Asian Drama

The 63rd work of NHK Taiga Drama depicts the life of Murasaki Shikibu, a Japanese female poet who wrote "Tale of Hikaru Genji". This story is set in the mid-Heian period.

(Source: nhk.or.jp)

Episodes: 40

In his early years, Oda Nobunaga picked up the nickname of "The Fool of Owari" due to his bizarre behavior. He later married Nohime, but their relationship was not very good. Their marriage came about as a political marriage between hostile neighboring regions. Oda Nobunaga accepted Nohime as his wife with an arrogant, authoritative attitude. Meanwhile, Nohime has an unabashed attitude and easily clashes with her husband. They are like oil and water.

One day, Oda Nobunaga’s enemy Imagawa Yoshimoto attacks Owari with his vast army.

Oda Nobunaga is devastated by the overwhelming gap in military strength, but Nohime encourages Oda Nobunaga to not despair and fight against his rival. Oda Nobunaga and Nohime draw up a tactical plan to take on the much larger army. They soon make plans to unify the entire country, which has never been successfully done.

Born in Osaka in 1937, Kawahara Kimiko is the eldest of 3 sisters. At age 9, she moves with her family to Shigaraki in Shiga Prefecture. Growing up surrounded by the local Shigaraki pottry, she decides to become a ceramics artist. Even though she is passionate, she faces many setbacks as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry. This drama follows her life from childhood to marriage to a pioneer career in the ceramic arts.

Born in Osaka in 1937, Kawahara Kimiko is the eldest of 3 sisters. At age 9, she moves with her family to Shigaraki in Shiga Prefecture. Growing up surrounded by the local Shigaraki pottry, she decides to become a ceramics artist. Even though she is passionate, she faces many setbacks as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry. This drama follows her life from childhood to marriage to a pioneer career in the ceramic arts.

One day, a popular YouTuber called Taiga visits ex-prosecutor Iwai after being attacked on the subway station following a death threat. Iwai, who was asked to identify the person behind death threat, discovered that Taiga is the son of a politician who he had been previously investigated for corruption. Who is targeting Taiga? Is it true that once your information is posted online, you are branded with digital tattoo and you can never start over? Iwai, an analog person, wants to change that for his clients.

High school girl Hayakawa Yui (Kuroshima Yuina) was sent back in time to 1560 during the Sengoku Period through a time machine built by her younger brother Takeru. She risked her own life to help out the Hagi clan and fell in love with Hagi Kuhachiro Tadakiyo (Ito Kentaro), the heir of the feudal lord Hagi Tadataka (Ishiguro Ken). Tadataka is a typical warlord of the period who believes in winning battles. But his mindset gradually changes because of Yui and Tadakiyo, and he even permits their marriage. Yui is betrothed to Tadakiyo. However, the clan’s arch enemy Koyama Munetsuru (Murata Takehiro), whom they were supposed to have made peace with, launches yet another battle at the instigation of Oda Nobunaga’s vassal Ouga Kazunari (Nishimura Masahiko). Ouga’s true aim is to make Koyama and Hagi fight and capture the country. Tadakiyo leaves Yui behind and heads to the castle where the advance guard is in order to stop this senseless war. Yui tells his father that Tadakiyo believes it is true victory to live. She escapes from the Hagi clan’s stronghold and goes after him …

Hayakawa Yui is a 16-year-old girl whose only strong point is her ability to run fast. She accidentally goes back in time to the Warring States era where she makes use of her ability on the battlefield to protect her beloved young prince. Through finding a goal to work towards to, Yui finds a new world waiting for her as she uses her power to change the person she loves and move the people she meets.

Mare is an elementary school student. She lives with her family in the city, but, right before her father goes bankrupt, they run away and settle down at a fishing village in Noto. The family rents a couple's home who run a salt pond. Mare's father starts a new business, but it also fails. Her mother supports the family by working at the salt pond. 8 years later, Mare, about to graduate from high school, decides to work for the Wajima local government. She wants to have a steady job, unlike her father. Her job is to support people who move to Noto.

Born to a poor family in Yamanashi prefecture, in the year of 1903 at the age of 10, Muraoka Hanako was accepted by a Missionary school in Tokyo. It was her father's Ando Kippei, greatest wish that his daughter gets a higher education. The Missionary school was attended by daughters from noble families, and as a charity case, Hanako was reminded by her father to never be inferior to her rich schoolmates. As the classes were carried out in English, Hanako faced a culture shock when she started school. Unable to understand the teachers nor able to grasp the conversation of her peers, Hanako resolved to work really hard at her studies.This drama follows Hanako from her childhood, through her years at the missionary school, to her life as a school teacher and finally as the translator of L.M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables".

Born to a poor family in Yamanashi prefecture, in the year of 1903 at the age of 10, Muraoka Hanako was accepted by a Missionary school in Tokyo. It was her father's Ando Kippei, greatest wish that his daughter gets a higher education. The Missionary school was attended by daughters from noble families, and as a charity case, Hanako was reminded by her father to never be inferior to her rich schoolmates. As the classes were carried out in English, Hanako faced a culture shock when she started school. Unable to understand the teachers nor able to grasp the conversation of her peers, Hanako resolved to work really hard at her studies.This drama follows Hanako from her childhood, through her years at the missionary school, to her life as a school teacher and finally as the translator of L.M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables".

Sawako was dumped by her husband and since then she has raised her three sons alone. One day, she happens to meet a young man who is dying. She falls in love with him at first sight. The young man also suffers from memory loss. Sawako names him Hoshio. Taking advantage of his memory loss, she decides to make him live with her as the father of her three sons.

Now, Sawako, her three sons, her grandmother and Hoshio all live together. Sawako hopes Hoshio never regains his memory. Hoshio also begins to develop feelings for her. Whenever Sawako has troubles, Hoshio helps her out with his mysterious ability. Hoshio's past is also mysterious. A mystery that is finally revealed.

A lowly but academically diligent warrior named Bessho Hikoshiro finds himself unable to move up in the world due to the stifling caste system of the Bakumatsu era. After being expelled from the household into which he was adopted through marriage and separated from his wife and son, he moves in with his disapproving elder brother and his wife. He meets his old class rival Enomoto Takeaki, now a commander of a naval ship, and is later told by a kindly noodle shop owner that Enomoto's rise in social status came about after he prayed at a shrine in Mukojima.

According to the introductory note, "Ju-On" is a curse left behind by someone who dies in a powerful rage -- a part haunting, part supernatural virus that infects anyone who comes into contact with it. More than just the premise, that's the plot in a nutshell.

Volunteer social worker Rika (Megumi Okina) stumbles across the curse when she finds an almost catatonic old woman in a shambles of a home, a spooky little boy with a froggy voice and a veritable black hole of a phantom that seems to be sucking the life from the old lady. The story then jumps back and forth along the timeline in a series of chapters named for the characters haunted and hunted by the unsettled souls.