a dear friend whom Kokoro feels is sudden a ray of light in her personal and professional life…

In the sensitive directorial debut of cinematographer Imamura Keisuke, young Japanese architect Tsubame has to face his family history: His Taiwanese mother took his brother Ryushin back to her home country during their childhood. In order to follow the last wish of his father, Tsubame hesitantly travels to Taiwan for the first time to see Ryushin again after more than 20 years. The breathless handheld camera explores his present between the cultures, whereas memories of the past with his mother shine in a warm, tender light. Neither in Japanese nor in Chinese can the grown-up brothers express all their feelings. In the end, images release the deepest emotions.

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The story follows seven friends and how a few stay back in their hometown Maebashi, while others go to Tokyo to pursue their dreams.

Hiroto Miyama is a poor lawyer who takes on criminal cases, but unable to make money. He pursues the truth for the 0.1% out of Japan's 99.9% conviction rate. One day, Hiroto is scouted by Haruhiko Madarame. Haruhiko Madarame is the head of Madarame Law Firm which is one of the biggest law firms among the 4 big law firms. Hiroto Miyama begins to work with Atsuhiro Sada. Atsuhiro Sada is a lawyer specializing in civil cases and makes lots of money for the law firm. He doesn't have any interest in criminal cases which can not make money.

Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.

Based on the novel "Sego Don" by Hayashi Mariko.

Mikami, a journalist, and Mai, a rookie assistant director of a satellite broadcasting station, close in on the truth of the unsolved serial murders of five little girls which took place 27 years ago. At the time of the murders, DNA analysis dealt a decisive blow and a man was apprehended as the murderer. But there were several contradictory points surrounding this arrest. Mikami and Mai begin re-investigating the cases with doubts about his culpability. They are eventually faced with the chilling truth of false charges and enormous state power. However, they begin to expose the truth which was shrouded in darkness through true journalism.

Akatsuka Detective Agency stands inconspicuously at Shimo Akatsuka in Tokyo’s Itabashi ward, right above a small snack shop run by their landlord. Akatsuka's eccentric chief Kaze Kaoru founded it with her two investigators Goro and Gure in order to take on odd cases that others are reluctant to do anything about. Their motto is "to be compassionate and meddlesome", which leads them to get involved in strange situations with their clients. Sometimes they're motivated by the potential to sell a sensational story to the press, but sometimes they end up working pro bono. They may be rough around the edges and always a little short on rent, but they always find a creative solution by diving into the mystery with their hearts even when they aren't sure if they'll succeed. They're joined by the Ranko, who first comes to them as a client, and other friends they meet along the way.

Kenichi Endo, Ren Osugi, Tomorowo Taguchi, Susumu Terajima, Yutaka Matsushige and Ken Mitsuishi all receive offers to take part in a big budget drama series with a famous lead actor and world famous director. To study their roles and relationships, the director asks the six supporting actors to live together for 3 months at a share house. The actors begin their temporary living arrangement. An incident from 10 years ago though causes the actors to hold resentment.

Okuyama Keisuke is a successful lawyer with a dark past. He suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder due to abuse and betrayal as a young boy. One day, Keisuke is asked to defend his distant relative and psychopath “friend”, Ando Tatsuya, who is a suspect in a murder case. Tatsuya had robbed him of his own parents and happiness one after another. After that, he was repeatedly mistreated by Tatsuya’s family who adopted him. Keisuke takes a risky gamble to bury Tatsuya from society. Their reunion is the start of a battle with a new nightmare.

In 1895 (Meiji 28), Nonaka Chiyoko prays for the safety of her husband Itaru who is attempting to climb Mt Fuji in midwinter. If he accomplishes what no one has done before, he would finally build an observatory on the mountain’s summit with the intention of staying there alone in the winter. He will be able to observe the weather in order to advance meteorological studies even though it may be at the cost of his own life. Burning with a conviction that the country cannot be changed if no commoner demonstrates it first, Itaru has the support of his parents and younger brother but Chiyoko is absolutely anxious. She is convinced that her husband will certainly die of such recklessness if she lets him go alone, and decides to climb Mt Fuji together with him. However, this is vehemently opposed by her mother-in-law Tomiko who berates her that her place is at home, and Chiyoko apparently reconsiders. In order to join Itaru, she hides this plan from the people around her, deceives Tomiko and does everything possible to finally carry it out. On the summit of Mt Fuji in midwinter – a feat no one has yet achieved, husband and wife battle the cold and altitude sickness as they begin their observations.

Episodes: 6

Duration: 58 min.

Ratings: 7.2

Aired On: Saturday

NAOTO has been part of EXILE and Sandaime J Soul Brothers for years, but his job in these groups is a cover for his true job. He is actually a hero that protects society from bad people. He doesn't want to be discovered by the other members, though, because he doesn't want to cause them trouble.

Hiroto Miyama is a poor lawyer who takes on criminal cases, but unable to make money. He pursues the truth for the 0.1% out of Japan's 99.9% conviction rate. One day, Hiroto is scouted by Haruhiko Madarame. Haruhiko Madarame is the head of Madarame Law Firm which is one of the biggest law firms among the 4 big law firms. Hiroto Miyama begins to work with Atsuhiro Sada. Atsuhiro Sada is a lawyer specializing in civil cases and makes lots of money for the law firm. He doesn't have any interest in criminal cases which can not make money.

Yabushita Yoriko and Taniguchi Takumi takes another step into their relationship. Yoriko propose semi-cohabitation to Takumi before proceed to contract marriage. During this time, many incident occurs between them.

Episodes: 1

Duration: 2 hr. 18 min.

Aired On: Monday

Sakatsuki Shizuto is a mourner. He goes to scenes of accidents and mourns for the victims. Nagi Yukiyo, who killed her husband and served prison time, goes to the scene of the murder and meets Shizuto. She follows him from that time.

Other people that exists in their lives are Shizuto’s mother Junko who is terminally ill with cancer and waits for Shizuto’s return, his younger sister Mishio who is pregnant by her now ex-boyfriend and a magazine reporter who chases after Shizuto. The movie examines life and death, love and hate and sin and forgiveness through these characters. ~~ Based on the novel "Itamu Hito" by Tendo Arata.

Heisuke Hara (Ryo Nishikido) works as a teacher at an all boys high school in Shizuoka Prefecture. 15 years ago he had an unfortunate accident which made his life go crazy. He has since become obsessed with his hometown and the school where he graduated from.

Due to declining enrollment at the all boys high school where Heisuke Hara works, the school plans to merge with an all girls high school next year. Prior to the merger of the schools, a culture festival is held for the students from the two schools. Heisuke Hara struggles to make the culture festival a success.

In 1895 (Meiji 28), Nonaka Chiyoko prays for the safety of her husband Itaru who is attempting to climb Mt Fuji in midwinter. If he accomplishes what no one has done before, he would finally build an observatory on the mountain’s summit with the intention of staying there alone in the winter. He will be able to observe the weather in order to advance meteorological studies even though it may be at the cost of his own life. Burning with a conviction that the country cannot be changed if no commoner demonstrates it first, Itaru has the support of his parents and younger brother but Chiyoko is absolutely anxious. She is convinced that her husband will certainly die of such recklessness if she lets him go alone, and decides to climb Mt Fuji together with him. However, this is vehemently opposed by her mother-in-law Tomiko who berates her that her place is at home, and Chiyoko apparently reconsiders. In order to join Itaru, she hides this plan from the people around her, deceives Tomiko and does everything possible to finally carry it out. On the summit of Mt Fuji in midwinter – a feat no one has yet achieved, husband and wife battle the cold and altitude sickness as they begin their observations.

Episodes: 6

Duration: 58 min.

Ratings: 7.2

Aired On: Saturday

Sugimura (Koizumi) works as an editor at the public relations department in the Imada Konzern. One day, the chairman, and his father-in-law, Yoshichika (Mikijiro Hira), asks him to support the daughters of his personal driver who died in an accident. The driver was killed in a hit-and-run accident by a bicycle, but the criminal hasn't been caught yet. The younger daughter Riko (Nao Minamisawa) is eager to find the suspect by writing a book about her father's life. But the older daughter Satomi (Kyoko Fukada) opposes the idea, and explains why by telling Sugimura about her father's dark past...

TBS

Soumato Corporation is intriguing place where recorded images of one’s life can be viewed on DVD. A person who happen sto stray into Soumato Corporation, will be handed DVDs equivalent in number to his age by Kaminuma (Kashii Yu), the company’s mysterious guide. She will tell him to go back and watch his life to his heart’s content. What he will see on these DVDs is his own life through the eyes of other people. He will learn startling facts that are better left unsaid. What will he think after watching everything?

11 mysteries, 11 actors. Japan's favorite mystery author, the world of Higashino Keigo comes to life on screen through an assortment of short stories.

For every episode, there will be a different lead actor and story, it's themes varying from mystery to comedy to horror to human drama. Nakai Kiichi is the navigator as he takes you on a journey through each episode, seasoned with Higashino's authentic spices, failing your assumptions with vivid story composition and an even bigger betrayal before the finale. It's a weekly drama that will keep you hungry from episode to episode, like a special holiday event each and every time.

The drama has Okada playing the part of Shiba Kengo, a pure-hearted young surgeon who is dedicated to his work. He gets transferred from a prestigious university hospital to a financially troubled hospital, but there he meets a capable and cool-headed chief nurse named Kasugai Yuka (Nakatani), who teaches him the reality of the medical world. The pure Kengo must face various obstacles and challenges as he tears off the “masks” of respected professionals – doctors, nurses, and educators – and uncovers their true natures.

Actor Hasegawa Hiroki plays the manager of a major group that operates schools, while Kato Ai plays his wife and the sister of Yuka.

Last Friends tackles issues that afflict the current generation. Michiru's mother has brought a man back to their home and she is bullied at her workplace where she works as a beauty parlour assistant. She starts cohabiting with her boyfriend, a good young man who works at the Child Welfare Division and the only person who can give her emotional support, but ends up the victim of domestic violence and becomes fearful of love. The boyishly charming Ruka was a classmate of Michiru's in junior high school. She has performed brilliantly as a motocross racer and aims to win the national championship, but as the story progresses, a deep worry that she can neither confide in her parents or close friends grows evident. Takeru is a hair and makeup artist acquainted with Ruka. He is a good confidant to females due to his kindness and perceptiveness, and finds himself attracted to Ruka but has a phobia of sex as a result of a past trauma. The three of them become house mates and through their associations with others, gain the capacity to be positive about life.

SP, the duty to protect. Professional bodyguards that safeguard important people even if it at times means sacrificing their own lives.

In the 21st century, regarded as the century of terror, Japan's myth of infallibility is greatly threatened. With domestic and foreign terrorists active behind the scenes, and pleasure-seeking criminals with no political ideology able to easily obtain information from the internet, an era in which terrorism can be carried out has gradually dawned. The role played by the SP has become crucial; bodyguards who protect VIP by becoming "moving shields," locating blind spots beforehand, as well as anticipating unforeseen circumstances.

The SP has just been increased on an experimental basis. Inoue Kaoru is one of the recruits to be assigned to this role. Inoue possess special abilities, and is an entirely new type of SP. He will boldly take on the fight against terrorism, while his colleagues regard his abilities with skepticism.

"100 Tales of Horror" is the follow-up to "Onmyoji Abe no Seimei" in the Tuesday night "Super Jidaigeki" time slot. Computer graphics and special effects bring a new face to these stories of horror that have been told for many years.