Taiga drama
Encyclopedia
is the name NHK
gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction
television series it broadcasts in Japan
. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki
actor
Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka
star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music director, and actors for the series. The 45-minute show airs on the NHK General network every Sunday at 20:00, with rebroadcasts on Saturday afternoon at 13:05. Satellite, HDTV digital satellite, and NHK World Premium broadcasts are also available.
was originally set for a 2006 broadcast as "21st Century Taiga Drama". However, the scriptwriter of the series committed suicide, causing a delay in production. The series will air as "NHK Special Drama" in three parts, each part airing from late November to late December of each year.
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
television series it broadcasts in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka
Takarazuka Revue
The Takarazuka Revue is a Japanese all-female musical theater troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals, and sometimes stories adapted from shōjo manga and Japanese folktales. The troupe takes its name...
star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music director, and actors for the series. The 45-minute show airs on the NHK General network every Sunday at 20:00, with rebroadcasts on Saturday afternoon at 13:05. Satellite, HDTV digital satellite, and NHK World Premium broadcasts are also available.
Current series
- Gō (2011) - about OgōOeyo, , or : 1573 – September 15, 1626) was a prominently-placed female figure in late-Sengoku period. She married three times, first to Saji Kazunari, then to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's nephew Toyotomi Hidekatsu. Her third and last husband Tokugawa Hidetada became the second Tokugawa shogun...
, niece of Oda NobunagaOda Nobunagawas the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, wife of Tokugawa HidetadaTokugawa Hidetadawas the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
and sister of Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
's second wife Yodo-DonoYodo-Donoor was a prominently-placed figure in late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan. She also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha...
Upcoming series
- Taira no KiyomoriTaira no Kiyomori (Taiga drama)is an upcoming 2012 Japanese television series. It will be the 51st NHK taiga drama.-Cast:* Kenichi Matsuyama* Kiichi Nakai* Fumiyo Kohinata* Hiroshi Tamaki* Shota Matsuda-External links:*...
(2012) - about Taira no KiyomoriTaira no Kiyomoriwas a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
, head of the Taira clanTaira clanThe was a major Japanese clan of samurai in historical Japan.In reference to Japanese history, along with Minamoto, Taira was a hereditary clan name bestowed by the emperors of the Heian Period to certain ex-members of the imperial family when they became subjects...
in the mid-12th century, who dominated the Court for a time, but whose clan was then defeated and destroyed in the Genpei WarGenpei WarThe was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
(1180-1185). But for no special reason, it write wrongly from Emperor's family to Royal family in the Webpage of Taira no Kiyomori that will be broadcasted at 2012 as Taiga dramaTaiga dramais the name NHK gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki actor Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music...
(http://www9.nhk.or.jp/kiyomori/pre/03/diagram.html 2012 Taiga dramaTaiga dramais the name NHK gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki actor Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music...
)
- Yae no Sakura (2013) - set in the late 19th century period, about Yae Nishijima, a woman born in a household part of Aizu Domain who participated in the Boshin War as a part of the Aizu Clan.
List of series
| # | Romanised Name | Kanji (or Kana) Name | Start | End | Cast | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hana no Shōgai | 花の生涯 | 7 April 1963 | 29 December 1963 | Shoroku Onoe (尾上松緑) Keiji Sada Keiji Sada was a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 7th Blue Ribbon Awards for Anata kaimasu and Taifū sōdōki. He was the father of the actor Kiichi Nakai.-Filmography:* Kane no naru oka: Dai san hen, kuro no maki... |
Black and white |
| 2 | Akō Rōshi | 赤穂浪士 | 1 January 1964 | 27 December 1964 | Kazuo Hasegawa Kazuo Hasegawa was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 290 films between 1927 and 1963.-Filmography:Filmography of Kazuo Hasegawa include :* also known as Crossroads, Crossways, Shadows of the Yoshiwara or Slums of Tokyo... (長谷川一夫) Osamu Takizawa Osamu Takizawa was a Japanese actor. He was born in Ushigome, Tokyo, Japan. Starting at the Tsukiji Little Theater, Takizawa participated in a number of theatrical troupes before forming Gekidan Mingei with Jūkichi Uno. His was praised for his performance in Death of a Salesman and also directed a version of The... |
Black and white. Also the most viewed taiga drama in its history. |
| 3 | Taikōki Taikoki The is a biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who rose to the office of taikō during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history. The Confucian scholar Oze Hoan published the work in 1626 during the rule of the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu... |
太閤記 | 3 January 1965 | 26 December 1965 | Ken Ogata Ken Ogata Ken Ogata was a Japanese actor.Ogata was born in Tokyo, Japan. Ogata is well known for his roles in Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book, Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and Shohei Imamura's The Ballad of Narayama... (緒形拳) Kōji Takahashi Koji Takahashi is a Japanese actor. He was born in Tōkamachi, Niigata, in 1935, and attended Niigata Prefectural Tōkamachi High School and later Toyo University.-Career:... (高橋幸治) |
Black and white |
| 4 | Minamoto no Yoshitsune | 源義経 | 2 January 1966 | 25 December 1966 | Onoe Kikunosuke VII (尾上菊之助) Junko Fuji (藤純子) |
Black and white |
| 5 | San Shimai | 三姉妹 | 1 January 1967 | 24 December 1967 | Mariko Okada Mariko Okada Mariko Okada is a Japanese actress. She is married to film director Yoshishige Yoshida.Her father was the noted silent film actor Tokihiko Okada, who before his early death starred in Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Chorus... (岡田茉莉子) Shiho Fujimura Shiho Fujimura Shiho Fujimura is a Japanese actress. She was given a Special Prize for her career at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival.-External links:** -References:... Komaki Kurihara Komaki Kurihara is a Japanese film actress. She has appeared in 30 films since 1967. She starred in the 1974 film Sandakan No. 8, which was entered into the 25th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* Tora-san's Grand Scheme... |
Black and white |
| 6 | Ryōma ga Yuku | 竜馬がゆく | 7 January 1968 | 29 December 1968 | Kin'ya Kitaōji Kin'ya Kitaoji is a Japanese actor.-Early life:He was born in Kyoto, son of famous jidaigeki film star Ichikawa Utaemon, and graduated from Waseda University School of Letters, Arts and Sciences Ⅱ in Tokyo.-Acting career:... (北大路欣也) Ruriko Asaoka Ruriko Asaoka born 2 July 1940 in Xinjing, Manchukuo , is a Japanese actress.- Filmography :* * * Alone on the Pacific aka Alone Across the Pacific... |
Black and white |
| 7 | Ten to Chi to | 天と地と | 5 January 1969 | 28 December 1969 | Koji Ishizaka (石坂浩二) Kōji Takahashi Koji Takahashi is a Japanese actor. He was born in Tōkamachi, Niigata, in 1935, and attended Niigata Prefectural Tōkamachi High School and later Toyo University.-Career:... (高橋幸治) |
Colour. Future broadcasts are in colour. |
| 8 | Mominoki wa Nokotta | 樅の木は残った | 4 January 1970 | 27 December 1970 | Mikijiro Hira (平幹二朗) Sayuri Yoshinaga |
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| 9 | Haru no Sakamichi | 春の坂道 | 3 January 1971 | 26 December 1971 | Kinnosuke Nakamura(萬屋錦之介) | |
| 10 | Shin Heike Monogatari | 新・平家物語 | 2 January 1972 | 24 December 1972 | Tatsuya Nakadai Tatsuya Nakadai is a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s... (仲代達矢) Tarō Shigaki Taro Shigaki is a Japanese actor and voice actor.-Voice roles:* André Grandier in The Rose of Versailles* Franz, Fritz in Nutcracker Fantasy* Saki Vashtal in Area 88 * Soldier Blue in Toward the Terra * Siegfried in Swan Lake... |
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| 11 | Kunitori Monogatari | 国盗り物語 | 7 January 1973 | 30 December 1973 | Mikijirō Hira(平幹二朗) Hideki Takahashi Hideki Takahashi is a Japanese actor. Born in Kisarazu, Chiba near Tokyo, he attended Ichikawa Gakuen and later Nihon University.- Filmography :He made his debut with Nikkatsu and acted in youth-oriented films. After becoming a star in television jidaigeki, he turned out hit after hit... |
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| 12 | Katsu Kaishū | 勝海舟 | 6 January 1974 | 29 December 1974 | Tetsuya Watari Tetsuya Watari is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. He made his screen debut in 1964, in Isamu Kosugi's .He is now the president of Ishihara Promotion.He has a younger brother, Tsunehiko Watase, who is also an actor.-Filmography:-External links:* *... (渡哲也)→Hiroki Matsukata Hiroki Matsukata , real name is a Japanese actor. He is the son of jidaigeki actor Jūshirō Konoe and actress Yaeko Mizukawa and has a younger brother Yūki Meguro who is also an actor.... |
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| 13 | Genroku Taiheiki | 元禄太平記 | 6 January 1975 | 29 December 1975 | Kōji Ishizaka(石坂浩二) Tōru Emori |
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| 14 | Kaze to Kumo to Niji to | 風と雲と虹と | 4 January 1976 | 26 December 1976 | Ken Ogata Go Kato Go Kato Go Kato was born February 4, 1938, in Omaezaki, Shizuoka, Japan. He is a Japanese entertainer, and actor.-TV Dramas:*Sosa Kenji Ukon Makoto no Satsujin Chosho... (加藤剛) |
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| 15 | Kashin | 花神 | 2 January 1977 | 25 December 1977 | Umenosuke Nakamura (中村梅之助) Masatoshi Nakamura (中村雅俊) |
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| 16 | Ōgon no Hibi | 黄金の日日 | 8 January 1978 | 24 December 1978 | Ichikawa Somegorō VI Matsumoto Koshiro IX is a Japanese kabuki actor, one of the most popular tachiyaku currently performing.Like many members of the kabuki community, he can trace his lineage back several generations, many members of his family being kabuki actors as well... (六代目市川染五郎) |
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| 17 | Kusa Moeru | 草燃える | 7 January 1979 | 23 December 1979 | Koji Ishizaka (石坂浩二) Shima Iwashita |
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| 18 | Shishi no Jidai | 獅子の時代 | 6 January 1980 | 21 December 1980 | Bunta Sugawara Go Kato Go Kato Go Kato was born February 4, 1938, in Omaezaki, Shizuoka, Japan. He is a Japanese entertainer, and actor.-TV Dramas:*Sosa Kenji Ukon Makoto no Satsujin Chosho... (加藤剛) |
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| 19 | Onna Taikōki | おんな太閤記 | 11 January 1981 | 20 December 1981 | Yoshiko Sakuma(佐久間良子) Toshiyuki Nishida Toshiyuki Nishida is a Japanese actor. Outside of Japan, Nishida is best known for his portrayal of Pigsy in the TV series Monkey.Toshiyuki Nishida has received ten Japanese Academy Award nominations, winning twice, for Dun-Huang in 1988 and Gakko and Tsuribaka Nisshi 6 in 1993... |
Based on the novel Taikōki (which formed the basis of the 3rd Taiga Drama of the same title), with the story told from a feminist perspective. |
| 20 | Tōge no Gunzō | 峠の群像 | 10 January 1982 | 19 December 1982 | Ken Ogata(緒形拳) Jūzō Itami Juzo Itami , born , was an actor and a popular modern Japanese film director. Many critics came to regard him as Japan's greatest director since Akira Kurosawa. His 10 movies, all of which he wrote himself, are comic satires on elements of Japanese culture.... |
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| 21 | Tokugawa Ieyasu | 徳川家康 | 9 January 1983 | 18 December 1983 | Sakae Takita (滝田栄) Tetsuya Takeda (武田鉄矢) |
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| 22 | Sanga Moyu | 山河燃ゆ | 8 January 1984 | 23 December 1984 | Matsumoto Kōshirō IX(松本幸四郎) Toshiyuki Nishida |
First (and so far) only Taiga drama set in the Shōwa period Showa period The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor... of World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
| 23 | Haruno Hatō | 春の波涛 | 6 January 1985 | 15 December 1985 | Masatoshi Nakamura(中村雅俊) Keiko Matsuzaka(松坂慶子) |
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| 24 | Inochi | いのち | 5 January 1986 | 14 December 1986 | Yoshiko Mita(三田佳子) Koji Yakusho |
First (and so far) only Taiga drama set in postwar Japan. |
| 25 | Dokuganryū Masamune | 独眼竜政宗 | 4 January 1987 | 13 December 1987 | Ken Watanabe Ken Watanabe is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best... (渡辺謙) Kumiko Goto (後藤久美子) |
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| 26 | Takeda Shingen | 武田信玄 | 10 January 1988 | 18 December 1988 | Kiichi Nakai(中井貴一) Misako Konno Misako Konno Misako Konno , born Misako Shinoda is a Japanese actress and essayist.Her maiden name is Misako Satō .-External links:* *... |
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| 27 | Kasuga no Tsubone | 春日局 | 1 January 1989 | 17 December 1989 | Reiko Ōhara (大原麗子) Shinji Yamashita (山下真司) |
Earliest premiere for a Taiga drama. |
| 28 | Tobu ga Gotoku | 翔ぶが如く | 7 January 1990 | 9 December 1990 | Toshiyuki Nishida Toshiyuki Nishida is a Japanese actor. Outside of Japan, Nishida is best known for his portrayal of Pigsy in the TV series Monkey.Toshiyuki Nishida has received ten Japanese Academy Award nominations, winning twice, for Dun-Huang in 1988 and Gakko and Tsuribaka Nisshi 6 in 1993... (西田敏行) Takeshi Kaga Takeshi Kaga is a well-known stage and movie actor in Japan who is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV. His real name is .-Biography:... |
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| 29 | Taiheiki | 太平記 | 6 January 1991 | 25 December 1991 | Hiroyuki Sanada Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor.-Life and career:Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally aiming to be an action star, starting with shorinji kempo, he eventually took up Kyokushin kaikan Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good... (真田広之) Yasuko Sawaguchi Yasuko Sawaguchi , is a Japanese actress.-Biography:She was born in Osaka, Japan to a Japanese mother, and a British father.In early 1984, the Japanese movie studio Toho Company Ltd... |
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| 30 | Nobunaga | 信長 KING OF ZIPANGU | 5 January 1992 | 13 December 1992 | Naoto Ogata (緒形直人) Momoko Kikuchi (菊池桃子) |
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| 31 | Ryūkyū no Kaze | 琉球の風 | 10 January 1993 | 13 June 1993 | Noriyuki Higashiyama Noriyuki Higashiyama is a singer, actor, and a member of the Japanese pop idol group Shonentai. On October 24, 2010 he got married to actress Yoshino Kimura.-References:... (東山紀之) Atsuro Watabe (渡部篤郎) |
First part of a 3-part series. |
| 32 | Homura Tatsu | 炎立つ | 4 July 1993 | 13 March 1994 | Ken Watanabe(渡辺謙) Hiroaki Murakami Hiroaki Murakami is a Japanese actor. He specializes in jidaigeki roles, and has also taken parts in tokusatsu and modern productions.Born in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, he enrolled in Hosei University but withdrew when he successfully auditioned for a part in Kamen Rider. He made his debut as Tsukuba Hiroshi... |
Second part of a 3-part series. Also had the latest premiere for a Taiga drama. |
| 33 | Hana no Ran Hana no Ran was the 33rd Taiga drama to be broadcast on the NHK network in Japan. It premiered on 3 April 1994 and its finale aired on 25 December of the same year.-Synopsis:The story takes place during the Muromachi period of Ancient Japan, in the midst of the Ōnin War... |
花の乱 | 3 April 1994 | 25 December 1994 | Yoshiko Mita(三田佳子) Ichikawa Danjūrō XII Ichikawa Danjuro XII is a Japanese actor. He is the twelfth kabuki actor to hold the illustrious name Ichikawa Danjūrō.He is the eldest son of Ichikawa Danjūrō XI. He first appeared on stage in 1953 under his birth name Natsuo Horikoshi, and in 1958 took the name Ichikawa Shinnosuke... |
Conclusion of the 3-part series. Also the least viewed Taiga Drama in NHK history. |
| 34 | Hachidai Shōgun Yoshimune | 八代将軍吉宗 | 8 January 1995 | 10 December 1995 | Toshiyuki Nishida(西田敏行) Nenji Kobayashi Nenji Kobayashi is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 23rd Japan Academy Prize for Poppoya.-Filmography:* Captain Ultra * The Doberman Cop * Hokuriku Proxy War * Message from Space... (小林稔侍) |
About the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune Tokugawa Yoshimune was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Lineage:... . |
| 35 | Hideyoshi | 秀吉 | 7 January 1996 | 22 December 1996 | Naoto Takenaka Naoto Takenaka is a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director from Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture affiliated with From First Production. He is married to idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi.-Director:*Munō no Hito *119... (竹中直人) Yasuko Sawaguchi |
49 episodes about the life of Hideyoshi. |
| 36 | Mōri Motonari | 毛利元就 | 5 January 1997 | 14 December 1997 | Hashinosuke Nakamura (中村橋之助) Yasuko Tomita Yasuko Tomita is a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Newcomer at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival and at the 8th Japan Academy Prize for Aiko 16 sai. She also won the award for best actress at the 9th Yokohama Film Festival for Bu Su.-Filmography:... (富田靖子) |
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| 37 | Tokugawa Yoshinobu | 徳川慶喜 | 4 January 1998 | 13 December 1998 | Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in Departures, which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film... (本木雅弘) Hikari Ishida Hikari Ishida is a Japanese actress. She starred along with Megumi Odaka and Natsuki Ozawa in the TV-series Hana no Asuka Gumi. She also released several singles and six albums and she had one minor hit with the song "Emerald no Suna". Ishida also made numerous commercials for hair products and released several... |
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| 38 | Genroku Ryōran | 元禄繚乱 | 1 January 1999 | 12 December 1999 | Nakamura Kanzaburo(中村勘九郎) Ken Matsudaira |
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| 39 | Aoi ~Tokugawa Sandai~ | 葵徳川三代 | 9 January 2000 | 17 December 2000 | Masahiko Tsugawa Masahiko Tsugawa , born Masahiko Kato on January 2, 1940 in Kyoto, Japan is a Japanese actor and director.He made his debut at the age of 16 in the Kō Nakahira film Crazed Fruit in 1956. Tsugawa's family was heavily involved in the film industry since before his birth... (津川雅彦) Toshiyuki Nishida |
First series to be broadcast in High Definition High-definition television High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD... . Future series are also broadcast in HD. |
| 40 | Hōjō Tokimune Hojo Tokimune of the Hōjō clan was the eighth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate , known for leading the Japanese forces against the invasion of the Mongols and for spreading Zen Buddhism and by extension Bushido among the warrior class.- Life :Born as the eldest son of the regent and Tokuso Tokiyori of the... |
北条時宗 | January 7, 2001 | December 9, 2001 | Motoya Izumi(和泉元彌) Atsuro Watabe(渡部篤郎) |
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| 41 | Toshiie to Matsu | 利家とまつ～加賀百万石物語～ | 6 January 2002 | 15 December 2002 | Toshiaki Karasawa Toshiaki Karasawa is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play Voice Review Stay Gold in 1987. He specialises in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and fighting... (唐沢寿明) Nanako Matsushima Nanako Matsushima is a Japanese actress and model. She is known outside Japan for her role in the horror film Ring. She was also a main character in A Story of Love, where she starred next to Hiroyuki Sanada, who also played Ryuji Takayama in Ring.... |
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| 42 | Musashi | 武蔵 MUSASHI | 5 January 2003 | 7 December 2003 | Shinnosuke Ichikawa (市川新之助) Ryoko Yonekura Ryoko Yonekura is a Japanese ex-fashion model and actress. She studied classical ballet for 15 years from the age of five. A member of the Oscar Productions agency, she won a national young beauty award in 1992. In 1993 she started her career as a model, working for fashion magazines such as CanCam. She announced... |
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| 43 | Shinsengumi! Shinsengumi! is a Taiga drama television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about shinsengumi, the Japanese special police from the Shogun period.... |
新撰組! | 11 January 2004 | 12 December 2004 | Shingo Katori Shingo Katori is the youngest member of SMAP, a popular Japanese idol group from the agency Johnny & Associates, and he is from Yokohama, Japan. Shingo Katori has acted in several dramas such as Three Peace, and has appeared as a voice actor in such anime series as Akazukin Chacha, in which he voiced the part of... (香取慎吾) Koji Yamamoto Koji Yamamoto Koji Yamamoto is the name of:* Koji Yamamoto , Japanese actor* Koji Yamamoto , former Japanese All-Star baseball player... Masato Sakai Masato Sakai is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival for Kuhio taisa and Nankyoku ryourinin and the award for best supporting actor at the 2008 Nikkan Sports Film Award, at the 33rd Hochi Film Award and at the 51st Blue Ribbon Awards... (さかい まさと) |
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| 44 | Yoshitsune | 義経 | 9 January 2005 | 11 December 2005 | Hideaki Takizawa Hideaki Takizawa is a Japanese actor and member of the J-pop duo Tackey & Tsubasa from Tokyo, Japan. In 2002, when he reached the age of 20, he debuted with Tsubasa Imai in the group Tackey & Tsubasa under the record label Avex Trax. That same year, he graduated from Johnny's Junior. Tackey & Tsubasa have released... (滝沢秀明) Kiichi Nakai |
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| 45 | Kōmyō ga Tsuji | 功名が辻 | 8 January 2006 | 10 December 2006 | Yukie Nakama Yukie Nakama is a Japanese actress, singer and former idol. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, in a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings.At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer , and appeared in bit roles until her career breakthrough playing Sadako in "Ring 0: Birthday ."In 2000,... Takaya Kamikawa Takaya Kamikawa is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. He played the Anti-Spiral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.- External links :... (上川隆也) |
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| 46 | Fūrin Kazan | 風林火山 | 7 January 2007 | 9 December 2007 | Masaaki Uchino (内野聖陽) Gackt Gackt is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer.... |
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| 47 | Atsuhime | 篤姫 | 6 January 2008 | 21 December 2008 | Aoi Miyazaki Aoi Miyazaki is a Japanese actress. She is best known for her pure image and roles such as in Nana and Virgin Snow. Her brother Masaru Miyazaki is an actor, and they starred together in the film Hatsukoi. She married Sosuke Takaoka on June 15, 2007, her partner since she was fifteen.-Career:Miyazaki started... (宮﨑あおい) Masato Sakai Masato Sakai is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival for Kuhio taisa and Nankyoku ryourinin and the award for best supporting actor at the 2008 Nikkan Sports Film Award, at the 33rd Hochi Film Award and at the 51st Blue Ribbon Awards... (さかい まさと) |
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| 48 | Tenchijin Tenchijin is the 48th NHK Taiga drama. It airs on NHK from January 4, 2009 every Sunday from 20:00 to 20:44 JST to November 22, 2009 spanning 47 episodes. The story centers on the life of the 16th century samurai Naoe Kanetsugu.... |
天地人 | 4 January 2009 | 22 November 2009 | Satoshi Tsumabuki Satoshi Tsumabuki is a Japanese actor. His breakthrough film was Waterboys for which he was nominated for the 'Best Actor' award at the Japanese Academy Awards, and won the 'Newcomer of the Year' prize... (妻夫木聡) |
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| 49 | Ryōmaden Ryōmaden is the 49th NHK Taiga drama. It was shown on NHK from January 3 to November 28, 2010 spanning 48 episodes. The story centers on the life of 19th century Japanese historical figures Iwasaki Yatarō and Sakamoto Ryōma... |
龍馬伝 | 3 January 2010 | 28 November 2010 | Masaharu Fukuyama Masaharu Fukuyama is a Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, actor, radio personality, and photographer from Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture. He is the best-selling male solo artist in Japan. He is a member of entertainment company Amuse, Inc. and is known for his low, deep voice. Among fans, he is... (福山雅治) |
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| 50 | Gō | 江〜姫たちの戦国〜 | 9 January 2011 | 27 November 2011 | Juri Ueno Juri Ueno is a Japanese actress from Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan. She was one of six actors to receive the "Newcomer of the Year" prize at the Japanese Academy Awards in 2005 for her role in Swing Girls.... (上野樹里) |
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| 51 | Taira no Kiyomori Taira no Kiyomori (Taiga drama) is an upcoming 2012 Japanese television series. It will be the 51st NHK taiga drama.-Cast:* Kenichi Matsuyama* Kiichi Nakai* Fumiyo Kohinata* Hiroshi Tamaki* Shota Matsuda-External links:*... |
平清盛 | 2012 | 2012 | Kenichi Matsuyama(松山ケンイチ) | |
NHK Special Drama
Saka no Ue no KumoSaka no ue no kumo
, "Cloud over the slope," is a popular Japanese historical novel by Shiba Ryōtarō originally published serially from 1968 to 1972 in eight volumes...
was originally set for a 2006 broadcast as "21st Century Taiga Drama". However, the scriptwriter of the series committed suicide, causing a delay in production. The series will air as "NHK Special Drama" in three parts, each part airing from late November to late December of each year.
| Title | Episodes | Start | End | Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saka no Ue no Kumo pt1 坂の上の雲 |
5 eps | 29 November 2009 | 27 December 2009 | Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in Departures, which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film... Hiroshi Abe Hiroshi Abe (actor) is a Japanese model and actor.He began his career as a model, but he successfully made the transition to acting, becoming one of the most regularly visible presences in Japanese media. He is a 1988 graduate of Chuo University.-Career:... |
| Saka no Ue no Kumo pt2 | 4 eps | 5 December 2010 | 26 December 2010 | |
| Saka no Ue no Kumo pt3 | 4 eps | Late November or early December 2011 | Late December 2011 | |
Recent series
- Tenchijin (2009) - The storyline focuses on Naoe KanetsuguNaoe Kanetsuguwas a Japanese samurai of the 16th-17th centuries. The eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo, Kanetsugu was famed for his service to two generations of the Uesugi daimyo. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami or his childhood/adolescent name, Higuchi Kanetsugu .Kanetsugu served first as...
, who during the 16th and 17th centuries served two generations of the Uesugi clanUesugi clanThe was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods ....
. - Atsuhime (2008) - Starring Aoi MiyazakiAoi Miyazakiis a Japanese actress. She is best known for her pure image and roles such as in Nana and Virgin Snow. Her brother Masaru Miyazaki is an actor, and they starred together in the film Hatsukoi. She married Sosuke Takaoka on June 15, 2007, her partner since she was fifteen.-Career:Miyazaki started...
. Aoi plays the role of TenshōinTenshōin, also known as , was the wife of , the 13th Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.Her father belonged to the family of the Shimazu clan in Satsuma....
, the wife of Tokugawa IesadaTokugawa IesadaTokugawa Iesada Tokugawa Iesada Tokugawa Iesada (徳川 家定 (May 6, 1824 – August 14, 1858) was the 13th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office for only 5 years, from 1853 to 1858. He was physically weak and therefore unfit to be shogun in this period of great challenges...
(1824-1858), the 13th Shogun. She is also the youngest lead artist in taiga drama history, beating Hideaki Takizawa'sHideaki Takizawais a Japanese actor and member of the J-pop duo Tackey & Tsubasa from Tokyo, Japan. In 2002, when he reached the age of 20, he debuted with Tsubasa Imai in the group Tackey & Tsubasa under the record label Avex Trax. That same year, he graduated from Johnny's Junior. Tackey & Tsubasa have released...
record when he starred in Yoshitsune. - Fūrin Kazan (2007). Based on Inoue Yasushi'sYasushi InoueYasushi Inoue was a Japanese writer whose range of genres included poetry, essays, short fiction, and novels...
best-selling historical novel, this drama is the story of Yamamoto KansukeYamamoto Kansukewas a Japanese samurai of the 16th century who was one of Takeda Shingen's most trusted Twenty-Four Generals. Also known by his formal name, Haruyuki . He was a brilliant strategist, and is particularly known for his plan which led to victory in the fourth battle of Kawanakajima against Uesugi...
, a warrior who has achieved high rank in warlord Takeda Shingen'sTakeda Shingen, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
army by not-so-honorable means. - Kōmyō-ga-tsuji: Yamauchi KazutoyoYamauchi Kazutoyo' also spelled Yamanouchi , was born the son of Yamanouchi Moritoyo in Owari Province at the end of the Sengoku period of Japan. Kazutoyo held the title of Tosa no kami....
no Tsuma. Takaya KamikawaTakaya Kamikawais a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. He played the Anti-Spiral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.- External links :...
plays the role of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, the military commander and daimyoDaimyois a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
who took over the TosaTosa Provinceis the name of a former province of Japan in the area that is today Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku. Tosa was bordered by Iyo and Awa Provinces. It was sometimes called .-History:The ancient capital was near modern Nankoku...
hanHan (Japan)The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
and built Kochi CastleKochi Castleis a castle located in Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.-History:Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Kōchi Castle was constructed in what was then the province of Tosa. It was built by Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, who took control of the province after the Tokugawa victory. The castle was constructed...
. Nakama YukieYukie Nakamais a Japanese actress, singer and former idol. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, in a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings.At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer , and appeared in bit roles until her career breakthrough playing Sadako in "Ring 0: Birthday ."In 2000,...
plays the role of Chiyo, the ever-supporting wife of Kazutoyo. The story by Shiba RyotaroRyotaro Shiba, born in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world....
spans the closing years of the Sengoku periodSengoku periodThe or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, the Azuchi-Momoyama periodAzuchi-Momoyama periodThe came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...
, and the beginning of the Edo periodEdo periodThe , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. - Yoshitsune (2005). Takizawa Hideaki stars in the title role as Minamoto no YoshitsuneMinamoto no Yoshitsunewas a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
; Matsudaira KenKen Matsudairais a Japanese actor from Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. His real name is Sueshichi Suzuki .- Career :Active both in television and on stage, he also sings. Matsudaira is most widely known for jidaigeki roles, having made his debut with Shintaro Katsu in an episode of the television series Zatoichi...
plays Musashibō BenkeiSaito Musashibo Benkei, popularly called Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He is commonly depicted as a man of great strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore.-Biography:...
. The screenplay is by Kaneko Naruto, based on the original by Miyao Tomiko. Vladimir AshkenazyVladimir AshkenazyVladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra in the theme music by Iwashiro Tarō. NHK's first Taiga drama on the subject was in 1966. - Shinsengumi! (2004). Katori ShingoShingo Katoriis the youngest member of SMAP, a popular Japanese idol group from the agency Johnny & Associates, and he is from Yokohama, Japan. Shingo Katori has acted in several dramas such as Three Peace, and has appeared as a voice actor in such anime series as Akazukin Chacha, in which he voiced the part of...
appeared as Kondō IsamiKondo Isamiwas a Japanese swordsman and official of the late Edo Period, famed for his role as commander of the Shinsengumi.-Background:Isami, who was first known as Katsugorō, was born to Miyagawa Hisajirō, a farmer residing in Kami-Ishihara village in Musashi Province, now in the city of Chōfu in Western...
; Yamamoto Kōji played Hijikata ToshizōHijikata Toshizowas the vice-commander of Shinsengumi, a great swordsman and a talented Japanese military leader who resisted the Meiji Restoration.-Background:...
; Fujiwara Tatsuya played the tragic young Okita SōjiOkita Soji, was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, along with Saito Hajime and Nagakura Shinpachi....
. - 武蔵 MUSASHI (2003). Kabuki actor Ichikawa Shinnosuke VII (now Ichikawa Ebizō XIIchikawa Ebizo XIis the eleventh and current holder of the Ebizō name. He is a famous Kabuki and television actor and heir to the prestigious Ichikawa clan of kabuki actors....
) held the lead role as the swordsman Miyamoto MusashiMiyamoto Musashi, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...
, whose lives spanned the end of the sengokuSengoku periodThe or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
and the beginning of the Edo periodEdo periodThe , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
s. The series was based on the Yoshikawa Eiji novel that forms the basis for most modern fiction based on the events of Musashi's life. This was the first Taiga Drama to have its title in both kanjiKanjiKanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
and the Latin alphabetLatin alphabetThe Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
. - Toshiie and Matsu (2002). Karasawa Toshiaki as Maeda ToshiieMaeda Toshiiewas one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His father was Maeda Toshimasa. He was the fourth of seven brothers. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" . His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as...
and Matsushima NanakoNanako Matsushimais a Japanese actress and model. She is known outside Japan for her role in the horror film Ring. She was also a main character in A Story of Love, where she starred next to Hiroyuki Sanada, who also played Ryuji Takayama in Ring....
as Matsu recounted the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa shogunateThe Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
from the point of view of an outside daimyoDaimyois a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
. - Hōjō Tokimune (2001). KyōgenKyogenis a form of traditional Japanese comic theater. It developed alongside Noh, was performed along with Noh as an intermission of sorts between Noh acts, on the same Noh stage, and retains close links to Noh in the modern day; therefore, it is sometimes designated Noh-kyōgen...
actor Izumi Motoya played the lead characterHojo Tokimuneof the Hōjō clan was the eighth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate , known for leading the Japanese forces against the invasion of the Mongols and for spreading Zen Buddhism and by extension Bushido among the warrior class.- Life :Born as the eldest son of the regent and Tokuso Tokiyori of the...
, heading a cast that included Watanabe Ken. Major events in the series included the Mongol Invasions of JapanMongol invasions of JapanThe ' of 1274 and 1281 were major military efforts undertaken by Kublai Khan to conquer the Japanese islands after the submission of Goryeo to vassaldom. Despite their ultimate failure, the invasion attempts are of macrohistorical importance, because they set a limit on Mongol expansion, and rank...
. - Aoi Tokugawa Sandai (2000). Veteran actor Tsugawa Masahiko, who turned sixty in the year 2000, reprised the role of Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, which he had assumed in the 1987 Taiga drama and has played on other occasions. Nishida Toshiyuki played his son HidetadaTokugawa Hidetadawas the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
. Nishida has nine other roles in Taiga dramas to his credit, including the lead in Hachidai Shogun YoshimuneTokugawa Yoshimunewas the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Lineage:...
. Charles DutoitCharles DutoitCharles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra in the performance of the title music. - Genroku Ryōran (1999). KabukiKabukiis classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actor Nakamura Kankurō V played Oishi KuranosukeOishi Yoshiowas the chamberlain of the Akō Domain in Harima Province , Japan . He is known as the leader of the Forty-seven Ronin in their 1702 vendetta and thus the hero of the Chūshingura...
in this sweeping story of the GenrokuGenrokuwas a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
period during which the events of the Forty-seven RoninForty-seven RoninThe revenge of the , also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century...
occurred.