Date: From 11.25 a.m., 29 December 2019
Scriptwriter: Yokomaku Tomohiro (Radiation House, Oh My Jump!, Sousa Kaigi wa Living de! Season 1)
Cast: Kimura Fumino, Kondo Masaomi
Synopsis: 27-year-old Eto Kana (Kimura Fumino) lives in Tokyo and has never been out of the city before. She used to work as a designer and stay in a company dormitory but moved back to her family home after resigning due to the stress from interpersonal relationships. Meanwhile, Kana’s family gets a call about an elderly granduncle who got injured. She goes to Kyoto where he lives at the request of her worried mother, and stays there for several days to take care of him. Her 70-year-old granduncle Oga Shigeru (Kondo Masaomi) has resided in Kyoto for a long time and there are many things he is particular about. He hands her a hand-drawn map and sends her on errands every day, making her go to a number of incredible and funny places by bicycle. The world that Kana explores is new to her and nostalgic to her granduncle. This is the inner sanctum of Kyoto that she learns about for the first time. She would not have seen these locations if she did not live in the city. Kana discovers her granduncle’s true intentions through these places as well as her encounters with people, and she gradually begins to relax.
Official Website: www.tv-osaka.co.jp/sp/lifein_kyoto

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Date: From 9.00 p.m., 29 December 2019
Scriptwriter: Nagatsu Haruko
Original Work: Kurotokage by Edogawa Ranpo
Cast: Ryo, Nagayama Kento, Fukumoto Riko, Sakuma Yui, Yoshimura Masato, Kazama Toru, Sano Shiro, Nakamura Baijaku
Synopsis: Set in the not too distant future where it is commonplace for high tech crimes to get through cyber defences, Iwase Shobei (Nakamura Baijaku), a man of great wealth who is also a well-known collector of gems, asks private investigator Akechi Kogoro (Nagayama Kento) to provide personal protection for his daughter Sanae (Fukumoto Riko). Iwase has been warned that she will be kidnapped. The mysterious phantom thief Kurotokage, who has a reputation for deftly replacing precious gems with imitations, stands in Akechi’s way. However, Kogoro catches on that Madam Midorikawa (Ryo), the owner of an exclusive hotel who has come forward to give shelter to Sanae, is actually Kurotokage, and prevents Sanae’s abduction. However, he is hampered by a trick laid in the entire hotel and fails to catch her. However, at that moment, the thief and famous investigator secretly fall in love. Akechi chases Kurotokage and eventually learns about her tragic past and surprising identity. Although they are swayed by forbidden love, the two of them have a final showdown at Kurotokage’s secret museum which houses her collection. Who will be the victor?
Official Website: www4.nhk.or.jp/P6023

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Date: From 9.00 p.m., 29 December 2019
Scriptwriter: Miyamoto Masaki (Ten ~ Tenhodori no Kaidanji)
Original Work: Ten ~ Tenhodori no Kaidanji by Fukumoto Nobuyuki
Cast: Kishitani Goro, Furukawa Yuki, Tanaka Yoji, Hoshida Hidetoshi, Tayama Ryosei, Denden, Matoba Koji, Yoshida Eisaku, Sotaro, Ohchi Hiroki, Kondo Ren, Ogura Haruka, Takizawa Kazunori
Synopsis: It has been three years since the East-West battle which was a near fight to the death. Igawa Hiroyuki (Furukawa Yuki) who has decided to become a pinch hitter after meeting Ten Takashi (Kishitani Goro), receives an email notifying him of the funeral service for Akagi Shigeru (Yoshida Eisaku), the legendary god of mahjong. Following the funeral, those in attendance are told that those close to Akagi will hold an all-night vigil and the chief mourner who shows up in front of a bewildered Hiroyuki is none other Akagi himself. Hiroyuki is taken aback. Akagi tells him, “I should be dead several hours later.” He has Alzheimer’s and does not have long to live. The seven members in East-West battle including Ten, Asai Ginji (Tanaka Yoji), Igarashi Ken (Hoshida Hidetoshi) and Soga Mitsui (Denden) have gathered for a last face-off with him one at a time. Can someone hold Akagi back from taking his own life?
Official Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/ten

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Date: From 9.00 p.m., 30 December 2019
Scriptwriter: Watanabe Aya (Long Goodbye, Carnation)
Original Work: Shanghai Yuuki by Akutagawa Ryunosuke
Cast: Matsuda Ryuhei, Okabe Takashi, Nakamura Yuri, Nao, Jin Shijia
Synopsis: In 1921, 29-year-old Akutagawa Ryunosuke goes to Shanghai in China as a special correspondent for Osaka Mainichi Shimbun. The city should be paradise to Akutagawa who has been into Chinese classics like Journey to the West since his childhood. However, at this time, China is in the midst of a major turmoil. 10 years after the revolution that toppled the Qing dynasty and led to the establishment of the Republic of China, the wave of modernisation and division of the country among warlords roiled society. Shanghai itself had been carved into autonomous concessions by Western European countries and Japan that controlled their respective concessions as they liked while the people suffer abject poverty. Although Akutagawa feels a sense of despair at the gap between the ideal and reality, he befriended working men, and women in the city’s brothels, living in Shanghai while covering the revolution in Shanghai … … Akutagawa’s name has become synonymous with Japanese literature and he is known for his masterpiece Rashomon.
Official Website: www4.nhk.or.jp/P6059

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• NHK 2019 Year-end Drama Specials CM

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Date: From 10.00 p.m., 31 December 2019
Scriptwriter: Taguchi Yoshihiro (Kodoku no Gurume Series, Shoku no Gunshi, Hondana no Shokudo Series)
Original Work: Kodoku no Gurume by Kusumi Masayuki
Cast: Matsushige Yutaka, Kusumi Masayuki, Ando Sakura (guest star), Ukaji Takashi (guest star), Musaka Naomasa (guest star)
Synopsis: Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) works non-stop until the end of the year yet again in 2019 and finishes his overseas business trip on 30 December. He heads to an eatery near Narita Airport and is captivated by the chicken garlic set as well as the regular ramen and fried rice set carried by a waitress (Ando Sakura) but he chooses … … For a fleeting moment, Goro feels comforted by the flavours that were up to his expectations. Then he receives a phone call from Takahashi Masanori (Ukaji Takashi), a business partner in Fukuoka whom he was supposed to meet the next day. Takahashi wants Goro to come today and Goro hastily travels to Fukuoka even though he expected to take it easy in the city on New Year’s Eve. He is commended for the merchandise he prepared. But just as he is feeling relieved, he gets into unexpected trouble. He has to go to Pusan in South Korea by high-speed ferry the next morning. However, Goro gets hungry no matter what emergency is about to happen and never forgets enjoy delicious food to his heart’s content even when he is busy. While walking around in frustration, he finds a bar with a fish tank and enters the place. There is a wine cellar that is quite different from the aura of the chef (Musaka Naomasa) … …
Official Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/kodokunogurume_omisoka2019

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Date: From 9.00 p.m., 2 January 2020
Scriptwriter: Morishita Yoshiko (Dakara Watashi wa Oshimashita, Gibo to Musume no Blues, Watashi o Hanasanaide)
Original Work: Gibo to Musume no Blues by Sakurazawa Rin
Cast: Ayase Haruka, Takenouchi Yutaka, Sato Takeru, Kamishiraishi Moka, Inowaki Kai, Yokomizo Naho, Takeda Tetsuya, Hashimoto Satoshi, Yoshikawa Ai, Okunuki Kaoru, Taniguchi Shota, Ukaji Takashi, Asari Yosuke, Asano Kazuyuki, Aso Yumi
Synopsis: It is the autumn of 2019, one year since Miyamoto Akiko (Ayase Haruka) re-entered the workforce. Her job is based in Osaka and she has been living in apart from her step daughter Miyuki (Kamishiraishi Moka) who is in Tokyo. Headhunted by a major consulting firm Acxel Business Partners, Akiko has been working energetically. She has achieved such remarkable results that the 10 years she devoted to raising Miyuki after her husband Ryoichi (Takenouchi Yutaka) passed away, is not a noticeable blank. Miyuki is now a lovely first-year university student who still does things at her own pace. She joined the university’s entrepreneurship club and continues to work part-time. Her relationship with childhood friend Kuroda Hiroki (Inowaki Kai) seems the same even though she rejected his feelings a year ago. One day, Akiko is suddenly fired and goes back to Tokyo. She visits Miyuki’s apartment only to see Mugita Akira (Sato Takeru), the owner of Bakery Mugita where Miyuki works part-time, come out topless from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. To make matters worse, a baby boy is clutched in his arms. Then Miyuki returns home. Akiko jumps to the conclusion that this baby is their child. Miyuki and Mugita deny it, leaving Akiko confused by this perplexing situation.
Official Website: www.tbs.co.jp/gibomusu_blues

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Official Website
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/kinounanitabeta

Broadcast
From 10.00 p.m., 1 January 2020

Chapter 1
One Friday night in March, Kakei Shiro (Nishijima Hidetoshi) and Yabuki Kenji (Uchino Masaaki) are summoned by their friend Kohinata Daisaku (Yamamoto Koji), who is a talent agency manager, to a very high-end barbecue restaurant that is popular with those in showbiz. His partner Inoue Wataru (Isomura Hayato) is also there. The actress Mitani Mami (Miyazawa Rie) arrives later while the four of them are eating. Shiro has been her big fan for years and cannot control his excitement although he tries to look cool when she thanks him for taking her manager’s divorce case. Seeing this, Kenji gets huffy and declares that he is Shiro’s partner. In fact, Kenji has been thinking about Shiro’s birthday surprise. Meanwhile, Shiro gets a phone call from his mother Hisae (Kaji Meiko). She wants to come up with the money for his father Goro’s (Tayama Ryosei) hospitalisation fees. When Shiro meets his friend Tominaga Kayoko (Tanaka Misako) at the supermarket, he pours out his anxiety about his parents’ funds for old age. 20 years ago, Hisae used money for something and has virtually no savings. However, Shiro thinks this is his fault.

Chapter 2
One Saturday in late April, Kohinata comes to Shiro and Kenji’s house looking haggard. He could not turn down last-minute work several hours earlier and accepted an actor’s invitation to gather clams at low tide. When he came home with a large amount of clams, Wataru, who was already in a bad mood because Kohinata cancelled their appointment, took a look and shouted that he dislikes clams. Then he got angry. Kohinata had no choice but to bring the clams to Shiro and Kenji’s house. It seems to be one of their regular tiffs but Kohinata has a grave expression on his face for some reason. One day, Wataru finishes work at home and searches for food in the fridge but cannot find something to suit his mood. Then he discovers a pack of clams that Shiro had given to Kohinata. Wataru thinks of something and goes out with the intention of making a rare meal. He meets Kenji while shopping and they hit it off with each other over an unexpected point that the two of them have in common.

Chapter 3
Kenji has been doing the cooking and household chores on behalf of Shiro who has been busy. Late one night in the middle of May, Kenji discovers he has spent more than expected in one week when he calculates the receipts, and feels troubled. Fearing that he will be scolded by Shiro, Kenji tries to cover this up. But he repents and starts to do research on ways to save money. Miyake Hiroshi’s (Makita Sports) wife Reiko (Okunuki Kaoru) advises Kenji to register for an app for leaflets which will allow him to see all the leaflets of supermarkets in the neighbourhood. As a result, Kenji is gradually able to maintain his budget. However, it has already been three weeks since he saw Shiro. Kenji seems like he will soon be overwhelmed with loneliness.

Cast
* Nishijima Hidetoshi as Kakei Shiro
* Uchino Masaaki as Yabuki Kenji
* Tanaka Misako as Tominaga Kayoko
* Makita Sports as Miyake Hiroshi
* Yamamoto Koji as Kohinata Daisaku
* Isomura Hayato as Inoue Wataru
* Takaizumi Atsuko as Uemachi Mie
* Chan Kawai as Uemachi Osamu
* Nakamura Yurika as Koyama Shino
* Okunuki Kaoru as Miyake Reiko
* Miyazawa Rie as Mitani Mami
* Tayama Ryosei as Kakei Goro
* Kaji Meiko as Kakei Hisae

Scriptwriter
Adachi Naoko (Kinou Nani Tabeta?, Toumeina Yurikago, Shitsuren Chocolatier)

Original Work
Kinou Nani Tabeta? by Yoshinaga Fumi

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Date: From 2.00 p.m., 2 January 2020
Scriptwriter: Ito Nanoha
Cast: Honda Miu, Kiriyama Ren, Hagiwara Mamoru, Atsushi, Atsugiri Jason, Ogura Hisahiro, Otsuka Nene
Synopsis: The guesthouse Tokowaka is located in Kawasaki, a town in Ise City in Mie Prefecture near the outer shrine of the Ise Grand Shrine. Nishikawa Natsumi (Honda Miu) has been running the place together with her mother Shinobu (Otsuka Nene). She is doted on by everybody in the town and affectionately called Tokowaka’s poster girl. A second-year high school student, Natsumi belongs to the art club and recently won a prize in an art competition. This inspires her to dream of going to an art college. However, she cannot leave her mother behind and go away. One day, a young freelance photographer called Tanaka Kyohei (Kiriyama Ren) comes to the town. Natsumi learns about Ise’s history and culture together with him. As she gets better acquainted with the spirit of Tokowaka, she begins to ponder about her own future. Meanwhile, Natsumi gets a request to produce her first drawing for a vacant warehouse that will be reused as a gallery. What future will Natsumi choose when she finds her answer and how will her mother respond?
Official Website: www.tokai-tv.com/io/okaeri

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Date: From 11.15 p.m., 3 January 2020
Scriptwriters: Tsuchiya Ken (Black Pean, Shitamachi Rocket Season 2 (TBS)), Ri Masami (Shudan Sasen!, Seisei Suru Hodo Ai Shiteru), Ushio Kentaro (No Side Game, Black Pean, Chiisana Kyojin)
Original Work: by Ikeido Jun
Cast: Yoshizawa Ryo, Imada Mio, Yoshizawa Hisashi, Inoue Yoshio, Kurihara Hideo, Tamaoki Reo, Fukikoshi Tomomi, Isozaki Yoshitomo, Kitamura Takumi, Onoe Matsuya, Ogata Naoto, Sakai Masato, Oikawa Mitsuhiro
Synopsis: A large-scale renewal of the securities trading system has been planned at Tokyo Central Securities, an affiliate company of Tokyo Chuo Banking Corporation that Hanzawa Naoki was seconded to. Meanwhile, an IT start-up called Spiral has extended its influence through a search engine service which it develops and operates. A new programmer Kosaka Kei (Yoshizawa Ryo) at the company is not a very high profile employee. But one day, he surprises everyone by overcoming a sudden system outage with amazing programming skills. Acknowledging Kosaka’s ability, Spiral’s executive director Kano Kazunari (Inoue Yoshio) names him the project leader of the Tokyo Central Securities’ tender. Spiral is one of several companies taking part in a competition to win the contract. At the orientation venue, Kosaka makes the acquaintance of Shirosaki Katsuya (Ogata Naoto) who is in charge of the renewal of Tokyo Central Securities’ system, as well as a fresh recruit Hamamura Hitomi (Imada Mio). Then a young man visits Spiral. He says his name is Kuroki Ryosuke (Kitamura Takumi) and seems to be Kosaka’s old friend. However, the sight of Kuroki stirs bitter memories in Kosaka. Spiral is put in charge of the securities trading system renewal. This is an important project that will bring in several hundred million yen if they succeed. As the start-up stakes its fate on the progress of this large project, not a single person realises that there is some intrigue which also involves Hanzawa, going on behind the scenes.
Official Website: www.tbs.co.jp/hanzawa_naoki

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Date: From 9.00 p.m., 4 & 5 January 2020
Scriptwriter: Kimizuka Ryoichi (Kareinaru Spy, Yakusha Damashii!)
Original Work: Kyojo by Nagaoka Hiroki
Cast: Kimura Takuya, Kudo Asuka, Kawaguchi Haruna, Hayashi Kento, Aoi Wakana, Inowaki Kai, Nishihata Daigo, Tomita Miu, Mikata Ryosuke, Murai Ryota, Sato Hitomi, Wada Masato, Ishida Akira, Takahashi Hitomi, Kakei Toshio, Mitsuishi Ken (guest star), Oshima Yuko, Miura Shohei, Kohinata Fumiyo
Synopsis: Only the survivors become police officers at the police academy. This place is the start of desperate survival. Its classrooms are called “kyojo”. Kazama Kimichika (Kimura Takuya) is the extremely heartless instructor of the class for the 198th short-term course. The students are put through intensive training every day from the time they wake up at 6 am in the morning. They have to adhere to the rules. Their actions are constantly under surveillance and everyone is responsible if someone makes a mistake. In addition, their mobile phones have been confiscated and they need permission to go outside. Students from different backgrounds and with various motives have gathered at the police academy where the ultimate hardship awaits them. Miyasaka Sadamu (Kudo Asuka), a former elementary school teacher, has admired police officers ever since he was saved by one in an accident; Hishinuma Hazuki (Kawaguchi Haruna) prides herself in being the prettiest in class and is rather overconfident; Hirata Kazumichi (Hayashi Kento) is the son of a police officer but has the greatest difficulty keeping up in class; Kishikawa Saori (Aoi Wakana) who is timid and helpless, aspires to be a police officer to change herself; Kusumoto Shinobu (Oshima Yuko), used to be an interior coordinator and has the disposition of a big sister; and Kusakabe Jun (Miura Shohei) is a former professional boxer who is married and has children. They have conflicted feelings in this extreme situation. Kazama is a cold-hearted man who believes that the police academy is a place that eliminates people who are unqualified, and the moment a student has trouble, he will thrust an expulsion letter at the person. He always gives the students sudden commands that are hard to understand and leaves the place. In order to get through the survival game of the classroom where students are screened one after another, there is a jumble of secrets and ulterior motives that triggers all sorts of incidents. There are 30 students in Kazama’s class. How many of them will make it to the end without being eliminated and get their graduation certificate? And will Kazama be able to find out the complex web of truth of the incidents that the students have caused. What is his true objective for continuously giving the students mysterious trials that are somewhat absurd?
Official Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/kyojo

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Date: From 11.15 p.m., 3 – 5 January 2020
Scriptwriter: Sakurai Tomoya
Original Work: Hatenkou Phoenix Owndays Saisei Monogatari by Tanaka Shuji
Cast: Katsuji Ryo, Ito Atsushi, Takimoto Miori, Inaba Yu, Maruyama Tomomi, Kanjiya Shihori, Kabira Jay, Masu Takeshi, Okuda Yohei, Miyazaki Tomu, Aitsuki Akiko, Nadaka Tatsuo
Synopsis: Tamura Yuji (Katsuji Ryo) runs a small design firm. One day, he suddenly acquires Sundays, an optical chain that is on the brink of bankruptcy, and becomes its new CEO. Yuji sets his sights on a global expansion and becoming number one in the industry. He exultantly makes his first appearance at Sundays together with Matsuo Hidekazu (Inaba Yu), a long-time friend whom he treats as a younger brother, and Okuda Yoshihiro (Ito Atsushi), a former elite banker whom he brought on board through persuasion and some force. However, the three of them are greeted by employees with frosty, defiant attitudes. Meanwhile, a statement of accounts prepared by Kanbe Asami (Takimoto Miori), who works quietly at an inconspicuous seat in the office, catches Yuji’s eye. Impressed by her attentiveness to detail and careful work, he selects her to be a a member of the project team that will report directly to him. This is how a new Sundays is born. Yuji intends to open new stores amid the company’s financial difficulties to symbolise the future of Sundays. Okuda insists that they need to undertake a bold cost cutting exercise by closing stores with poor sales and laying off employees. But Yuji considers people as assets and firmly refuses to retrench anyone. He even announces that he has already signed contracts for the new stores, leaving Okuda and others at their wits end. While Yuji is taking a break, the advertising and promotions manager Hashimoto Satoshi (Maruyama Tomomi), who has been sidelined, goes straight to him and asks to be put in charge of the Merchandise Department. Hashimoto used to be a buyer for a large apparel company in his previous job. He has knowledge of merchandise production and says he has confidence negotiating with suppliers. Yuji likes Hashimoto’s passion and readily agrees to put him in charge of the Merchandise Department. A goal is set to make Sundays the world’s best optical chain. As Yuji and the employees get down to work, the sales manager Mikami Eiji (Miyazaki Tomu) who is openly antagonistic and opposes Yuji’s way of doing things, submits his resignation along with his subordinates, and joins a competitor. Will Yuji and his team be able to overcome the series of setbacks ranging from funding woes to interference from rival brands, and spread their wings like the phoenix?
Official Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/hatenkou

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