Kei Satō

Prayer Beads, also called "omoinotama" or "nunju" in Japanese, are the small wooden beads strung on a loop used in Buddhist worship. The number of beads is typically 108, corresponding to the 108 earthly desires or sins that the beads have the power to extinguish. "Prayer Beads" is a series of 9 episodes of 30-minute dramas strung together, with the characters in each episode designing one thread of fate. The short independent episodes are skillfully linked together to become one story. The protagonists' dreams and fears and feelings about this life are all taken up and spun around to reach a dramatic conclusion in the final story.

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In war-torn Japan, the Tokugawa Shogun, desperate to restore peace to his people, orders the assassination of the hostile warlords. A beautiful young woman is raised from birth with nine other orphans, to become an assassin. Her name is Azumi, the ultimate assassin.

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War between North Korea and Japan

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The 39th NHK Taiga Drama is Aoi Tokugawa Sandai. It is James Miki's dynamic and colorful tale of three generations of the Tokugawa dynasty--from its founder Ieyasu to Iemitsu, the third Shogun who solidified the Tokugawa power base.

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Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where young warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering on a handsome young samurai named Sozaburo Kano. The school's stern master can choose to intervene, or to let Kano decide his own path.

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Schoolgirl Kuniko is kidnapped by a middle-aged man Iwazono when she is jogging. He tells her that he had a failed marriage which leaves him a deep and everlasting scar in his mind. He kidnaps her in search of a perfect marriage and intends to lock her in the room and 'educate' her to perform perfect sex where body and soul are united.

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Short anime adaption of the Osamu Tezuka manga Neo Faust.

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A drama about a father and his son centered around the Great Hanshin earthquake.

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Love and ambition collide when two brilliant architects compete for the same woman and the glory of success in their highly competitive field. Kakeru, a young dreamer just entering the professional world, starts out with the goal of building a magnificent church. The story unfolds when a world-famous architect, whom Kakeru idolizes but has never seen, collapses in front of him on the beach. The skillful portrayal of the intertwined loves and professional trials of these characters makes for a suspenseful and inspiring drama.

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Asian Blue focuses on Koreans brought to Japan to work in forced-labor brigades during World War II

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Following the lives of three college rugby players drafted to serve in the military during WWII. Though they believe their service will help to benefit their loved ones back home, they are unprepared for the hardships of war. Through their shared trials and sacrifices, they grow closer as friends, and hope to return together to better days. This movie was released in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII.

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The wife of a lawyer and her twice-divorced sister-in-law scheme to break up her brother's marriage in this hard-edged drama of misdirected passion. The quirky characters who fill out the cast include a youthful entrepreneur and the heroine's father, a police officer who would do anything to make his daughter happy.

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The continuing adventures of Matsuzaki, a racing tipster for a sports paper. Matsuzaki befriends a mysterious old track bettor named Tokudaiji. The man turns out to be a well-connected millionaire and invites Matsuzaki to his home.

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The crescent shaped scar on his forehead is a license given him by the Shogun to kill anyone he deems to be a villain. A strong performance that reflects well upon his father, with interesting stories, these films are required viewing. When Saotome hears rumors of a Daimyo's plot to overthrow the Shogun, he launches an investigation. With the help of his sister Kikuji, his stewart, Kinai and a mysterious woman they begin to unravel the web of treachery.

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Bored Hatamoto film

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Dramatization of the true story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Lithuanian Jews during World War II by granting them visas, though it cost him his own career.

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A low-key private detective agency in Paris is run by Rie and her partner Kishin, two ex-pats who tick along between cases by giving guided tours of the city to busloads of Japanese tourists.

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Based on the comic book by Kenshi Hirokane

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A story of Japanese writer Kafu Nagai (1879-1959), a man about sixty with a huge reputation of seducer who falls madly in love for a young geisha named Oyuki. Meticulous and smartly dressed, Nagai patiently wrote in his diary his thoughts during many years. A melancholy reflection on the passage of time and a brilliant interpretive exercise.

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A black comedy about a former Rock'n'Roll singer, who becomes the mayor of Tokyo.

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A touching drama about human life and love A 24-hour probation has been given to a man who should have died!

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The Fir Tree Remains | Yamamoto explores the life of Koi Harada, a man wrongfully branded a “traitor” in Japanese history. As the Date clan faces the threat of destruction from within and from the shogunate, Harada courageously steps forward, alone, to protect the family and its legacy. This powerful story of loyalty, honor, and strategy is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. Don’t miss this emotional rollercoaster that unravels a pivotal moment in feudal Japan’s turbulent past.

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Near the end of Japanese civil war, several disgraced ronin living in Edo's red light district attempt to regain their honor by defending a brothel from a hostile militia bent on wiping out local prostitutes.

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Police detective Heiji is assigned to catch the masked Maboroshi gang of robbers who have terrorized all of Edo, leaving few clues as to their leader's identity.

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Kinoshita Kaori (Nakayama Miho), a native of Nagano, was allowed to live alone in Tokyo for two years during her junior college years. Now, with employment still unsettled, her parents are pressuring her to return to Nagano. Her friend Noriko (Sendo Atsuko) had good grades in junior college and had received a job offer from a major company, but the offer was rescinded due to her living alone. Meanwhile, Tomoko (Kawai Michiko), who dreams of becoming a reporter while job hunting, is also struggling to balance her dreams and reality. One day, Kaori visits a small company with her resume in hand, where she meets the company president, Yoshizawa (Oda Yuji). Yoshizawa accepts Kaori without even a proper interview, and despite her misgivings about the company, she soon finds herself drawn to Yoshizawa.

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The classic tale of the shogun's illegitimate son Aoi Shingo is told in three parts as he strives to become the greatest fencer in Japan, while his father Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune seeks to reunite with his lost son. When the secrets of Shingo's birth are revealed to him, it sets off a series of events that bring him to cross swords with members of the shogun's inner circle in a series of duels that could change the destiny of Japan.

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Daisuke dropped out of high school, and his motorcycle was the only thing that helped him cope with his loneliness. His parents find a new high school where he can ride his motorcycle to school, but he is forced to live in a dormitory. The students in the dormitory are all young people with bitter memories of dropping out of high school. The prefect of the dormitory is a teacher who is passionate about their physical education. The drama depicts the fierce clash between a nineteen-year-old rebellious high school student, who is torn between being an adult and a child, and the adults around him. This is Oda Yuji's first lead role in a TV drama.

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The Sagami family has been running an Edo-style woodworking shop in downtown Tokyo for generations. The head of the family, Bunzo (Kunie Tanaka), has received official recognition for his craftsmanship, but business remains modest. He lives with his wife, Sumiko (Masumi Harukawa), their divorced eldest daughter, Naomi (Rino Katase), and their heir, Seiichi (Hiroyuki Sanada). One day, Seiichi tells his parents that he has someone he wants them to meet—his former junior in school, Yuko Ogata (Anna Nakagawa). Yuko admires traditional woodworking and dreams of marrying into the trade. Stunned yet delighted, Bunzo and Sumiko are thrown into a whirlwind of emotions. The next day, Yuko arrives at the Sagami home, setting the stage for an unexpected turn of events.

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