is a

Japanese television drama , also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller ...

that aired on

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

in 2011 in the

Asadora , colloquially known as , is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode, Japanese television drama program series broadcast in the mornings by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. The first such series aired in 1961 with the black-and-white , starring Take ...

time slot. Originally it was planned to air from March 28, 2011 (same as 2005's Asadora series Fight) to September 24, 2011, but it was delayed due to the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. It later aired from April 4, 2011 to October 1, 2011, same as 1988's and 1994's .

Cast

Mao Inoue Mao Inoue (born January 9, 1987) is a Japanese actress. She debuted as an actress when she was five years old. She is best known to Japanese television drama audiences as in , as Makino Tsukushi in the popular ''Hana Yori Dango'' series, and ...

as Yōko Maruyama (her maiden name was Sudō) **Yūki Yagi as young Yōko **

Ayako Wakao is a Japanese actress who was one of the country's biggest stars of the 20th century. Biography Wakao began her career contracted to Daiei Studios in 1951 as part of the fifth "New Face" group. She has gone on to appear in over 100 feature films ...

as older Yōko Maruyama *

Kengo Kora is a Japanese actor. Career Kora has gained recognition for his roles in films such as Shinji Aoyama's '' Sad Vacation'', Yukio Ninagawa's ''Snakes and Earrings'', Tran Anh Hung's '' Norwegian Wood'', Ryuichi Hiroki's ''The Egoists'', Yoshihir ...

as Kazunari Maruyama *

Hikari Mitsushima is a Japanese actress, singer and model. In 2017 she was the vocalist and dancer in Mondo Grosso's videos for "Labyrinth", which has garnered over 32 million views on YouTube as of 2 February 2022, and "In this World". Career She began her mus ...

as Ikuko Tsutsui **

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is a Japanese actress, voice actress, tarento, World Wide Fund for Nature advisor, and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. She is well known for her charitable works, and is considered one of the first Japanese celebrities to achieve international re ...

as older Ikuko *

Maiko A is an apprentice geisha in Kyoto and Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the or other traditional Japanese instruments for visitors during banquets and parties, known as . are usually aged between 17 to 20 years ...

as Machiko Hatano (her maiden name was Sōma) **

Yoko Tsukasa is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 17th Blue Ribbon Awards for '' Kinokawa''. She is professor at Tokyo University of Social Welfare and serves as the 2nd head of Nihon Taishōmura theme park. Life Yōko Shōji ...

as older Machiko *

Kei Tanaka is a Japanese actor. Filmography Film Television series Japanese dub * '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019) - Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) * '' Godzilla vs. Kong'' (2021) - Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) * '' The Lost City'' (2 ...

as Haruki Sudō, Yōko's eldest brother *

Kento Nagayama is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2008. Nagayama has two elder brothers who are also actors: Tatsuya and Eita is a Japanese actor from Tokyo. He has appeared in many Japanese television dramas and movies; mo ...

Sigeki Sudō, Yōko's eldest brother *

Tokio Emoto is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency Knockout. Biography Emoto's father is Akira Emoto, his mother is Kazue Tsunogae, and his brother is Tasuku Emoto. He is left-handed. In 2003, Emoto had his acting debut in the film, '' ...

as Takeo Miyamoto *

Ayumi Ito is a Japanese actress from Tokyo, Japan. Career Ito played a supporting role in ''Tokyo!''. She also appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2012 television drama ''Penance''. Filmography Film * ''Samurai Kids'' (1993) – Chizuko Kusubayashi * '' Swal ...

as Natsuko Takahashi *

Yumi Shirakawa was a Japanese film and television actress. She was called the Japanese Grace Kelly when she debuted. She was scoted and joined Toho film company. In the same year, she made her film debut with ''Narazumono''. Her notable films are ''Rodan'' (1 ...

as Setsuko Miyazawa * Eriko Watanabe as Kayo Murakami * Kazuyoshi Koshida as Michio Maruyama *

Hiroshi Inuzuka (born 23 March 1929, Tokyo) is a Japanese actor, comedian and bassist. Inuzuka is one of the members of the Crazy Cats. His first starring role in the film was in ''Suteki na Konban wa'' directed by Yoshitarō Nomura and played the leading rol ...

as Takeo Miyamoto *

Yasufumi Terawaki is a Japanese actor. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize for '' Aibō The Movie''. Selected filmography Film * '' Mangetsu no Kuchizuke'' (1989) * ''Kinako'' (2011) * '' Samurai Hustle'' (2014) * ''My Lov ...

as Ryūichi Sudō, Yōko's father *

Tomoyo Harada is a Japanese actress, singer, and lyricist, and was a popular idol in the 80's. She was cast in numerous films and TV-series since her beginning in 1982 in the leading role of the original TV series '' Sailorfuku to kikanju''. Her first role i ...

as Hiroko Sudō, Yōko's mother * Yuki Saito as Fusako Haraguchi *

Kanako Higuchi (born December 13, 1958) is a Japanese actress. Her credits include film, television, and radio dramas, stage, commercials, and voice roles. Born in Kamo, Niigata, she played her first lead at age 20 in the television drama ''Kōrogi-bashi.'' ...

as Tokoku Maruyama *

Misako Watanabe is a Japanese stage, film and television actress. A graduate of the Haiyuza Theatre Company, she gave her film debut in Tadashi Imai's ''Tower of Lilies'' (1953) before becoming a contract player at the Nikkatsu film studios. She appeared in alm ...

as Fujiko Kirino

International broadcast

* The broadcast rights for the drama were sold to Sri Lanka with the intention of dubbing it into

Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...

References

External links

* * 2011 Japanese television series debuts 2011 Japanese television series endings Asadora Television shows written by Yoshikazu Okada {{Japan-tv-prog-stub