Official Website
www.nhk.or.jp/drama10/tsubaki
Broadcast
From 10.00 p.m., Fridays, 14 April 2017
Station
NHK
Story
Amemiya Hatoko comes back to her hometown of Kamakura after eight years to attend the funeral service for her grandmother Kashiko who had been running Tsubaki Stationery Shop. In truth, it is a stationery shop in name only and its main business is writing beautiful characters on behalf of its customers who are unable to write letters. Furthermore, the small shop is peculiar in that these letters are considered and written from scratch. Hatoko was abandoned by her mother when she was a child. She was introduced to letter writing but rebelled against her grandmother’s strict tutelage and ran away from home. Hatoko has no intention of taking over and is about to sell off the shop and house. However, the stationery shop is loved by the locals and she is forced to carry on the business. Right before her grandmother passed away, a customer called Madam Cider had requested a letter expressing condolences to be written for her. Hatoko is made to accept this request and struggles with this letter with a story behind it. The words of her neighbours including Shirakawa Seitaro gradually changes her feelings. As a novice ghost writer, Hatoko gradually demonstrates her talent of conveying innermost feelings that words cannot express in the best way possible. She agrees to all sorts of letter writing requests and builds rapport with the slightly eccentric people who gather at the shop. These small, happy pieces fill her mind and leads her to take a new step in her own life.
Characters
Tabe Mikako as Amemiya Hatoko
Nicknamed Poppo-chan. She was trained by her grandmother Kashiko at Kamakura’s Tsubaki Stationery Shop. She was abandoned by her mother and does not even know what she looks like. Although she ran away from Kamakura after rebelling against her grandmother, she returns home for the first time in eight years. She has to carry on the business of writing letters for people unexpectedly and finds herself writing all sorts of letters on behalf of customers.
Takahashi Katsunori as Shirakawa Seitaro
A Kamakura sightseeing guide. He used to be a salaryman at a trading company and is fluent in English. He learned calligraphy from Amemiya Hatoko’s grandmother Kashiko. He is concerned about Hatoko but agonises over the care of his elderly mother every day.
Kamiji Yusuke as Morikage Mitsuro
The manager of Mugi Cafe which is near Tsubaki Stationery Shop. A single father who is bringing up his daughter Haruna single-handedly. He is gentle and reserved. The cafe where Amemiya Hatoko is able to talk to him becomes a place of healing for her.
Katase Nana as Kusunoki Hanko
An elementary school teacher who is good at baking bread. She becomes friends with Amemiya Hatoko following an incident related to letters. She is a cheerful, positive woman.
Okuda Eiji as Baron
A mysterious gentleman who is rumoured to be a wealthy person living on a hill. He had a close friendship with Amemiya Hatoko’s grandmother Kashiko and has known Hatoko since she was young. Hatoko is not very good with him because of his brusque attitude and outspoken personality.
Baisho Mitsuko as Amemiya Kashiko
Amemiya Hatoko’s grandmother and previous owner of Tsubaki Stationery Shop. After her daughter ran away, she brought up Hatoko on her own. She was strict in disciplining Hatoko and taught her as her successor. Hatoko rebelled and ran away from home at the time of her high school graduation. She passed away without being able to see Hatoko again.
Scriptwriter
Arai Shuko (Suizokukan Girl, Higanbana, Mother Game)
Original Work
Tsubaki Bunguten by Ogawa Ito
All text copyright © jdramas.wordpress.com.
Tagged: Okuda Eiji, Tabe Mikako, Takahashi Katsunori, Tsubaki Bunguten
