TOKYO DRAMA AWARD

2016

A girl named Oto(Kasumi Arimura) lost her parents at an early age and was raised by her foster parents in Hokkaido prefecture. She was not treated well and was taught to"give up" a lot of things in life.

Ren(Kengo Koura), now works as a shipping driver in Tokyo with a very low salary. He grew up in Fukushima prefecture and was raised by a gentle grandfather who taught him never to doubt others around him. He came to Tokyo to earn money to take back property which his grandfather was seized.

One day, his roommate Haruta(Kentaro Sakaguchi) came back from a long motorcycle trip, with a purse in his hand that he stole in Hokkaido. In the purse, there was an old letter started out with "Dear Oto". Ren strongly felt that he had to return this letter to its owner Oto, so he drove his company's truck all the way to Hokkaido. This incident drastically changed Oto and Ren's life.

Two young characters, Oto and Ren, who both have a painful history still live their life always with hope. This drama emotionally reflects the lives of the two as well as Kihoko(Mitsuki Takahata), Asahi(Takahiro Nishijima), Konatsu(Aoi Morikawa), Haruta, and other characters around them. "Life is hard, but love can put it out of your mind" is the theme of this love story which took place in this unique city Tokyo.

Kohei Tsukuda gives up a career as a space engineer to take over his late father’s small engine factory ? Tsukuda Manufacturing. Though his relationship with his daughter, Rina, isn’t so well, sales of Tsukuda’s small-sized engines are promising. But there is a dream that Kohei cannot give up ? to develop a domestic rocket engine.

While overinvest on R&D for developing the rocket engine, sales of small-sized engines start to take a hit and a major client pulls out of business with Tsukuda. Financial difficulties compel Kohei to visit their main bank for a loan, which the bank agrees to - on the condition that Tsukuda halts development of its unrealistic rocket engine program.

Meanwhile one of the strongest companies in Japan - Teikoku Heavy Industries - pushes forward its plan to develop a domestic rocket. As the plan proceeds, Teikoku realizes its valve system has infringed on a patent owned by Tsukuda... What must Teikoku do to get that patent..?

A story of how ordinary men and women at a major airline stay true to their beliefs in the face of unprecedented tragedy.

　Hajime Onchi (Takaya Kamikawa) is appointed chairman of the labor union at Japanese flag carrier National Airlines（NAL）, pushing tirelessly for workplace reform with likeminded vice-chairman and friend, Shiro Gyoten (Atsuro Watabe). Onchi’s blunt honesty and steadfast focus on public safety increasingly draws the ire of management, and he is demoted to a remote overseas post as a result. In Onchi’s absence, Gyoten ? seeking to bring his own ideas for the airline to fruition ? ascends the corporate ladder, joining the ranks of those he once fought against.
　NAL’s continued neglect of safety comes to a head with the tragic crash of one of its commercial jetliners. Onchi returns to Japan and comforts the grieving families, while the government appoints textile professional Masayuki Kunimi (Kyozo Nagatsuka) as NAL’s new president in an effort to restore and regenerate the beleaguered airline. Onchi is charged with investigating the rampant corruption at NAL, but standing in his way is none other than former ally Shiro Gyoten, who has worked his way up to senior management...

:It is said that ever since a reform was made to Japan's educational system in 2002, aptitude levels have plummeted. Students who were in school right at that time have gone off into the real world and are being criticized as "lacking in ambition and competitiveness," as well as "lacking in cooperativeness." Society calls them the "yutori generation" (relaxed generation).

This drama focuses on three young adults who were all born in 1987, the first wave of the "yutori generation." They meet each other through "Rental Uncle," a service that dispatches a middle-aged man to give advice to the younger crowd.

Masakazu is your ordinary 29-year-old corporate employee. He studied hard for his college entrance exams and passed on the first try. He was serious about finding a job and eventually got hired by a food manufacturing company.

Born into a family of educators, there was never any doubt that Yamaji would become an elementary school teacher. Called by the students as "yutori sensei" (relaxed teacher), Yamaji's students are getting low grades and the mothers are beginning to complain.

And then there's Maribu, who was born into an elite family and always got stellar grades and did well in sports but failed the college entrance exams. Ten years later, Maribu is still trying to get into Japan's top university.

A story woven by three young adults and a "Rental Uncle" who at times will make you laugh and at times cry. You'll find yourself completely immersed in this drama that is reminiscent of a challenging survival game!

This is a comedy drama with a spice of political reality which grasps viewers with its exhilarating storyline of a body swap between Prime Minister and his prodigal son.

Taizan’s dream finally comes true and he becomes Prime Minister while his son Sho leads a hobo life rebelling against his father whose sole interest is his success. But Taizan at the height of his career gets his soul and body swapped with his son.

The chief secretaries at the cabinet are called in to find a strategy to get through the diet, but the only plausible solution they could come up is to let Sho play the role of his father. The hobo son must helm Japan while the world-smart father is treated like a dumb college boy.

Sho makes a fool of himself at official scenes and on TV. He is naive but truly sincere, and his words slowly start touching the hearts of the people. He causes miracles to happen in foreign diplomacy as well as in domestic politics. Taizan, too, rediscovers his first intention in becoming a politician, a feeling which got lost under partisan interests.

An absolutely exhilarating denouement awaits as their souls swap back again…

The first TV drama series based on a popular comic series "Free and Easy" published since 1979. During the previous 22 years. 22 films have been produced based on the comic. The story is re-created for TV version, staged in 2015, Densuke Hamasaki, lives at his own pace enters a major general contractor company as a rookie. While the company is enthusiastic about economic boom for the 2020 TOKYO Olympics, The drama comically depicts Densuke, living at his own pace, yet always positive about life, A rising star Gaku Hamada, will take the role of Densuke, and Toshiyuki Nishida (who performed Densuke Hamasaki in the film series) will play the role of Mr, Ichinosuke Suzuki, the CEO of the General Contractor. At work the relationship between Densuke and Mr.Suzuki is "An Employee and CEO" however when Fishing, their relationship completely inverts to "Master and Pupil". As in the film series, the basic setting is funny inversion of hierarchical relation, and "Comedy Cliches"are inserted to entertain all generations. Fishing, working and love affairs...? Wonderful start-up story of the long-running series "Free and Easy" featuring sometimes cheeky? but lovable character, Densuke Hamasaki.

It will be 150 years soon since the first year of Meiji era started to spread modernization in Japan. Since then, Japan had engaged in a few wars and lost everything in World War 2. However, they reconstructed miraculously and Japan is considered one of the world's economic giants.
“Governing a nation and providing relief to people.” It is the origin of the word, “Keizai”, in Chinese classics. This TV drama series relates that sentence to the three Japanese men who built the base of Japan's economy.
The first Japanese man is Korekiyo Takahashi, who is said to be the “Keynes of Japan”, played by Joe Odagiri. In Russo-Japanese war, he collected a lot of money for Japanese military buildup. He is the specialist of national finance who built Japanese economy as a Minister of Finance.
Second is Ichizo Kobayashi, who was the founder of Hankyu Railway, Hankyu Department Store, Takarazuka Revue and so on, played by Sadao Abe. Kobayashi was the incompetent banker and dreamed of becoming a novelist. However, he met a mentor and his life changed drastically. This is his success story.
Last one is Yasuzaemon Matsunaga, who was considered “Ogre” of electric power, played by Kotaro Yoshida. He built the base of electric environment and fought GHQ.
This TV drama series describes those men’s life, which were stormy and full of drama with dream, hope, laughter, tear, and passion. It is a drama series about the pioneers of Japan's economy.

Hiroshi Makita (Ryo Kase) is a newly assigned administrative veterinarian at the Animal Welfare Centre. Hiroshi performs his duties diligently day in and day out following the guidelines laid out by Japan’s national laws. The majority of his duties involve putting down unwanted dogs and cats, that were brought into the center for various reasons.He tells himself: “It’s a horrendous job but someone has to do it.” Though he is constantly tormented by a guilty conscience, He understands the nature of his work and has resigned himself to it.
　One day, a seasoned vet Ayako Takano (Yuko Tanaka) gets assigned as a new director of the centre. Upon arrival at the centre, she orders the staff to give a name to each dog and cat held at the facility and then she proceeds to arrange volunteer pet grooming services to clean them up.The staff are perplexed by these new directions and find her new policy irrational and pointless. They even start to resent her wasteful practices spending money and effort towards animals which will be eventually put down. On the other hand,Hiroshi feels encouraged by Director Takano’s determination to change and improve the current situation and starts to cultivate a more positive attitude towards his work.

This adult love story depicts a woman’s life and love, set on the beautiful backdrop of World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go. “Until what’age can we continue to fall in love?”
Today, women are also able to choose their own way of living, they will think about their life, what it means to live and what is an adult’s love.

A beautiful village in the mountains. Mayu is a wife, a mother and a daughter-in-law. While taking care of her husband and son, she is faced with despair every day as she visits her mother-in-law with a long-term illness. Amidst all this, she meets a man from Tokyo by coincidence and falls in love with him. A secret and illicit love where they understood each other’s hearts. For Mayu, this love was captivating, a love that is one of a kind.
In the midst of this love, time passes and after several years, it had brought her a whole new meaning to life. This is even more so being the forbidden kind of love. When the man invited Mayu to return to Tokyo with him, she must decide whether to stay in her hometown or abandon her home and follow him.

A human story set in Japan's richly poetic riverside district, Kurashiki!

Abandoning his dream to become a Jazz pianist, our hero Kenji struggles as a denim craftsman, falling in love with a wandering artist who has drifted to the city.
However, she has a sinful past she wishes not to reveal.
Kenji is confused between the fleeting buds of his new love and the doubt in his heart.
Through the outcome of their love, they paint a picture of the value of forgiveness by facing and overcoming the emotional scars of the past.

Starring Yooain, "Roots of the Throne" was a run-away hit from its very first broadcast, gaining the top ratings for its time slot through all 50 episodes.
Set against a turbulent time where political intrigue and conspiracy are rampant, the historical entertainment series tells the story of six heroes who rise up in order to build a new dynasty.
The two writers behind the hits "The Great Queen Seondeok" and "Tree with Deep Roots" reunite to bring their masterful blend of history and fiction to the television screen!

14th century, towards the end of the Goryeo dynasty. Yi Bangwon lives in the remote outskirts of the kingdom, but dreams of one day becoming a great military commander like his father Yi Seonggye. But one day, while on his first visit to the capital city, the son witnesses his adored father succumb to pressure from a corrupt high official Lee Ingyeom, and is devastated. Jeong Dojeon, an official at Sungkyunkwan (foremost educational institution in the nation), however, brings to light a conspiracy concocted by the same Lee Ingyeom and his crew, while avoiding war with the Ming. Deeply moved, Bangwon enters Sungkyunkwan to learn under Dojeon.

Six years later, Jeong Dojeon is missing, and Bangwon embarks on a search for his master - to join him in his dream of . On the way, he meets and joins hands with Ddangsae, who has mastered his martial arts in order to put an end to the corrupt Goryeo, Buni, who wishes to help the villagers suffering under heavy taxes, and Muhyul, a master swordsman whose agenda is make a name for himself. The secret code of Jeong Dojeon leads Bangwon and his team back to Bangwon's home state, where Yi Seonggye is also waiting. The six heroes now band together to defeat the evil Lee Ingyeom and his crew to build a new nation...

-DVD Info-
2016.11.2 DVD Rental release (33 vol.)
2016.11.16 DVD-BOX release (5 boxes)
Manufactured by Fuji Television / PONY CANYON
Distributed by: PONY CANYON

One mother’s hatred brings tragedy to two families across three generations.

In the village of Nong Nom Wua in Nakhon Sawan province, bad blood brews between the two neighbouring families of Yam and Aum. Yam blames the death of her husband on Aum’s husband. She takes her vengeance against her young daughter-in-law Umporn, as she is Aum's daughter. She has just given birth to a baby boy, but Yam will stop at nothing to pull the young couple apart, and even resorts to setting a friend’s daughter (Suda) to try to steal her son Prayong from Umporn. Having taken to drink, Prayong dies from alcohol, and a heartbroken Umporn leaves for the city, while Yam keeps the baby. All this while, Umporn’s younger sister Urai also comes under attack, and she is also forced to part with her love Luepong, despite being pregnant.

Ten years pass, and Umporn is remarried to Tawee with two children. She still wants to see the son she had no choice but to leave behind, but Yongyuth has grown up believing Yam’s lies and despises his mother.

In this third generation, Umporn’s son from her second marriage, Tana, falls for the same girl Yongyuth loves, causing a clash between the step-brothers. And to Urai’s dismay, her only daughter Rapeepan and Pawarit, the son of Suda and Prayoon, Yam’s second son, also fall in love. Again the old grudge resurfaces, with Yam in the center of it all...

A story of love, revenge, and a family's bond, told against the backdrop of Vietnam's social disparity.

T?t rose from rags to riches to become the owner of an electronics retailer, but he holds a dark secret concerning the mysterious death of his younger brother Ba, who had toiled by his side from the beginning.

Nearly two decades later, beautiful Dung is hired to work as a housekeeper in T?t's household. She sets work on luring both his sons. The eldest ?ong is the first to fall to her charms, but the younger Minh is also soon under her spell. Jealousy begins to breed hatred between the brothers.

Meanwhile, Minh investigates the death of his uncle and discovers that a woman named My had also died at the same time. She was Ba's fiancee, and Dung's mother. My had agreed to the relationship in order to secure a better life for her daughter but had mysteriously vanished from their poor village. But Minh's search for the truth is hampered as T?t destroys the evidence one by one.

Rebelling against his father and family, Minh decides to work for a rival electronics retailer. As the competition between the brothers escalates, ?ong will stop at nothing to finish Minh off. The media is soon onto him, however, and ?ong's underhanded acts are gradually dragged under the spotlight. T?t checks himself into the hospital in order to flee the press, but there he must face the man he once vowed never to see again...

Dung at last learns the true reason for her mother's death - will she let revenge consume her completely, or will love prevail?