Awaiting Kirin is a 2020
Japanese historical drama television series starring
Hiroki Hasegawa
, nicknamed , (born March 7, 1977, in Tokyo) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. Trained as a stage actor at the Bungaku-za after graduating from Chuo University, he first began to appear on Japanese TV in small roles in 2008, and t ...
as
Akechi Mitsuhide
, first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...
, a samurai and general during the
Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
. The series is the 59th
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
taiga drama
is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
, premiering on January 19, 2020. It is the first regular taiga drama to be fully shot in
4K resolution
4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 asp ...
,
as well as the first taiga drama to be composed by a non-Japanese (
John R. Graham).
Plot
The story is based on the life of
Akechi Mitsuhide
, first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...
, a general under
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
.
Cast
Akechi clan
The is a branch of the Toki clan, which is descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Akechi clan thrived around the later part of the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Akechi became the head (soryo) of the Toki clan after the Toki fell to the S ...
*
Hiroki Hasegawa
, nicknamed , (born March 7, 1977, in Tokyo) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. Trained as a stage actor at the Bungaku-za after graduating from Chuo University, he first began to appear on Japanese TV in small roles in 2008, and t ...
as
Akechi "Jūbei" Mitsuhide
**Hinata Igarashi as young Mitsuhide
*
Fumino Kimura
is a Japanese actress.
Filmography
Film
* ''Kaze no Dadu'' (2006), Ayumi Asano
* ''Adan'' (2006), Adan
* ''Paradise Kiss'' (2011)
* ''Run60'' (2011), Maki
* ''Gokudō Meshi, Sukiyaki'' (2011), Shiori Mizushima
* ''Ramo Trip'' (2012), Mari Ijic ...
as
Hiroko, Mitsuhide's wife
*
Mana Ashida as
Tama, Mitsuhide's third daughter
**Saki Takenoya as young Tama (about 10 years old)
**Kokone Shimizu as young Tama (about 5 years old)
*Nazuki Amano as Kishi, Mitsuhide's eldest daughter
**Nanaka Hirao as young Kishi
*
Sayuri Ishikawa as Maki, Mitsuhide's mother
*
Masahiko Nishimura as Akechi Mitsuyasu, Mitsuhide's uncle
*Satoshi Tokushige as Fujita Dengo
*
Shotaro Mamiya
is a Japanese actor. He is represented by Tristone Entertainment.
Personal life
On July 8, 2024, Mamiya announced his marriage to his non-celebrity partner, whom he has been dating for quite some time. Mamiya announced through his agency that ...
as
Akechi Hidemitsu
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. A senior retainer of Oda Nobunaga's vassal Akechi Mitsuhide, he served Mitsuhide until the latter's death in 1582 at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is also known as Akechi Mitsuharu.
Early li ...
*Shinji Ozeki as
Akechi Mitsutsuna, Mitsuhide's father
*
Takamasa Suga as
Saitō Toshimitsu
Oda clan
The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they reached the peak of their power under Oda Nobunaga and fell soon after, several branches of the ...
*
Shōta Sometani as
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
*
Katsunori Takahashi as
Oda Nobuhide
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and magistrate of the Sengoku period known as "Tiger of Owari" and also the father of Oda Nobunaga, the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. Nobuhide was a deputy ''shugo'' (Shugodai) of lower Owari Province and head of t ...
, Nobunaga's father
*
Rei Dan as
Dota Gozen, Nobunaga's mother
*
Haruna Kawaguchi
is a Japanese actress and model under Ken-On. She is best known for playing lead roles in ''Ouran High School Host Club'' (2012), '' POV: Norowareta Film'' (2012), '' Zekkyō Gakkyū'' (2013), '' Say "I Love You"'' (2014), and ''One Week Friends ...
as
Kichō, Saitō Dōsan's daughter, and the legal wife of Nobunaga
*
Ryo Kimura as
Oda Nobuyuki (Nobukatsu), Nobunaga's younger brother
*Yasuomi Sano as
Oda Nobuhiro, Nobunaga's half-brother
*
Houka Kinoshita as Oda Nobumitsu, Nobunaga's uncle
*Yoshiaki Umegaki as
Oda "Hikogorō" Nobutomo
*Mizuki Inoue (HiHi Jets) as
Oda Nobutada
**Fūga Shibasaki as teen Nobutada (then known as Kimyōmaru)
**Yahiro Katō as baby Nobutada (then known as Kimyōmaru)
*Ayaka Imoto as
Oichi
was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu , Nobunaga's younger sister
;The vassals
*
Kuranosuke Sasaki as
Hashiba Hideyoshi
*
Kōtarō Yoshida as
Matsunaga Hisahide
Matsunaga Danjō Hisahide (松永 弾正 久秀 1508 – November 19, 1577) was a ''daimyō'' and head of the Yamato Matsunaga clan in Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century.
He has historical reputation as one of , a nickna ...
*Shōzō Uesugi as
Hirate Masahide
was a Japanese samurai who served the Oda clan for two generations. His original name was .
Life
Masahide first served Oda Nobuhide and then become one of the Four karōs that helped Oda Nobunga in his early life. He was a talented samurai as ...
*
Masanobu Ando as
Shibata Katsuie
or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He was retainer of Oda Nobuhide.
He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought ...
*
Jingi Irie as
Maeda Toshiie
was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...
*Yūsuke Suga as
Sassa Narimasa
was a Japanese samurai lord of the Sengoku through Azuchi–Momoyama periods. He entered Oda Nobunaga's service at the age of 14 and remained in his service throughout Nobunaga's rise to power. He was a member of the so-called Echizen Sannin ...
*Kazuhiro Muroyama as
Sakuma Morishige
*
Nobuaki Kaneko
is a Japanese drummer and actor. He is nicknamed and N.K. He is a member of the rock band Rize. He is represented with Itoh Company and his label is Illchill. He graduated from Horikoshi High School.
Kaneko's father was Johnny Yoshinaga who wa ...
as
Sakuma Nobumori
was a Samurai retainer of Oda Nobuhide.
He was treated as Oda Nobunaga's most important retainer and would come to fight in every important battle under Nobunaga's command such as the 1567 Siege of Inabayama Castle, the 1571 and 1573 Siege o ...
*
Tsubasa Imai
is a Japanese singer, actor and dancer formerly in the Japanese agency Johnny & Associates. He joined Johnny & Associates in 1995 and officially debuted in 2002 in the duo Tackey & Tsubasa with Hideaki Takizawa. They are signed to the record labe ...
as
Mōri Shinsuke
*Tsutomu Ikeda as
Hattori Koheita
*Kenshi Uchida as Yanada Masatsuna
*Yoshihiro Nozoe as Chūjō Ietada
*Takashi Hirota as
Murai Sadakatsu
*
Kenji Matsuda
is a Japanese actor. Matsuda began acting in high school when a girl he had a crush on convinced him to join the theatre club. He later joined the sho-gekijo theatrical troupe Haiyu-Za. Nowadays known for roles such as Kagero in the low-budget f ...
as
Niwa Nagahide
*Yōhei Matsukado as
Araki Murashige
was a retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, head of the powerful "Setssu-Ikeda clan" of Settsu Province. Under Katsumasa, Murashige sided with Oda Nobunaga following Nobunaga's successful campaign to establish power in Kyoto.
Military life
Murashige b ...
, Kishi's father-in-law
*
Mizuki Itagaki as
Mori Ranmaru
, also known as Mori Naritoshi (森 成利), was a samurai retainer to the Oda clan. He was son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino Province, Mino. He was a member of the Mori clan (Genji), Mori Clan, descen ...
*
Gaku Hamada
is a Japanese film and television actor. He was a regular cast member of Fuji TV's '' Operation Love'', appearing in all 11 episodes broadcast in 2007 and the 2008 special, and receiving an award for his role. He has made numerous other TV appea ...
as
Kuroda Kanbei
Saitō clan
Saitō, Saito, Saitou or Saitoh (written: or ) are the 10th and 11th most common Japanese surnames respectively. Less common variants are , , and . Notable people with the surname include:
Notable people with the surname
*, Japanese footballer
* ...
*
Masahiro Motoki
Masahiro Motoki (本木 雅弘 ''Motoki Masahiro'', born December 21, 1965) is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in '' Departures'', which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. His performance earne ...
as
Saitō Dōsan
, also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤 利政), was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo during the Sengoku period.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the f ...
, the "Viper of
Mino"
*
Hideaki Itō
is a Japanese actor.
Biography
Ito is best known for starring in the hit franchise ''Umizaru'' film series, which consistently topped the Japanese box office of the year. He has also head-lined many other major Japanese films such as Takashi ...
as
Saitō Yoshitatsu
or Toki Yoshitatsu was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' during the Sengoku period. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)">DF 54 of 80">"Saitō," ''Nobiliare du Ja ...
*Jun Hasegawa as Saitō Magoshirō
*Naoki Inukai as Saitō Kiheiji
*
Kaho Minami as Miyoshino, Dōsan's concubine
*Kyōko Kataoka as Omi no kata, Dōsan's legal wife
*Takehiro Murata as
Inaba Yoshimichi
, also known as Inaba Ittetsu (稲葉 一鉄), was a Japanese samurai warrior during the Sengoku period. He served the Saitō clan of Mino province. Later, he became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga.
His childhood name was Hikoshiro () later Hikoroku ...
(Inaba Ittetsu)
*Kōki Yamamoto as
Hineno Hironari
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through Azuchi–Momoyama period, who served the Oda clan
The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. ...
Hosokawa clan
The is a Japanese samurai kin group or Japanese clan, clan. The clan descends from the Seiwa Genji, a branch of the Minamoto clan, and ultimately from Emperor Seiwa, through the Ashikaga clan. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga ...
*Hidekazu Mashima as
Hosokawa Fujitaka
, also known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and prominent samurai lord of the Sengoku period. A former senior retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the fifteenth and final Ashikaga shōgun, Fujitaka later aligned with Oda Nobunaga. As a reward fo ...
, Mitsuhide's best friend
*
Shōsuke Tanihara as Mitsubuchi Fujihide
*
Ayumu Mochizuki as
Hosokawa Tadaoki, Tama's husband
Imagawa clan
was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.
Origins
Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in ...
*
Kataoka Ainosuke VI as
Imagawa Yoshimoto
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the Sengoku period. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as ; he was one of the three ''daimyō'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become Shogun. He ...
*
Goro Ibuki as
Taigen Sessai
*Chikau Satō as
Udono Nagateru
*Makiya Yamaguchi as Asahina Chikanori
Tokugawa (Matsudaira) clan
*
Shunsuke Kazama
is a Japanese actor and television personality.
Career
In 1997, when Kazama was in his second year of junior high school, he entered Johnny & Associates and started activities as a trainee. He made his debut on stage that same year in a Shon ...
as
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
**Yūto Ikeda as Matsudaira Motonobu (Teen Ieyasu)
**Ryusei Iwata as Takechiyo (Child Ieyasu)
*
Yosuke Asari as
Matsudaira Hirotada
was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa province, Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century.
He is best known for being the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Biography
Hirotada was the son of Matsudaira ...
, Ieyasu's father
*
Wakana Matsumoto as
Odai no Kata
Odai no Kata (於大の方, 1528–1602), also known as Dai, Daishi, and Denzûin, was a Japanese noble lady from the Sengoku period.
She was the mother of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. She was the daughter of Mizuno Tadama ...
, Ieyasu's mother
*Eiji Yokota as
Mizuno Nobumoto
was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period. He was Tokugawa Ieyasu's uncle through Matsudaira Hirotada's marriage to his sister, Odai no Kata.
Biography
He was a son of Mizuno Tadamasa, and brother of Mizuno Tadashige.
In 1542, Nobumoto ...
, Ieyasu's uncle
*Kyōko Maya as Gen'ōni, a.k.a. Keyōin, Ieyasu's grandmother
*
Yuriko Ono as
Lady Tsukiyama
Lady Tsukiyama or was a Japanese noble lady and aristocrat from the Sengoku period. She was the chief consort of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the ''daimyō'' who would become the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. She was the mother ...
, Ieyasu's wife
*
Takashi Okamura as Kikumaru, a ninja
Toki clan
The is a Japanese kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Toki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 61 retrieved 2013-5-9.
History
The Toki claim desce ...
*
Toshinori Omi
is a Japanese actor.
Career
Born in Tokyo, Omi joined the children's theater troupe Himawari Theatre Group when he was still in kindergarten. He made his film debut at age 13 in Kon Ichikawa's ''Hi no Tori'' (1978) and got his first starring ro ...
as
Toki Yorinari
*Masato Yano as Toki Yorizumi
Asakura clan
The is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Asakura", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 3 DF 7 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-5-4. ...
*
Yūsuke Santamaria as
Asakura Yoshikage
*
Takaaki Enoki as Yamazaki Yoshiie
*Tōru Tezuka as
Asakura Kageaki
*Yurito Mori as Kumagimimaru
Azai clan
*Hiroto Kanai as
Azai Nagamasa
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering ...
Ashikaga shogunate
*
Kenichi Takitō as
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
"Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573 when he ...
, the 15th and final shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate.
*
Osamu Mukai as
Ashikaga Yoshiteru
, also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period of Japan. He was the eldest son of the 12th ''shōgun'', Ashikaga Yoshiharu, and his moth ...
, the 13th shōgun
*Hayate Ichinose as
Ashikaga Yoshihide, the 14th shōgun
*Tomiyuki Kunihiro as
Hosokawa Harumoto
*
Tsurutaro Kataoka as Settsu Harukado
*
Shuhei Uesugi
is a Japanese actor.
Filmography Television
Film
Music videos
References
External linksAgent profile
*
1992 births
Living people
21st-century Japanese male actors
Ken-On artists
{{Japan-screen-actor-stub ...
as Isshiki Fujinaga
Miyoshi clan
is a Japanese family descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and the Minamoto clan (Seiwa-Genji). They are a cadet branch of the Ogasawara clan and the Takeda clan.
At the beginning of the 14th century AD, settled in Shikoku. His eighth ge ...
*
Kazuhiro Yamaji
is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company. He has been married to Romi Park since 2020.
Filmography Live-action films
* 2000: '' Whiteout'' (Takayoshi Yoshikane)
* 2001: ''Inugami'' (Takanao)
* 2004: '' Ka ...
as
Miyoshi Nagayoshi
*Hiroyasu Kurobe as
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu
*Shōgo Miyahara as Miyoshi Nagayasu
*Hiroki Takano as
Iwanari Tomomichi
*Kenji Oka as Miyoshi Sōi
Takeda clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...
*
Ryo Ishibashi
is a Japanese actor and lead singer of the Japanese rock band ARB. He is known around the world for his roles in the Japanese horror films '' Suicide Club'' and '' Audition.'' He is also recognized in America for his role as Nakagawa in '' Th ...
as
Takeda Shingen
was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
The imperial court
*
Bandō Tamasaburō V
(born 25 April 1950) is a Kabuki actor and the most popular and celebrated ''onnagata'' (an actor specializing in female roles) currently on stage. He has also acted in several films.
Life and career
Born in 1950, Shin'ichi Morita was adopte ...
as
Emperor Ōgimachi
**Rui Sudō as Prince Michihito
*
Seishiro Kato as
Prince Sanehito
*
Kanata Hongō
is a Japanese actor. He is part of Stardust Promotion and has appeared several times in music videos, movies, TV series, and magazines. His major breakthrough role was as Ryoma Echizen in the live-action film adaptation of ''The Prince of T ...
as
Konoe Sakihisa
*
Kazutoyo Koyabu as
Nijō Haruyoshi
*
Renji Ishibashi
, born is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 15th Hochi Film Award
The are film-specific prizes awarded by the '' Hochi Shimbun''.
Categories
*Best Picture
*Best International Picture
*Best Animated Picture ...
as Sanjōnishi Sanezumi
Others
*
Mugi Kadowaki
is a Japanese actress.
Biography
In 2011, Kadowaki debuted in the television drama ''Misaki Number One!!''. At the time of her debut she was signed to Blooming Agency.
In 2013, Kadowaki became a hot topic because of a commercial for "Chocola B ...
as Koma
**Noa Tanaka as young Koma
*
Masaaki Sakai as Dr. Mochizuki Tōan
*
Machiko Ono as Iroha-dayū
**Yua Tanaka as young Iroha-dayū
*
Takanori Jinnai as
Imai Sōkyū
was a 16th century merchant in the Japanese port town of Sakai, and a master of the tea ceremony. His ''yagō'' was Naya.
Biography
A relative of the Amago and Sasaki samurai clans, Sōkyū originally came from Yamato Province. After settl ...
*Shunpūtei Koasa as Kakujo
*
Taro Suruga
is a Japanese musician and actor from Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture.
Biography
His father is rakugo performer Shōfukutei Tsurube II. He graduated from Shinko Gakuen Shinko High School and Osaka University of Arts Junior College. After studyin ...
as
Tsutsui Junkei
son of Tsutsui Junshō, and a ''daimyō'' of the province of Yamato. On 1571, Junkei, through the offices of Akechi Mitsuhide, pledged to service of Oda Nobunaga.
Military life
Early in his career, in 1565, Matsunaga Hisahide, one of the most ...
*
Yasukaze Motomiya as a bandit leader
*Reo Tamaoki as Iheiji
*
Akio Ōtsuka
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He is attached to Mausu Promotion.
The astringent and calm quality of his deep voice has landed him many roles in films, dubbing, animation, and video games. He i ...
as Sōjirō
*Bengal as Hōjin
*Takayuki Hamatsu as a seller of tea
*Manabu Hosoi as an old man
*Jiyū Arima as
Shiba Yoshimune
*Shū Matsuda as Shiba Yoshikane
*Guin Poon Chaw as
Naka, Hideyoshi's mother
*
Kenichi Ogata as a monk
*
Kozo Takeda as
Kennyo
*Mansour Fakher as a missionary
*Shin'ichi Shirahata as
Hatano Hideharu
Hatano Hideharu (波多野 秀治 ''Hatano Hideharu'', 1541 – June 25, 1579) was the eldest son of Hatano Harumichi and the head of Hatano clan.
He was a son of Harumichi, but for an unknown reason, he was adopted as a son by Hatano Mo ...
*Mutsumi Sasaki as
Nikkai
Production
Production Credits
*Music –
John R. Graham
*Titling – Suitō Nakatsuka
*Historical research –
Tetsuo Owada
*Costume designer –
Kazuko Kurosawa
On April 19, 2018,
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
announced ''Awaiting Kirin'' as its 59th
taiga drama
is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
, starring
Hiroki Hasegawa
, nicknamed , (born March 7, 1977, in Tokyo) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. Trained as a stage actor at the Bungaku-za after graduating from Chuo University, he first began to appear on Japanese TV in small roles in 2008, and t ...
as
Akechi Mitsuhide
, first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...
, a samurai and general during the
Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
, with Shunsaku Ikehata as writer.
Ikehata previously wrote the 29th taiga drama, ''
Taiheiki
The (Chronicle of Great Peace) is a medieval Japanese historical epic (see '' gunki monogatari'') written in the late 14th century and covers the period from 1319 to 1367. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the ...
'' (1991). The drama aims to shed light on the first half of Akechi's life, of which little is known about due to lacking historical records.
On March 8, 2019, NHK announced that John R. Graham will be ''Awaiting Kirin''s composer, having previously been a composer for ''
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV''; he is the first American hired to compose the score and the main theme of a taiga drama. Meanwhile,
Junichi Hirokami
is a Japanese conductor.
Born in Tokyo, Hirokami studied conducting, piano, musicology, and viola at the Tokyo College of Music. He won the first Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in Amsterdam in September 1984 at age 26. One of ...
acts as conductor of the
NHK Symphony Orchestra
The is a Japanese broadcast orchestra based in Tokyo. The orchestra gives concerts in several venues, including the NHK Hall, Suntory Hall, and the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
History
The orchestra was founded as the ''New Symphony Orchestr ...
.
Historical researcher Tetsuo Owada, a professor
emeritus
''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus".
In some c ...
at
Shizuoka University
is a national university in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Shizuoka University is well known in the field of engineering, in creative innovation, and in the invention of next generation technology, with the prestigious international exchange o ...
who specializes in the Sengoku period of Japanese history, previously advised taiga dramas such as ''
Hideyoshi'' (1996), ''
Tenchijin
is a 2009 Japanese super historical drama television series, and the 48th taiga drama of NHK. It aired every Sunday from January 4 to November 22, 2009, spanning 47 episodes.It is an unusual Taiga Drama as the final episode will be broadcast as e ...
'' (2009), and ''
Gunshi Kanbei
is a 2014 Japanese historical drama television series and the 53rd NHK ''taiga'' drama. The series was broadcast from January 5 to December 21, 2014, and ran a total of 50 episodes. The drama depicts the life of Kuroda Kanbei (played by Junich ...
'' (2014).
Casting
After Hasegawa, the rest of the main cast was announced on March 8, 2019, which included
Mugi Kadowaki
is a Japanese actress.
Biography
In 2011, Kadowaki debuted in the television drama ''Misaki Number One!!''. At the time of her debut she was signed to Blooming Agency.
In 2013, Kadowaki became a hot topic because of a commercial for "Chocola B ...
,
Takashi Okamura,
Sayuri Ishikawa,
Masahiko Nishimura,
Katsunori Takahashi,
Erika Sawajiri, and
Masahiro Motoki
Masahiro Motoki (本木 雅弘 ''Motoki Masahiro'', born December 21, 1965) is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in '' Departures'', which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. His performance earne ...
among others.
The second cast announcement on June 17, 2019, included
Fumino Kimura
is a Japanese actress.
Filmography
Film
* ''Kaze no Dadu'' (2006), Ayumi Asano
* ''Adan'' (2006), Adan
* ''Paradise Kiss'' (2011)
* ''Run60'' (2011), Maki
* ''Gokudō Meshi, Sukiyaki'' (2011), Shiori Mizushima
* ''Ramo Trip'' (2012), Mari Ijic ...
as Hiroko, as well as
Kaho Minami, Takehiro Murata, Satoshi Tokushige,
Kataoka Ainosuke VI,
Rei Dan, and
Kuranosuke Sasaki.
The third cast announcement on August 7, 2019, included
Machiko Ono,
Osamu Mukai,
Shunsuke Kazama
is a Japanese actor and television personality.
Career
In 1997, when Kazama was in his second year of junior high school, he entered Johnny & Associates and started activities as a trainee. He made his debut on stage that same year in a Shon ...
, and
Goro Ibuki.
Ono previously had the main roles in ''Ashio Kara Kita Onna'' (2014) and ''Natsume Soseki no Tsuma'' (2016), two NHK drama series written by Shunsaku Ikehata.
The fourth cast announcement on February 19, 2020, included
Yūsuke Santamaria,
Shotaro Mamiya
is a Japanese actor. He is represented by Tristone Entertainment.
Personal life
On July 8, 2024, Mamiya announced his marriage to his non-celebrity partner, whom he has been dating for quite some time. Mamiya announced through his agency that ...
,
Kanata Hongō
is a Japanese actor. He is part of Stardust Promotion and has appeared several times in music videos, movies, TV series, and magazines. His major breakthrough role was as Ryoma Echizen in the live-action film adaptation of ''The Prince of T ...
,
Masanobu Ando, Kyōko Maya, and Bengal.
Filming
The usual taiga drama production would first have one-third of the expected number of scripts finished before shooting begins. Afterwards, audience reception is taken into account as the rest of the series is written.
Shooting for the series began on June 3, 2019.
''Awaiting Kirin'' is the first regular taiga drama to be fully shot in
4K resolution
4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 asp ...
.
Chief producer Masaru Ochiai stated that the colorful costumes to be worn are made with adherence to
feng shui
Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...
.
On November 16, 2019,
Erika Sawajiri, playing
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
's wife
Kichō, was arrested over
MDMA
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...
possession. She was replaced by
Haruna Kawaguchi
is a Japanese actress and model under Ken-On. She is best known for playing lead roles in ''Ouran High School Host Club'' (2012), '' POV: Norowareta Film'' (2012), '' Zekkyō Gakkyū'' (2013), '' Say "I Love You"'' (2014), and ''One Week Friends ...
five days after being taken into custody.
[ The series' start date was delayed by a fortnight as all of Sawajiri's scenes in the first 10 episodes – along with advertising and promotional footage – had to be reshot.]COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. By April 7, NHK extended the cancellation of shooting for both series after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...
proclaimed a one-month state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
for Tokyo and other prefectures. The series resumed on August 30, 2020.
Reception
According to Kaori Shoji of ''The Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'', observers during the reshoots of the first 10 episodes criticized Haruna Kawaguchi
is a Japanese actress and model under Ken-On. She is best known for playing lead roles in ''Ouran High School Host Club'' (2012), '' POV: Norowareta Film'' (2012), '' Zekkyō Gakkyū'' (2013), '' Say "I Love You"'' (2014), and ''One Week Friends ...
's performance as being "too flimsy".
TV schedule
Omnibus
Soundtrack
*''Kirin ga Kuru NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack Vol. 1'' (January 29, 2020)
Accolades
See also
*Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
Notes
References
External links
Official Site
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awaiting Kirin
Taiga drama
2020 Japanese television series debuts
2021 Japanese television series endings
Cultural depictions of Akechi Mitsuhide
Cultural depictions of Oda Nobunaga
Cultural depictions of Takeda Shingen
Cultural depictions of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Cultural depictions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Television productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Television series set in the 16th century