Japanese television drama, also called dorama (ドラマ) or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller, BL, and many others. Single episode, or "tanpatsu" dramas that are usually two hours in length are also broadcast. For special occasions, there may be a one or two-episode drama with a specific theme, such as one produced in 2015 for the 70-year anniversary of the end of World War II.
Risa Junna is a Japanese actress, singer, and voice actress. She was part of Takarazuka Revue's Snow Troupe and Flower Troupe. During her time in the Revue, she specialized in female roles (musumeyaku). She was the musumeyaku top star from 1995 to 1996.
Oshin (おしん) is a Japanese serialized morning television drama (asadora), which originally aired on NHK from 4 marzo 1983 to 31 March 1984; it is the 31st asadora overall to be produced. The 297 15-minute episodes follow the life of Shin Tanokura during the Meiji period up to the early 1980s. In the work, Shin is called Oshin, the O- forming an archaic cognomen.
Renzoku Terebi Shōsetsu, colloquially known as asadora, is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode, Japanese television drama program series broadcast in the mornings by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. The first such series aired in 1961 with the black-and-white A Daughter and Me, starring Takeshi Kitazawa which aired in Japan Monday through Friday mornings—it was also the only of such series to be aired for 20 minutes per episode. From 1975 onward, series aired in the first half of the year are produced by the NHK Tokyo Broadcasting station and series in the latter half of the year are produced by the NHK Osaka Broadcasting station; the Osaka branch's first asadora production was Whirlpools in 1964.
Onna-musha (女武者) is a term referring to female warriors in pre-modern Japan, who were members of the bushi (warrior) class. They were trained in the use of weapons to protect their household, family, and honour in times of war; many of them fought in battle alongside samurai men.
Maki Horikita is a Japanese former actress. During her career from 2003 until 2017, she starred in numerous Japanese television dramas, television and magazine advertisements, and movies, including roles in Nobuta wo Produce, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Umechan Sensei.
Megumi Ōji is a Japanese actress from Kakogawa in Hyōgo Prefecture. She is a graduate of Asia University.
Yūko Tanaka is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She has won several acting awards during a long career working in both film and television, after she graduated from Meiji University.
Carnation is a Japanese historical drama television series and the 85th asadora series of NHK. It premiered on 3 October 2011 and ended on 31 March 2012. The series is inspired by the life of fashion designer Ayako Koshino in Kishiwada, Osaka. Ayako was the mother of famous designers Hiroko Koshino, Junko Koshino, and Michiko Koshino.
Umechan Sensei (梅ちゃん先生) is a Japanese television drama series. It debuted on April 2, 2012. It is about a girl named Umeko Shimomura who, despite being overshadowed by her talented older brother and sister, and despite being thought of as a clumsy child, decides to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor. It is the 86th NHK Asadora.
Amachan (あまちゃん) is a Japanese television drama series. It debuted on April 1, 2013, and was broadcast until September 28, 2013. It was scripted by Kankurō Kudō and starred Rena Nōnen as Aki Amano, a high-school girl from Tokyo who moves to the Sanriku Coast in the Tohoku region to become a female diver. She becomes a local idol, then returns to Tokyo to try to become a real idol, and finally returns to Tohoku to help revitalize the area after the Great East Japan earthquake. It is the 88th NHK Asadora. Amachan was not only a ratings success, but brought economic benefits to the Tohoku region and was considered a social phenomenon. It also won the Galaxy Award for best television program of 2013.
Gochisōsan (ごちそうさん) is a Japanese television drama series. It first aired from 30 September 2013 to 29 March 2014. It is scripted by Yoshiko Morishita, who wrote such dramas as Jin, and stars Anne Watanabe as Meiko Uno, a woman who lives through the Taisho and Shōwa eras and tries to excel at Japanese cuisine. Meiko is the daughter of parents who run a western style restaurant in Tokyo. She marries, moves to Osaka with her husband, and experiences cultural differences between Tokyo and Osaka, as she lives as a mother and wife in Osaka. It is the 89th NHK Asadora.
Hanako to Anne is a Japanese television drama series, the 90th Asadora series broadcast on NHK. It debuted on March 31, 2014, and was broadcast Monday through Saturday mornings, ending on September 27, 2014. It is based on the novel An no Yurikago Muraoka Hanako no Shogai by Eri Muraoka, which is the story of her grandmother Hanako Muraoka, the first to translate Anne of Green Gables into Japanese. The drama describes her trials, tribulations and triumphs at school and some of the lifelong friendships she made there, and her life after graduating and working at a publishing company and as a translator. As a subplot, it also narrates the dramatic life of Muraoka's old friend, Byakuren Yanagiwara, the tanka poet who was a cousin of Emperor Taishō. The series stars Yuriko Yoshitaka as Hanako. Anime composer Yuki Kajiura composed the music for the series. The series was a ratings success.
Sugako Hashida was a Japanese scriptwriter. She is known particularly for writing the NHK Asadora Oshin, and was considered Japan's most successful TV drama scriptwriter. She established Hashida Cultural Foundation. Her real name was Sugako Iwasaki.
Mare is a Japanese television drama series, the 92nd Asadora that was broadcast daily on NHK from March 30, 2015, until September 26, 2015, the same as 2009's Asadora series Tsubasa. It is about a young woman from the Noto Peninsula who wants to become a patissier. Tao Tsuchiya, who appeared in the AsadoraHanako to Anne, was cast in the lead role after an audition of 2,020 women.
Asa ga Kita is a Japanese television drama series which was broadcast by the 93rd Asadora six days a week on NHK between September 28, 2015 and April 2, 2016. It is based on the life of Asako Hirooka. It was followed by Toto Neechan on April 4.
Warotenka is a Japanese historical drama television series and the 97th asadora series, following Hiyokko. It premiered on October 2, 2017, and ended on March 31, 2018. The main character is based on Sei Yoshimoto, the co-founder of Yoshimoto Kogyo, one of Japan's largest entertainment companies that especially focuses on comedy.
Natsuzora (なつぞら) is a Japanese television drama series and the 100th Memorial Asadora series, following Manpuku. It premiered on April 1, 2019, and concluded on September 28, 2019. The story is loosely based on the life of animator Reiko Okuyama.
Come Come Everybody is a Japanese television drama series and the 105th NHK Asadora series, following Okaeri Mone. It premiered on November 1, 2021, and concluded on April 8, 2022. The story is about 100 years-old family, three generations, Yasuko (grandmother), Rui (mother), and Hinata (daughter) who worked with a radio English course during the Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras. The drama is set in Okayama, Osaka and Kyoto.
The Tiger and Her Wings is a Japanese television drama series and the 110th Asadora series, following Boogie Woogie. The drama is modeled after one of Japan's first female lawyers, Yoshiko Mibuchi, but it is produced as fiction and is an original drama work.
