Asian Drama

Nagasaki in the 1950s: The wealthy Sano family falls on hard times and has to move from their mansion to a tenement house. Oldest son Masahi (a fifth year student) is worried he has to give up playing violin, but the adults reassure him.

Based on the same-titled novel, the drama is set in the year 1964, the year the Olympics were held in Tokyo. A nation trying to rebuild its economy post world war II, Japan was eager to show the world what it had to offer. Amidst all the excitement and enthusiasm, two fires had broken out consecutively; at the private residence of the Chief of Police, Suga Shuichiro, and then at the Nakano Police Academy. However, both incidents were hushed up, and even Detective Ochiai Masao, from Division One MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) had to find out about it from his fellow colleague. Ochiai was puzzled as to why no investigations were being carried out and it soon came to light that prior to the first fire at the Chief's home, a threatening letter had been sent to the MPD. In view of the upcoming Olympics, everyone at the MPD were feeling jittery over the letter and the arson, and thus a team was set up to ensure the safety of the public during the event. Ochiai and his team mates were to carry out the investigation secretly. Information came to Ochiai, that some 25 tubes of dynamite were stolen from a gunpowder factory. While questioning the owner, Ochiai was introduced to Shimazaki Kunio, a poor student from Akita prefecture, attending Tokyo University and working part-time there. Suspecting him of the crime, Ochiai started digging around into Shimazaki's life and was surprised to find out that his own sister, Yumi, was actually dating Shimazaki!

Nakatani Setsuko (Matsu Takako) quit her job as a stewardess in order to marry her boyfriend at the time, Hiroshi. But that didn't work out, and so Setsuko's parents, worried that time is passing her by, decide to introduce her to someone using 'Omiai' - a traditional Japanese meeting custom - in the hope she will marry. She meets Hirose Koutaro (Yusuke Santamaria), who is then pressured by his boss to marry Setsuko after a misunderstanding promises to bring shame on their families. Initially, the two are clearly not interested, but gradually, they begin to respect each other.