Hiroko Yakushimaru

Yasuo (Hiroshi Abe) grew up as an orphan. He married a woman he loved and they had a son Akira (later played by Takumi Kitamura). Yasuo's life seemed great at the time, but his life totally changed after his wife died in accident. Since that time, Yasuo, who never experienced parents' love himself, has to raise his son Akira alone.

A lonely young man moves in a 50-year-old apartment building. When he meets the cheerful residents, he finds himself surrounded by small happiness.

Sōra is a high school student who is basically invisible at school. He is friends with Chūya, who is an unpredictable character that often surprises those around him. Sōra and Chūya both have feelings for the same classmate, Kio Machida. The Machida girl refuses to come to class, because she doesn't want to dye her naturally brown hair black. Their school has unreasonable school rules, especially about uniforms, which include requiring all students to have black hair. Sōra and Chūya decide to stand up to change their school's black school rules so that Machida won’t have to repeat a year of school from missing too many classes.

Kazu works at "Funiculi Funicula" cafe. There is a mysterious rumour that if a customer takes a specific seat at the cafe, that customer can travel back to a time of their choice.

Hisashi and Mai are a happy couple in their 20s who are engaged to be married. But three months before their wedding, Mai becomes seriously ill. Her heart stops momentarily, and she falls into a deep coma. Hisashi visits Mai at the hospital every day before work. With no idea if or when she will ever awake, Mai’s parents encourage Hisashi to find someone else, but he refuses to give up and continues to pray for her recovery. As if his prayers are answered, Mai begins to regain consciousness several years later, and even utters a few words. But tragically, she has suffered brain damage and has no memory of Hisashi.

Set in an alternate universe, the ancient capital of Kamakura is a vibrant town where fantastical creatures live alongside humans. Akiko is a cheerful publishing assistant who moves into town after marrying Masakazu, a popular mystery writer. Akiko is surprised by the unusual town but enjoys the new curiosities surrounding her. However, just as she was beginning to settle in, a trifling incident sweeps her spirit to the underworld too soon. Convinced that destiny has something else in store for his wife, Masakazu journeys into the underworld to bring back Akiko’s spirit.

here is a small old-fashioned shop called ‘Fuji Family’ at the foot of Mt Fuji that is a convenience store in name only. It is run by three sisters who are known for their beauty. Dependable Oguni Takako (Yakushimaru Hiroko) is the eldest sister, free-spirited Nasumi (Koizumi Kyoko), the second sister, is the complete opposite of Takako in both personality and lifestyle, and tactful Tsukimi (Mimura) is the youngest sister. Although Nasumi lived and got married in Tokyo, she abruptly came back with her husband Kinoshita Hideo (Yoshioka Hidetaka), but died suddenly of illness eight years ago. Takako finally wed Haruta Masao (Takahashi Katsumi), with whom she has had an enduring but difficult relationship, this year. The newlyweds now live in an apartment nearby but Takako constantly comes to ‘Fuji Family’.

Onodera Yuriko sets off for Sweden where her husband, Major General Onodera Makoto, is stationed as a military attache in Stockholm during World War II. Called the "god of intelligence", Makoto is an intelligence officer of the Russian service of the Japanese Army General Staff. Fluent in Russian and German and trusted by the spies of many countries because of his integrity, his office would eventually become the most important Japanese intelligence post in Europe. From the day of her arrival in Stockholm, Yuriko helps her husband's intelligence activities. She encrypts the highly classified information obtained by Makoto and sends it in coded telegrams to the General Staff Headquarters in Japan every day. Husband and wife have jointly undertaken this intelligence work for confidentiality.

At the foot of Mt Fuji, there is a small old-fashioned shop ‘Fuji Family’ that is a convenience store in name only. It is run by three sisters who are known in the neighbourhood as beauties. Oguni Takako is the dependable eldest sister who supported the family in place of their parents when they died young and is the breadwinner who works at a department store. Uninhibited second sister Nasumi is the complete opposite of Takako in personality and lifestyle.

One of the hottest selling tickets in town is to see the hugely popular “rakugoka”, or comic storyteller, Danshun. Danshun himself was inspired as a little boy to become a rakugoka after seeing the legendary Danshi. He had found his calling. After his resistant parents relented to their son’s pleas, Danshun at age 17 became an apprentice of Danshi, the man dubbed a “wunderkind” and “genius” of the rakugo world. He soon realized however how hard the training was, and embarked upon a rigorous existence in which he had to deliver newspapers to earn a living. Living with hardship and joys, Danshun and his fellow apprentices would eventually rise in the rakugo world. A resplendent cast comes together to depict the rough and tumble world of a man who loved rakugo above all else and was destined to fulfill a dream.

Sinbad: Sora Tobu Hime to Himitsu no Shima is an upcoming Japanese animated family adventure film inspired by Arabian Nights. The film is produced by Nippon Animation and Shirogumi, directed by Shinpei Miyashita and written by Kaeko Hayafune.

A small clinic in Kumamoto Prefecture begins accepting anonymous drop-offs of unwanted newborn babies at a residential building. The name of the controversial new program is "Stork Nest."

(I will Soar to the Skies in my Wheelchair ) Hasebe Yasuyuki is living his life carelessly alone in his apartment, until one day, he jumps from the top of a building escaping a street gang and injures his spinal cord. And the doctor tells him that he can't walk anymore. His mother, Haruko, hurries to the hospital for her son, however Yasuyuki is on bad terms with her, so he asks her to leave him alone. There he meets an ill kid in the hospital named Ishii Daisuke who is living his life positively, and the store staff Katou Kumi, who always smiles even though she had a sad past. He gains confidence and decides to start his rehabilitation. After Yasuyuki is discharged from the hospital, he starts relying on everybody everywhere, so he falls into despair and starts thinking of committing suicide seeing no future for himself.

The Tokyo Olympics are about to open, and Rynosuke Chagawa is excited to receive a new TV set to watch the upcoming events. His wife Hiromi is pregnant and he has built a second level on his shop to provide his adopted son Junnosuke with a private space to study for entrance to Tokyo University to set up a career with a major company. He dreams of sparing Junnosuke the struggles that he has faced as a writer. The family continues to rely upon Hiromi's income from her bar. Meanwhile a rival story, The Virus, by a new writer has appeared in the periodical that has been publishing his stories "Boy's Adventure Book" and he fears the new competition. Norifumi Suzuki also receives a new TV, but more of a deluxe model. Mutsuko Hoshino (Roku) is still the principal mechanic in the Suzuki family's auto repair shop, but she dresses up some mornings to go to a nearby street with the hope of a "chance" meeting with Dr...

Wasao, an Akita dog in Aomori Prefecture that became famous as an ugly-yet-cute dog from a traveller's blog. Heartwarming drama starring Wasao himself turns part of the life of this former stray into an original story. Setsuko, who runs a grilled-squid shop in a fishing village at the foot of the Shirakami mountains, decides to take in a large dog with a long, unruly fur that has shown up in town. She names the dog Wasao and showers it with affection, but Wasao at that time doesn't take to Setsuko.

A young girl tries to maintain a long-distance relationship with an aspiring fisherman.

The heart wrenching love story between a married couple. The jobless husband cheats on his wife and has no love for her. The wife wants to go on a trip to get pregnant.

Yasushi and Yuka, who have both lost their spouses in the past, are brought together by fate and lead a happy life together, blessed with two children. Then one day, their new house, which the couple had painstakingly built together, catches fire due to Yuka's carelessness. Fortunately, no one in the family is seriously injured and Yasushi is relieved, but the shock of the fire causes Yuka to suffer from a neurological disorder called dissociative amnesia, and she is unable to remember even her own name. The doctor tells her that there is no clear cure in modern medicine, which shocks Yasushi, but she accepts Yuka in her current state and decides to walk with her again.

The story is set in Chiran, Kagoshima, the site of a secret base used to launch kamikaze missions during the war. At the time, a group of young girls known as the Nadeshiko Tai were gathered to help out at the base. The drama will be part documentary and it is based on the experiences of 78-year-old Shoko Nagasaki, a survivor of the Nadeshiko Tai.

High school student Kasumi Ogino is a member of the school choir and after years of praise for her singing voice thinks she is the absolute bee’s knees. When the object of her desires, classmate and photographer Junichi Makimura, asks Kasumi is he can photograph her singing she accepts, thinking this means she is beautiful as well. However the end result is a comical shot of Kasumi with her mouth wide open, which Makimura likes to a hungry salmon! Distraught by the ensuing humiliation, Kasumi quits the choir, until she is encouraged to return by an unlikely counsel - the brutish leader of thuggish rival all male choir, Hiroshi Gondo.

Would-be writer Ryunosuke Chagawa is still living across the street from Norifumi Suzuki and his auto repair shop, though now he shares his home with Junnosuke, an orphan he's taken under his wing at the urging of pretty Hiroi, who continues to manage a nearby tavern. Chagawa dreams of publishing a successful novel and settling down with Hiroi and Junnosuke, but his day job running the candy store keeps him busy, and Hiroi mistakes his tight schedule for a lack of interest in her. Hiroi has also embarked on a secret career as a burlesque dancer, which isn't doing much to improve her opinion of men. At the Suzuki household, seven-year-old Ippei isn't happy to be sharing the house with a guest, his distant cousin Mika who is the same age but far more demanding. Mutsuko, the apprentice female auto mechanic, is still staying with the Suzukis, and she's becomes the object of the affections of Takeo, a downbeat young man who is studying cooking.

An overworked career woman leaves her life in the city for an island vacation only to encounter eccentric local inhabitants.

The Story of the 1 Litre of Tears special takes place after the events in the main drama. The Special takes the view of Asou Haruto who is remembering life the way it used to be before the events of the last episode of the series.

It's 2007 and the Japanese Ministry of Finance have calculated that the economy will collapse in two years' time. They intend to prevent this by sending home appliance designer Mariko back in time 17 years using a time machine she accidentally invented. However, things don't go as planned and Mariko's daughter, Mayumi, is also sent back to find her mother and save Japan's economy.

In the early morning of January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck, and Tadao Furuichi (Hidekazu Akai), who was running a camera store in Kobe City, lost his friends, his house, and his property. Tadao is busy volunteering for the reconstruction of the town, and one day he comes across his own golf bag that survived the earthquake. Feeling a miracle, Tadao decides to challenge the professional golf test before he turns 60.

After terminally ill Bussan finally passes away he misses hanging out with his still living friends and decides to return to Kisarazu. In his ghost form however only his most trusted friends can see him, and his meddling in the lives of the living results in the return of Ozzy and a long dead team of American baseball players who drowned off the shores of Kisarazu. It's down to Bussan and the Cats to save the day and restore the town to order, but can Bussan bring himself to say bye-bye once and for all?

Mortality and death seen through the eyes of a lonely student who has an morbid and albeit naive fascination with death. His teacher, Koichi is also grappling with the issue of mortality as he deals with the impending death of his ailing father, who has decided to spend his final days in the family home. As the story progresses, Koichi finds unexpected solace from his grief by letting his troubled student visit and meet with his father in the hopes that he will understand the meaning of life and death.

Leaving her provincial home, teenage Mutsuko arrives in Tokyo by train to take a job in a major automotive company but finds that she is employed by a small auto repair shop owned by Norifumi Suzuki. Suzuki's hair-trigger temper is held somewhat in check by the motherly instincts of his wife, Tomoe, and his young son Ippei immediately bonds with Mutsuko as if she were his older sister. The Suzuki shop lies almost in the shadow of the Tokyo Tower as it rises steadily above the skyline during construction in 1958.

Amechiyo (the banished prince) falls in love with Tanukihime (a princess of raccoon dog disguised as human). This is an operetta which includes comedy, singing and dancing, and a love story.

One of the true classic's of anime's much-loved robot genre.

Three couples are staying at a lakeside cottage with their children. They want them to prepare intensely for a prestigious high school's entrance exam with the help of a private tutor. One night, one of the wives confesses to her husband that she has killed his mistress.

When Bussan learns he has less than a year to live, he decides to continue his life as usual. He spends his time with his friends, a band called Kisarazu Cat's Eye. Their funny adventures range from playing gigs to solving a mystery surrounding counterfeit money, but Bussan's impending death is never far away.

The protagonist is a woman (Hiroko Yakushimaru) who is a sales manager at the Japanese branch of a famous French shoe brand. The protagonist is obsessed with a Hong Kong singer called Eakin Cheng and frequently goes to Hong Kong. However, she herself has an ambition to change the company's marketing policy (and if she can't change it, she will launch a new brand herself), so she goes to Hong Kong to plan this and that. However, this comes to light, and as it goes against the wishes of the head office, a feud is brewing between the two.

A drama about a nurse starring Hiroko Yakushimaru

Shoko and Mutsuki get married to satisfy their worried parents, but she is well past the age at which a 'good' Japanese woman should marry, and he is in love with a young male college student. The film is less a realistic exploration of gay life than a fairy tale of three young Japanese trying to construct an alternative to the sexual and familial roles given to them by a society turning increasingly emotionally barren.L.

Eiji Kawano (Kunie Tanaka) has recently broken from the Japanese company he used to work for. As an immigrant to Tasmania, he has been won over by the island's immense natural beauty, and he is conscience-bound to oppose his former employer's ecologically unsound practices. He is also estranged from his grown son, who still resides in Japan. When his son comes to Tasmania for a visit, he must face the challenge of renewing their relationship.

When a hard-driving copywriter (Hiroyuki Sanada) discovers his comely wife (Keiko Saito) is involved in a scintillating game of strip rock-paper-scissors with some guy clad only in a pair of boxer shorts and Mickey Mouse ears, he is less than happy. When the stranger tries to make a run for it, a fight ensues between the two men, and they accidentally tumble down several flights of a concrete stairwell. One hurried ambulance ride later, the copywriter finds himself in a private teaching hospital equipped with the latest gleaming gizmos. Meanwhile, a young internist (Hiroko Yakushimaru) girds herself for her first emergency room case -- the battered copywriter. After giving a curt bow and a nervous "Good Evening," she accidentally jams a syringe into his bloody wound. Soon the absurdity of their situation, along with their medical misery, binds the two men and their blundering nurse together.

Ryoko, a free-spirited 23-year-old woman, quits her job after being caught having an affair with a co-worker and finds herself on the street. She comes to Tokyo, relying on her aunt Moeko, a career woman who works as a manager at a major city bank. The two, who have completely different personalities, quarrel constantly whenever they see each other.

Ryoko, a free-spirited 23-year-old woman, quits her job after being caught having an affair with a co-worker and finds herself on the street. She comes to Tokyo, relying on her aunt Moeko, a career woman who works as a manager at a major city bank. The two, who have completely different personalities, quarrel constantly whenever they see each other.

The adventures and tribulations of a group of students during the years following the II World War.

Etsuko, a female college student, tries to beat the con artists at their own game after she gets scammed one after another.

A young jazz musician's desire to advance in his career runs afoul of organized crime in this thriller from Haruki Kadokawa. After a saxophonist starts playing at a particular nightspot, a thug from the Yakuza adopts him as a special friend for no greater reason than he plays one of his favorite songs well. As the dangerous life of the gangster intertwines with that of the musician, it brings harm to the musician's girlfriend, who is raped. This changes the young saxophonist's attitude about his patron, but his Yakuza "friend" is still too embroiled in his own problems to worry about anything else.

Young writer Tamako, who is wrongfully accused of killing the head yakuza, must find a way out of trouble.

A young girl is striving for stardom. In order to get a lead role in a new production, she agrees to stand-in for a famous star whose rich patron died in her arms one night. The real-life drama gradually comes to mirror the story of the play being performed by her.

A kindergarten teacher meets a novice magician and together they travel to another city to find love.

The evil Hikita clan rises from the dead to fulfill a curse on the Satomi clan by restoring the face of their warlord by using the skin of Princess Shizu. In the process of trying to capture her, the clan murders her entire family, but Princess Shizu escapes their clutches. She enlists the aid of eight samurai warriors, possessors of powerful magic crystal, led by Dosetsu (Sonny Chiba!) to help rescue the remaining members of her court and revenge her family. Along the way, they must fight undead warriors, evil spirits, poisonous beauties and a giant centipede.

Naomi is a university student who is leaving for the US to study in a week; Shuichi is a washed-up gumshoe who's hired by Naomi's father to bodygard his daughter until she leaves. Shuichi finds the job annoying and wants to quit. But he also has a screwed-up ex and alimony to pay. Things go from bad to worse when Naomi and Shuichi stumble upon a murder which might involve the yakuza. They decide to find out who committed the murder but God knows what it will lead to.

A high-school girl inherits a declining yakuza organization, which seeks to repair its fortunes under her leadership.

Mitamura Yuka is a normal, shy high school student. Except for the fact that she has psychic powers. When a new student with similar powers begins to show her skills, creating a force of psychic Nazi student enforcers, Yuka and her friends vow to stop her. But behind it all is a mysterious force that will put Yuka's powers to the ultimate test!

Aspiring to be admitted to a good university and to become a lawyer, Tasiro Yuusuke, a tenth-grader from Kyushu, enrolls in a prestigious high school in Tokyo. Plans are made for him to live in his uncle's house, part of which is rented out while his uncle is abroad on business. A realtor's mistakes leaves Tasiro sharing the house with Kei Yamaba, the most beautiful girl in the school, who is also his classmate. There is the risk that their unexpected 'co-habitation' will be discovered by the school authorities.

A young boy learns he is part of a powerful race of psionic humans who must fight the normal humans determined to keep them from Earth.

A squadron of Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers find themselves transported through time to their country's warring states era, when rival samurai clans were battling to become the supreme Shogun.

Special forces officer Ajisawa leaves his paramilitary group to take care of his newly-adopted daughter, Yoriko: the sole survival of a bloodbath for which he is responsible. Years later, Ajisawa is forced to return to the scene of the tragedy for his new job as a claims adjuster where he is subsequently arrested for his suspected involvement. But the threat of jail time is the least of his worries as his former organization comes gunning for him.