Lost Paradise

Detective Ukyo Sugishita confronts crime on the basis of his own convictions. He has a partner that works for him in the Special Task Unit. For the first 7 seasons, Ukyo’s first partner is Kaoru Kameyama. He is a good-natured, hot-tempered, straightforward and somewhat scattered detective. Beginning in Season 8, Takeru Kanbe replaces Kameyama. Contrary to his predecessor, Takeru is a lanky, cool, conceited and confident detective. From Season 11 to Season 13, Ukyo’s partner is a young detective Toru Kai. Toru is a son of Deputy Director-General of The National Police Agency. But he became a detective by his own effort. And starting with Season 14, Ukyo’s current partner is Wataru Kaburagi, an elite bureaucrat who came to the Metropolitan Police Department on temporary assignment. As the first partner without any career of a police officer, he will face challenging cases together with Ukyo.

Mariko is a forensic scientist working at the Kyoto PD Crime Lab. Her credo is “science never lies” and she delves into the truth of the case with her colleagues with their specialized skills and knowledge in forensic medicine, physics, chemistry etc. Mariko’s steadfast belief in science makes her stand against conventional institutional ethics of the police department, diehard detectives averse to scientific investigation and sometimes even with her own colleagues, but she stays faithful to her belief in science and continues to pursue the truth.

Daimon Michiko is a 37-year-old freelance surgeon who is part of a questionable “doctor placement service” that has her wander from hospital to hospital. The harsh environment at the hospitals led many doctors to retire from their positions, forcing hospitals to make use of said program to fill the empty spots at least temporary. However, Michiko doesn’t look like a doctor at all with her flashy clothes and eccentric attitude. In the first episode she raises objections to a certain operation which is planned to be done by the head of a hospital who hasn’t performed an operation for a very long time. This causes Michiko to incur odium at the hospital, however, everyone becomes frozen when Michiko points out the outdated skills of the director. She also holds a scrupulous compliance when it comes to her working hours, never does any unnecessary chores that don’t require a medical license, and couldn’t care less about the power struggles within the hospitals. Nobody knows how she acquired such a top-level skill that allows her to claim exorbitant sums as reward, but her private life is an even greater mystery to everyone around her. Tanaka plays a rookie surgeon, Uchida an anesthetist, Kishibe the head of the placement service, and Ito the head of the surgical department of this institution.

The 17-year-old Yatabe Mineko grew up in a family of seven in a mountain village in northeastern Ibaraki Prefecture. Her father Minoru has gone to Tokyo to work in order to earn extra money. However, her life completely changes when her father does not come back for the New Year. Mineko asks her family to let her go to Tokyo to find him and promises to send money home. In the autumn of 1964, she and two childhood friends Tokiko and Mitsuo are hired to start working at a small factory in Tokyo’s working class neighborhood. After work each day, Mineko searches for her father and gets disheartened at times. Mineko overcomes challenges and starts to lay down roots in Tokyo as she experiences many meetings and farewells amid the laughter and tears with regulars, people of the shopping street, friends, and colleagues. But will she be able to find her father?

The 7th NHK Asadora. Starring Tadashi Yokouchi in a narrative about an employee of the national railroad living through 50 years of modern history with his wife.

Set in Hakata, the series is about a young man who wants to play rock music even though his father expects him to follow him in making Hakata ningyou (a traditional Japanese clay doll). One of the few Asadora starring a male character.

Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.

The 95th NHK Asadora is about Sumire, a girl born in the uptown of Kobe in the early Showa period. In the wake of wartime devastation, she works hard toward making children's clothes for a living, and later establishes a first-ever children's goods store in Japan. -- NHK

The 64th NHK Asadora Renzoku Drama is Churasan, a story of a young woman, Kohagura Eri, who was born in Kohamajima Island, Okinawa on May 15, 1972, the day when Okinawa was returned to Japan from the U.S. Eleven years later, Kamimura Shizuko and her two sons, Kazuya and Fumiya, from Tokyo come to stay as the guests of a small inn run by Eri’s family. Eri’s fun-loving, yet eccentric family welcomes them warmly. However, Eri is shocked to hear one of the sons, Kazuya is terminally ill and Shizuko and her sons came to Okinawa to spend his last moment together in beautiful nature. Fumiya, Kazuya’s younger brother, and Eri promise to marry each other someday. However after Kazuya’s death, Fumiya and his mother leave the island to go back to Tokyo. Years later, they are reunited, Eri as a nurse and Fumiya, a doctor, working at the same hospital in Tokyo.

Carnation is a Japanese television drama that aired in the Asadora slot on NHK from 3 October 2011 to 31 March 2012. It is the 85th Asadora. It is based on the life of the fashion designer Ayako Koshino in Kishiwada, Osaka. Ayako was the mother of the internationally famous designers Hiroko Koshino, Junko Koshino, and Michiko Koshino.

The story chronicles the life of Hōjō Masako during the Kamakura Period.

Monjiro was born into a poor farm family in Mikazuki Village, Nitta County, Ueshu, and abandoned his hometown when he was 10 years old. He has been traveling aimlessly with a long toothpick in his mouth. Monjiro avoided getting involved in anything, but wherever he went, he ended up getting involved in incidents

Luzon Sukezaemon is a merchant who imports vases from the Philippines. The vases are highly valued as tea utensils and he makes a huge profit. This was the first taiga drama to concentrate on the lives of commoners and the reviled merchant class of the Tokugawa period. It documents the rise and fall of the merchant city of Sakai, as seen by its most famous resident, the semilegendary Luzon.

A dramatized biography of the second of Japan's three legendary leaders. Rising from obscurity, Hideyoshi served under the command of Oda Nobunaga. With an extraordinary combination of intelligence, bravery and military skill, Hideyoshi rose to near-absolute power and greatly expanded upon Nobunaga's unification of Japan's warlords. This series also focused on Hideyoshi's personal life, particularly his relationships with his mother and his wife, and the pair's rivalry for influence over him.

Starring Yōko Minamida as a woman who supported her family during and after World War II. All episodes are missing from the NHK archives, though a brief clip does survive as part of a contemporary news segment documenting the drama's production.

After her family breaks apart and she ends up behind bars, a defiant teen fights her way back into the world through rhythm and rebellion, driven by a dream to start a band and rewrite her life.

Mikoto, a forensic investigative examiner, and her partners trace down the evidence of crimes and unravel the puzzles behind mysterious deaths.

TV series starring Ikko Furuya, based on the Kosuke Kindaichi mystery novel series by Seishi Yokomizo.

A young woman Chiaki whose family runs an old miso company in Nagano Prefecture, the only daughter of old traditional family. For generations, they were making soybean paste for living. Now she needs to take over this business and rebuild it. She lives through the hardships of postwar Japan.

Osawa Eriko is a beautiful career woman who has just returned from training in the U.S. and is appointed as the "boss" of this division. But despite her intelligence and capabilities, she can never understand a man's heart, so she remains unable to find a husband.

Saka no Ue no Kumo is an NHK 21st Century special drama which was aired over three years starting from November 29, 2009. The series runs 13 episodes at 90 minutes each. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, were broadcast in late 2010 and 2011. While most episodes were shot in Japan, one of the episodes in series two was shot in Latvia. The TV series is based on the novel Saka no ue no kumo by Ryōtarō Shiba and adopted by Hisashi Nozawa. The theme song of the drama series is titled "Stand Alone". It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, written by Kundo Koyama and performed by British soprano singer Sarah Brightman.

The story follows Minamida Nozomi, the charming female protagonist whose company's performance deteriorates due to the collapse of the bubble economy and who is forced to quit her job as she is prevented from getting married and starting a family. However, after her younger brother is involved in a theft incident within her family, she decides to become a lawyer. She passed the difficult bar exam and faced the harsh reality of legal training in Fukushima.

DAYS takes a look at the lives of six 20-year-olds struggling to maintain their dreams in a society that has already classified and ranked them. Yabe Tetsuya is an alienated but sincere, inherently honest young man trying to overcome a background that has given him few advantages beyond his own inner strength.

Yuko (Kanako Enomoto), always dressed in flashy, trend-setting fashion, looks carefree and bold at first glance. But in reality, she has very few female friends. She especially can’t stand Setsuko (Sayaka Yamaguchi), a classmate at the same junior college, whose similar “fashion-forward” style feels like competition. However, after the two unexpectedly run into each other at a convenience store—both bare-faced and wearing track suits—they begin to open up, wondering they’re more alike than they thought. One day, they win a Saipan trip in a lottery and set off full of excitement… but things don’t quite go as planned. Based on a manga called "Ikeike! Baka Onna!" by Suzuki Yumiko.

Led by their fervent teacher, a high school baseball team full of delinquents vows to make it all the way to the national championship tournament.

A comical look at the Japanese legal system. Big corporate law firm seeking to increase their profit margin notices that a lot of the partners spend a lot of their time on cases which don't bring in a lot of revenue. They decide they need to hire an average lawyer, at a minimal salary, that will take care of these small cases and not complain. That's why the law firm hires Hanamura Daisuke (Yusuke Santamaria)...to handle these minor cases. Daisuke's approach to the law is very unique and the way he handles each case is very entertaining

Osaka Castle was erected as a result of Hideyoshi Hashiba's (portrayed by Shindo Eitaro) solicitation from Kyogoku Tatsuko to become his consort. During more than 30 years, until the devastation of the castle caused by the Summer Siege of Osaka, a series of tragedies unfold, affecting various women who found themselves at the mercy of fate..

After an unexpected encounter, perfect Momo meets mediocre Kazama and they fall in love. Watch this romance unfold as they struggle to be together!

A new dramatization of "Hadaka no Taishō (The Naked General)" series about the wandering painter Kiyoshi Yamashita, starring Tsukaji Muga.

Iguana Girl is a manga by Moto Hagio published in Petit Flower. It was adapted into a television drama in 1996. It is about a young girl, Rika, whose mother views her as being ugly, and favours her other daughter, Mami. Rika thinks of herself as ugly and as an iguana, but after her mother's death, realises that her mother was also an ugly iguana. Iguana Girl reflects Hagio's own relationship with her mother, and it took her "years to write this story". Hagio saw an iguana in a documentary on television and identified with it, feeling it was "lamenting its failure to become a human, just like me".

A Proud "man of the house", Yamamura Kazuyuki is the bread winner in a society where men bring home the money. He is a tv commercial director and makes good money to support his wife and son. After recently buying a house, he finds his new neighbor is a stay at home dad. Finding it hard to respect a man who isn't the money maker, he finds the tables are turned as he himself is out of work and running the household, while his wife returns to the workforce. It isn't quite as easy as he keeps telling everyone, but that's okay since he is looking for a new job and should have one soon.It is a look at how society is changing with often times, hilarious results. Struggling to keep his head above water, he finds himself being tutored by his neighbor (even if he doesn't want to be), and at the same time building a friendship.Through trials and tribulations, he learns to respect his new role, while giving credit to the women (and men) who are the ones staying home and keeping home-life afloat.

SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%. Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games.  These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking.  Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.

TBS’s ”World Heritage,” is a 30-minute weekly documentary series that is registered by UNESCO under Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Sciences. The program started in spring, 1996, and over a span of 10 years has covered about 560 topics around the world. To better convey the grandeur of these treasures of the world, TBS has shot the series in High-Definition. High quality images, impeccable narrative, and beautiful music...the elements are simple and straightforward. The producers feel that this style of presentation works best to visually document and preserve the wonders of the world, and continue to do so to this day.

The human world is attacked by the space outlaw group the Dethgaliens who have chosen the Earth to be the site of their 100th Blood Game. One human and 4 anthropomorphic Zyumans awaken their instincts to become the Zyuohgers and fight to protect all living things.

Hiroto Miyama is an unconventional young lawyer who dances to his own tune and gets a little obsessive. For one thing, he’s only interested in criminal cases, and he will never give up in his pursuit of the truth even if offers only a 0.1% chance of being discovered. Japan’s 99.9% criminal case conviction rate leads the world, attesting to a “highly reliable” judicial system. In other words, once a crime suspect is indicted, prosecutor arguments tend to be accepted hook, line and sinker. In the face of those 99.9% odds, there’s no money in being a defense lawyer specializing in criminal cases, but for Miyama, that’s where the interest and kernels of truth lie. From unexpected places, the mold-breaking Miyama stakes his reputation on a prayer of a chance as he clashes with hotshot lawyers who’ll go to any lengths to win in this gloriously fun, legal mystery.

SixTONES' first TV variety show features fun challenges, quirky projects, and a gourmet segment, creating an entertaining and unpredictable mix of humor and surprises with popular guest appearances.

DMAT, the acronym for the “Disaster Medical Assistance Team”, was first established in 2004. For the past 10 years, the team has been providing on-site emergency assistance at disaster-hit areas. Yakumo Hibiki was an surgeon at the Arisukawa General Hospital’s Emergency Unit, but due to a mistake involving his sister Haruko, he has since been transferred to the internal medicine unit. One day, the hospital Director, Dr. Isesaki Katsuichi, requests for Hibiki to move to DMAT. His childhood friend, Nurse Yoshioka Rin, encourages him to take up the role, but upon joining the team, Hibiki finds his new colleagues aloof and a little eccentric. His first assignment is to a pile-up accident in a road tunnel, and he finds himself working against time to provide medical treatment to those who require immediate attention.

Keitai Deka Zenigata Rai follows the adventures of Zenigata Rai (played by Saori Koide), a high school student with a genius IQ of 180, who is also the granddaughter of a legendary police chief. Using her mobile phone as a crucial investigative tool, she helps solve various murder mysteries.

Set in present day Tokyo, Shishio Homare works as a freelancer crime consultant. From an early age, Shishio Homare has been fascinated with how people become criminals and in original sin. He is a genius, but he also has an impulse to commit crimes. Shishio Homare works on cases which interests him among police or customer requests. Meanwhile, Junichi Wakamiya is a psychiatrist. He is smart and cool-headed. Due to a case, Junichi Wakamiya gets involved with Shishio Homare. At first, Junichi Wakamiya thinks Shishio Homare is ignorant and arrogant, but, as they work together, Junichi Wakamiya gets comfortable with Shishio Homare.

Mike Hama, Private Detective, is a chain-smoking, wisecracking tough guy with a weakness for the ladies and a soft spot in his heart, especially for his kid sister Akane. Mike's so down on his luck he'll take any case, from finding a lost pet to spying on cheating spouses. But every now and then, along comes a client with dubious and dangerous case… and that's when Mike shows his stuff.

Assistant Inspector Fukuie does not look like an assistant inspector but once she starts an investigation, she takes no notice of anyone as she searches for the key to find out the truth. She does not care for the hierarchical relationship of the organisation or career advancement. If she has doubts, she will not listen to her superior and will persist in investigating to the end. Fukuie’s boss Inspector Ishimatsu is completely different from her. He places importance on the organisation and discipline, is rigid and strait-laced. Ever since Fukuie became his subordinate, his pride has been in tatters because she loves to disregard his instructions and investigate on her own even though this eventually results in success and he gets credit for her achievements. His principle is to investigate using orthodox methods, but the results that Fukuie delivers goes against this and makes him feel ashamed.

The story features a team of four sleuthing sisters.