is a 2013 Japanese historical drama television series and the 52nd

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 ...

. Written by Mutsumi Yamamoto, the drama focuses on Niijima Yae, who is portrayed by

Haruka Ayase better known by the stage name , is a Japanese actress who started her career as a model in the year 2000. She has since become a leading actress in television and film. Career 2000–2004: Early career Ayase was invited by a friend to parti ...

. Yae is a strong believer in women's rights and the story follows her journey in Japan, during the time it is opened up to Western ideas. Yae, who came from the

Aizu Domain was a Han (Japan), domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1601 to 1871.Ravina, Mark. (1998) ''Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan,'' p. 222 The Aizu Domain was based at Aizuwakamatsu Castle, Tsuruga Castle in M ...

(now within

Fukushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...

), was chosen for the taiga drama as her story of loss and hope was felt to be timely in the aftermath of the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...

. The drama was nominated for the

International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series The International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) during the International Emmy Awards ceremony. The category is described on the official International Academy websi ...

Production

* Kunishirō Hayashi - Sword fight arranger

Cast

as Niijima Yae ** Rio Suzuki as childhood Yae ;Her family * Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yamamoto Kakuma, Yae's brother *

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 Kawasaki Shonosuke, Yae's first husband * Joe Odagiri as Joseph Hardy Neesima, Yae's second husband *

Jun Fubuki is a Japanese actress. Career Jun Fubuki received a Japanese Academy Award Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in '' Muno no Hito'', and won at the Hochi Film Awards. This role also won Fubuki the "Best Actress" award at the Yokoha ...

as Yamamoto Saku, Yae's mother * Yutaka Matsushige as Yamamoto Gonpachi, Yae's father * Kyōko Hasegawa as Higuchi Ura, Kakuma's first wife * Mitsuki Tanimura as Yamamoto Tokie, Kakuma's second wife * Masahiro Toda as Tokuzō, manservant of the Yamamoto family ;Aizu Domain * Gō Ayano as Matsudaira Katamori, 9th ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' of the Aizu Domain *

Toshiyuki Nishida was a Japanese actor. He won two Japanese Academy Awards for best actor, for '' The Silk Road'' (1988) and '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 6'' (1993). He also won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for '' Get Up!'' and '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 14'' (2003). O ...

Saigō Tanomo was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. Chief senior councilor (''hittōgarō'' 筆頭家老) of the Aizu clan, he achieved fame due to his distinguished action in the Boshin War. He adopted the name Hoshina Chikanori (保科近野里) ...

, chief senior counselor of the Aizu clan *

Izumi Inamori is a Japanese actress signed to Burning Production. Biography Izumi Inamori was born and grew up in Kagoshima Prefecture. After finished from the local high school, Inamori went to University of Texas at Arlington to study English abroad. Aft ...

as Matsudaira Teru, adoptive sister of Katamori *

Ayame Goriki is a Japanese actress, singer and model. She was represented by the talent agency Oscar Promotion until 2020. Currently she was represented by the talent agency Short Cut. Early life and career Biography Goriki was born on 27 August 1992 in H ...

as Hinata Yuki, childhood friend of Yae *

Meisa Kuroki Satsuki Shimabukuro (Japanese: 島袋さつき, ''Shimabukuro Satsuki'', Born on 28 May 1988 in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan), better known by her stage name Meisa Kuroki (Japanese: 黒木メイサ, ''Kuroki Meisa''), is a Japanese actress, mod ...

as Nakano Takeko, a female swordmaster for the Aizu Domain *

Takumi Saito is a Japanese actor and filmmaker. He directs films under his birthname, , spelled differently in Kanji but pronounced the same. Early life and work Saito was born on August 22, 1981, in Minato, Tokyo. Saitoh's father worked in the film in ...

as Jinbo Shuri, chief retainer of the Aizu domain and son of Kuranosuke * Masane Tsukayama as Jinbo Kuranosuke, chief retainer of the Aizu domain * Tetsuji Tamayama as

Yamakawa Hiroshi Baron was a Japanese general, samurai, politician and educator. Originally a samurai from Aizu Domain during Bakumatsu, he became a general in the early Meiji era Imperial Japanese Army. He was also one of the first persons, together with his br ...

, major general of the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

and childhood friend of Yae *

Mikako Ichikawa is a Japanese actress and Model (person), model from Tokyo, Japan. Her older sister is the actress and model Miwako Ichikawa. Biography Due to her older sister being in the modeling business, Ichikawa made several appearances in the fashion ma ...

as Yamakawa Futaba * Ryo Katsuji as

Yamakawa Kenjirō was a Japanese samurai, politician, physicist, academic administrator, and author of several histories of the Boshin War. He served as president of Tokyo Imperial University, Kyushu Imperial University, and Kyoto Imperial University. He also ...

* Kumiko Akiyoshi as Yamakawa En *

Kiko Mizuhara Audrie Kiko Daniel (born October 15, 1990), known professionally as , is an American-born Japanese model, actress, singer and designer. Kiko Mizuhara started her modeling career at the age of twelve when she entered an audition contest for '' Se ...

Ōyama Sutematsu Princess was a Japanese socialite in the Meiji era, and the first Japanese woman to receive a college degree. She was born into a traditional samurai household which supported the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War. As a child, she surv ...

Morio Kazama is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 2nd Yokohama Film Festival for ''Shiki Natsuko'' and '' Yūgure made'' and at the 6th and 7th Japan Academy Prizes. Filmography Films * '' Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji'' (19 ...

as Hayashi Yasusada *

Hiroyuki Ikeuchi is a Japanese actor. Ikeuchi's mother is Salvadoran and his father is Japanese. He is an avid martial artist, notably holding a black belt in judo, and is also a keen fisherman. Career Ikeuchi played a supporting role as General Miura in Wilso ...

as Kajiwara Heima * Shido Nakamura as Sagawa Kanbei * Shingo Yanagisawa as Kayano Gonbei * Shihori Kanjiya as Fujita Tokio, childhood friend of Yae * Junko Miyashita as Takagi Sumie ;Tokugawa shogunate * Kotaro Koizumi as

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Kazoku, Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned his position as shogun in late 1867, while ai ...

* Takaaki Enoki as

Ii Naosuke was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Hikone (1850–1860) and also '' Tairō'' of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan, a position he held from April 23, 1858, until his assassination in the Sakuradamon Incident on March 24, 1860. He is most famous ...

*Makiya Yamaguchi as

Enomoto Takeaki Viscount was a Japanese samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate and fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War. He later served in the ...

;Shinsengumi * Yū Kamio as

Kondō Isami was a Japanese swordsman and samurai of the late Edo period. He was the fourth generation master of Tennen Rishin-ryū and was famed for his role as commander of the Shinsengumi. Background He was born Miyagawa Katsugorō to a farmer Miyagawa ...

Jun Murakami is a Japanese actor. Career Murakami starred in Sho Miyake's ''Playback'' (2012). He co-starred in Sion Sono's '' The Land of Hope'' (2012) with Megumi Kagurazaka. He has also appeared in films such as Takahisa Zeze's '' Heaven's Story'' an ...

Hijikata Toshizō was a Japanese swordsman of the ''Bakumatsu'' period and of the ''Shinsengumi''. As Vice-Commander, he served the Tokugawa Shogunate and co-led his group in its resistance against the imperial rule brought about by the Meiji Restoration. He ...

* Kenji "KJ" Furuya as Saitō Hajime *Tadashi Mizuno as Nagakura Shinpachi *Shinji Suzuki as Okita Sōji ;Government of Meiji * Katsuhisa Namase as

Katsu Kaishū Count , born , best known by his nickname , was a Japanese statesman, naval engineer and military commander during the late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji period. Kaishū was a nickname which he took from a piece of calligraphy (Kaishū S ...

Mitsuhiro Oikawa is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer and actor who is represented by the talent agency, Mother Enterprise. He graduated from Seijo Gakuen Junior High School and High School and Seijo University Faculty of Law A faculty is a d ...

Kido Takayoshi , formerly known as , was a Japanese statesman, samurai and ''Shishi (Japan), shishi'' who is considered one of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration, three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Early life Born Wada Kogorō on Augu ...

* Kazuki Kosakai as

Iwakura Tomomi was a Japanese statesman during the Bakumatsu and Meiji period. He was one of the leading figures of the Meiji Restoration, which saw Japan's transition from feudalism to modernism. Born to a noble family, he was adopted by the influential Iw ...

* Satoshi Tokushige as

Ōkubo Toshimichi Ōkubo Toshimichi (; 26 September 1830 – 14 May 1878) was a Japanese statesman and samurai of the Satsuma Domain who played a central role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration (維新の� ...

* Masaya Kato as

Itagaki Taisuke Kazoku, Count Itagaki Taisuke (板垣退助, 21 May 1837 – 16 July 1919) was a Japanese samurai, politician, and leader of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (自由民権運動, ''Jiyū Minken Undō''), which evolved into Japan's firs ...

Takashi Sorimachi is a Japanese actor and singer. He is mostly famous for having portrayed Eikichi Onizuka in the 1998 live-action drama adaptation of the popular manga series ''Great Teacher Onizuka'', and the assassin O in Hong Kong action thriller film '' Ful ...

Ōyama Iwao was a Japanese Field Marshal (Japan), field marshal, and one of the founders of the Imperial Japanese Army. He was representative of the outstanding military commanders of the late modern period. Biography Early life Ōyama was born in Kag ...

Eisuke Sasai Eisuke (written: 永輔, 英輔, 英介, 栄介, 英助 or エイスケ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese politician *, Japanese politician *, Japanese footba ...

as Sanjō Sanetomi *Toranosuke Katō as

Itō Hirobumi Kazoku, Prince , born , was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior state ...

* Manabu Ino as

Yamagata Aritomo Prince was a Japanese politician and general who served as prime minister of Japan from 1889 to 1891, and from 1898 to 1900. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior courtiers and statesmen who dominated the politics ...

;Chōshū Domain *

Shun Oguri is a Japanese people, Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor, son of stage director Tetsuya Oguri, and the youngest of 3 siblings, including older brother Ryo, who is also an actor. He started in small roles as extra in the works ...

as Yoshida Shōin * Takamasa Suga as Kusaka Genzui * Hitoshi Ozawa as Sera Shūzō ;Satsuma Domain * Koji Kikkawa as

Saigō Takamori Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...

* Yoichi Hayashi as Shimazu Nariakira ;Others *

Hiroaki Murakami is a Japanese actor. He specializes in ''jidaigeki'' roles, and has also taken parts in ''tokusatsu'' and modern productions. Career Born in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, he enrolled in Hosei University but withdrew when he successfully aud ...

as Matsudaira Yoshinaga *

Eiji Okuda is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in '' Sen no Rikyu''. He won the award for best actor at the 37th Blue Ribbon Awar ...

as Sakuma Shōzan * Goro Ibuki as

Tokugawa Nariaki Tokugawa Nariaki (徳川斉昭, April 4, 1800 – September 29, 1860) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' who ruled the Mito Domain (now Ibaraki Prefecture) and contributed to the rise of nationalism and the Meiji Restoration. Biography Clan leader ...

* Kyūsaku Shimada as Maki Yasuomi * Mitsuki Tanimura as Oda Tokie (Kakuma’s second wife) * Hiroki Matsukata as Ōgakiya Seihachi *Eric Bossick as Carl Wilhelm Heinrich Lehmann *

Mayuko Kawakita is a Japanese-American actress and model, known for her role as Rena on '' Fashion Story: Model'', Nippon Television variety show ''Hirunandesu!'', and ''Sekai no Hatemade Itte Q!''. She is the 2003 winner of the Japan Bishōjo Contest which is ...

Tsuda Umeko was a Japanese educator who founded Tsuda University. She was the daughter of Tsuda Sen, an agricultural scientist, and at the age of 7, she became Japan's first female exchange student, traveling to the U.S. on the same ship as the Iwakura ...

* Ichikawa Somegorō VII as

Emperor Kōmei Osahito (22 July 1831 – 30 January 1867), posthumously honored as Emperor Kōmei, was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the List of Emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')孝明天皇 ...

*Kenji Masaki as

Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese ''samurai'', a '' shishi'' and influential figure of the ''Bakumatsu,'' and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period. Sakamoto was a low-ranking ''samurai'' from the Tosa Domain on Shikoku and became an acti ...

* Masahiro Takashima as Makimura Masanao

Production

On June 22, 2011,

announced that its 52nd taiga drama is titled ''Yae's Sakura'' and will be about the life of Niijima Yae, the "

Jeanne d'Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

Bakumatsu were the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate Meiji Restoration, ended. Between 1853 and 1867, under foreign diplomatic and military pressure, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a Feudali ...

", with Mutsumi Yamamoto as writer and Katu Takō as director. The historical figure of Niijima was chosen for her story of loss and hope, along with her coming from the

Aizu domain was a Han (Japan), domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1601 to 1871.Ravina, Mark. (1998) ''Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan,'' p. 222 The Aizu Domain was based at Aizuwakamatsu Castle, Tsuruga Castle in M ...

(now within the

), to help inspire Japan after the

, which seriously affected Fukushima more than the other prefectures.

Music

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...

was announced as the series' theme music composer on April 10, 2012. This is Sakamoto's first time composing music for a taiga drama.

TV schedule

Reception

In 2014, the series was nominated for the

Home media

The first 15 episodes of ''Yae's Sakura'' were released on Blu-ray on October 23, 2013. The next 16 episodes received a Blu-ray release on January 22, 2014, which includes two behind-the-scenes featurettes and the textless series intro among others. The last 19 episodes of the series were released on Blu-ray on March 19, 2014, with the release featuring cast interviews and a behind-the-scenes featurette among others. All of the Blu-ray releases are

region free A regional lockout (or region coding) is a class of digital rights management preventing the use of a certain product or service, such as multimedia or a hardware device, outside a certain region or territory. A regional lockout may be enforced t ...

Soundtracks

*''NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack I'' (January 30, 2013) *''NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack II'' (July 31, 2013) *''NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack III'' (November 13, 2013) *''NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack Complete Edition'' (January 1, 2014)

References

External links

* * {{Taiga drama Taiga drama 2013 Japanese television series debuts 2013 Japanese television series endings Cultural depictions of Tokugawa Yoshinobu Television series set in the 1850s Television series set in the 1860s Television series set in the 1870s Television series set in the 1880s Television series set in the 1890s Television series set in the 1900s Television shows set in Kyoto Boshin War films