Renzoku Terebi Shōsetsu (連続テレビ小説, "serial TV novel"), colloquially known asasadora (朝ドラ, "MorningDrama"), is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode,[1]Japanese televisiondramaprogram series broadcast in the mornings byJapanese public broadcasterNHK. The first such series aired in 1961 with the black-and-whiteA Daughter and Me (娘と私,Musume to Watashi), starringTakeshi Kitazawa which aired in Japan Monday through Friday mornings—it was also the only of such series to be aired for 20 minutes per episode.[1] From 1975 onward, series aired in the first half of the year are produced by theNHK Tokyo Broadcasting station and series in the latter half of the year are produced by theNHK Osaka Broadcasting station; the Osaka branch's firstasadora production wasWhirlpools (うず潮,Uzushio) in 1964.
Due to the practice ofwiping commonly in practice around the world in the 1960s and 1970s, not all episodes of all pre-1980asadora series survive, as the2-inch Quad videotapes were often wiped and reused; 16 of the producedasadora series in total are incomplete in the NHK archives, with several series having no surviving episodes at all. Several late 1970s series are complete in the archive as the result of off-air home video recordings donated by viewers; all series fromBig Sister Ma (マー姉ちゃん,Mā-nē-chan) (1979) onward are retained in full in their original formats.
Asadora currently airs in Japan Monday through Saturday mornings onNHK General TV from 8:00 to 8:15, with a rebroadcast the same day from 12:45 to 13:00. Starting withYell (エール,Ēru) (2020), the timeslot changed to Monday through Friday mornings, with the omnibus airings on Saturday. Theasadora have become some of the most popular shows on Japanese television, with series such asOshin, earning an overall 52.6-percentratings for the series.[1]
Virtually all of the storylines center on the life of a female heroine who faces challenges while working to achieve her dreams. The heroine is chosen by NHK through an audition that involves interviews with several thousand applicants. The winning actress not only stars in anasadora, but also becomes a spokeswoman for NHK, and is usually involved in NHK-sponsored events—including the annualKōhaku Uta Gassen New Year's Eve event. Often, the asadora serves as a springboard for the actress to other opportunities within the Japanese entertainment industry.
The current series isAnpan (2025).[2]
| Shōwa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title (Literal meaning) | First aired | Last aired | Notes | |
| 1 | Musume to Watashi (娘と私) (Daughter and Me) | 3 April 1961 | 30 March 1962 | StarringTakeshi Kitazawa in a story of a father taking care of his step-daughter, born between his now-deceased wife and a Frenchman. The only Asadora until 2020 to be broadcast in only five 15-minute episodes per week Monday through Friday. Three episodes are retained in the NHK archives. |
| 2 | Ashita no kaze (あしたの風) (Wind of Tomorrow) | 2 April 1962 | 30 March 1963 | StarringFumiko Watanabe in a drama of a poor family after the war. The first Asadora to be broadcast in 15-minute episodes Monday through Saturday. Only the final episode currently survives in the NHK archives. |
| 3 | Akatsuki (あかつき) (Dawn) | 1 April 1963 | 4 April 1964 | StarringShin Saburi as a professor who quits the university to become a painter. Two episodes currently survive in the NHK archives. |
| 4 | Uzushio (うず潮) (Whirlpools) | 6 April 1964 | 3 April 1965 | StarringMichiko Hayashi as a woman born in poverty who lives a brave life. Based on a novel byFumiko Hayashi. Two episodes currently survive in the NHK archives. |
| 5 | Tamayura (たまゆら) (By Accident) | 5 April 1965 | 2 April 1966 | StarringChishū Ryū as an old man who begins to travel after he retires. From a story written for television byYasunari Kawabata. All episodes are missing from the NHK archives. |
| 6 | Ohanahan (おはなはん) (Miss Flower) | 4 April 1966 | 1 April 1967 | StarringFumie Kashiyama as a woman, born in theMeiji era, who raises a family by herself. Nine episodes of the original broadcast version are retained in the NHK archives, but an alternate version which edited the original 15-minute episodes into hour-long omnibus format is fully intact, with all 48 episodes extant; this version was later re-edited into 15-minute episodes in 1993 for a special repeat broadcast. |
| 7 | Tabiji (旅路) (The Way to Travel) | 3 April 1967 | 30 March 1968 | StarringTadashi Yokouchi in a narrative about an employee of the national railroad living through 50 years of modern history with his wife. Three episodes of the original broadcast version survive in the NHK archives, but as withOhanahan, a re-edited omnibus version also exists in full, though it has never been rebroadcast. |
| 8 | Ashita koso (あしたこそ) (Tomorrow) | 1 April 1968 | 5 April 1969 | StarringYumiko Fujita in a family drama. The firstasadora to be broadcast in color. All episodes save for #315 (the finale) are missing from the NHK archives. |
| 9 | Nobuko to obāchan (信子とおばあちゃん) (Noboko and Granny) | 7 April 1969 | 4 April 1970 | StarringNaoko Otani as a young woman living with her grandmother. All episodes are missing from the NHK archives. |
| 10 | Niji (虹) (Rainbow) | 6 April 1970 | 3 April 1971 | StarringYōko Minamida as a woman who supported her family during and after World War II. All episodes are missing from the NHK archives, though a brief clip does survive as part of a contemporary news segment documenting the drama's production. |
| 11 | Mayuko hitori (繭子ひとり) (Mayuko, The Only One) | 5 April 1971 | 1 April 1972 | StarringKarin Yamaguchi. Second highest rated Asadora with an average rating of 47.4%.[3] All episodes are missing from the NHK archives, though portions of episodes 24 and 125 have been recovered from off-airU-matic andBetamax recordings.[4][5] |
| 12 | Ai yori aoku (藍より青く) (Green Comes From Blue) | 3 April 1972 | 31 March 1973 | StarringHiroko Maki. Screenplay byTaiichi Yamada. Third highest rated Asadora at 47.3%.[3] The first episode and part of the final episode are retained in the NHK archives. |
| 13 | Kita no kazoku (北の家族) (Family from the North) | 2 April 1973 | 30 March 1974 | StarringYōko Takahashi in a story about a brother and sister coming of age inHakodate andKanazawa.[3] Six episodes survive in the NHK archives. |
| 14 | Hatoko no umi (鳩子の海) (Hatako's Sea) | 1 April 1974 | 5 April 1975 | StarringMihoko Fujita as a woman who lost her memory after experiencing theatomic bombing of Hiroshima.[3] The first and last episodes survive in their original broadcast format, while 38 additional episodes have been recovered from off-air recordings. |
| 15 | Mizuiro no toki (水色の時) (Aqua Age) | 7 April 1975 | 4 October 1975 | StarringShinobu Otake in a story about a young woman striving to become a doctor and her mother, who is a nurse. The firstasadora to run for a six-month period. Average rating of 40.1%.[3] The first and last episodes survive in their original broadcast format, while 9 additional episodes have been recovered from off-air recordings. |
| 16 | Ohayōsan (おはようさん) (Good Morning, Madam) | 6 October 1975 | 3 April 1976 | StarringYoko Akino in a contemporary story about a woman office worker. Four episodes survive in their original broadcast format, with additional episodes having been recovered from off-air recordings. |
| 17 | Kumo no jūtan (雲のじゅうたん) (Mat of Cloud) | 5 April 1976 | 2 October 1976 | StarringYōko Asaji as a woman who wants to become a pilot. The earliestasadora to have all originally broadcast episodes retained in full in the NHK archives. |
| 18 | Hi no kuni ni (火の国に) (Nation of Fire) | 4 October 1976 | 2 April 1977 | StarringKeiko Suzuka about a woman who strives to become a landscape gardener. Eight episodes survive in the NHK archives. |
| 19 | Ichibanboshi (いちばん星) (Like a Star) | 4 April 1977 | 1 October 1977 | A dramatization of the life of the singerChiyako Sato.Michiko Godai replacedHaruna Takase in the lead two months into the series when Takase became ill. All episodes survive in the NHK archives, but only the first and last in their original broadcast format; all others were recovered from off-air recordings. |
| 20 | Kazamidori (風見鶏) (Chicken-shaped Anemoscope) | 3 October 1977 | 1 April 1978 | StarringHarumi Arai as a woman who marries a German and starts a bakery inKobe. All episodes survive in the NHK archives, recovered from off-air recordings. |
| 21 | Otei-chan (おていちゃん) (Otei-chan) | 3 April 1978 | 30 September 1978 | StarringChikako Yuri in a dramatization of the life ofSadako Sawamura. Ten episodes survive in the NHK archives. |
| 22 | Watashi wa umi (わたしは海) (I Am the Sea) | 2 October 1978 | 31 March 1979 | StarringTomoko Aihara. About a woman raising war orphans. Three episodes survive in the NHK archives. The most recentasadora to have missing episodes; all subsequent series survive in full. |
| 23 | Mā-nē-chan (マー姉ちゃん) (Big Sister Ma) | 2 April 1979 | 29 September 1979 | Based on autobiographical stories penned bymanga artistMachiko Hasegawa and featuring her older sister. StarringMami Kumagai andYūko Tanaka. |
| 24 | Ayu no uta (鮎のうた) (Song of Ayu Fish) | 1 October 1979 | 5 April 1980 | StarringSenri Yamazaki as a woman who makes her life at a fishing port. |
| 25 | Natchan no shashinkan (なっちゃんの写真館) (Natchan's Photo Studio) | 7 April 1980 | 4 October 1980 | StarringTomoko Hoshino as a woman who strives to become a photographer. |
| 26 | Niji o oru (虹を織る) (Knit Rainbow) | 6 October 1980 | 4 April 1981 | StarringMisako Konno as a woman fromHagi, Yamaguchi, who joins theTakarazuka Revue. |
| 27 | Mansaku no hana (まんさくの花) (The Flower of Hamamelis) | 6 April 1981 | 3 October 1981 | A rareasadora that is wholly set in contemporary Japan. |
| 28 | Honjitsu mo seiten nari (本日も晴天なり) (Another Sunny Day) | 5 October 1981 | 3 April 1982 | StarringHideko Hara as a woman who becomes aradio announcer and then a writer. |
| 29 | Haikara-san (ハイカラさん) (Vogue) | 5 April 1982 | 2 October 1982 | StarringSatomi Tezuka as a woman who starts a hotel in theMeiji era. |
| 30 | Yōi don (よーいドン) (Become a Great Person) | 4 October 1982 | 2 April 1983 | StarringKumiko Fujiyoshi as a woman who suffers family hardships before achieving success as a marathon runner. |
| 31 | Oshin (おしん) | 4 April 1983 | 31 March 1984 | StarringAyako Kobayashi,Yūko Tanaka, andNobuko Otowa – Oshin's perseverance pulls her through various challenges during her life. The firstasadora to be broadcast outside of Japan, and also the most internationally successful, having aired in 73 countries.[6] The episode aired on 12 November 1983 is the highest-rated inJapanese television drama history, garnering a 62.9 percent viewer share.[7] |
| 32 | Romansu (ロマンス) (Romance) | 2 April 1984 | 29 September 1984 | StarringTakaaki Enoki as a young man who becomes afilm director. The first Asadora with a male lead since 1967. |
| 33 | Kokoro wa itsumo ramune-iro (心はいつもラムネ色) (My Heart is Like Lemon-soda) | 1 October 1984 | 30 March 1985 | StarringEisaku Shindō as a man who lovesmanzai. Average rating of 40.2%.[3] |
| 34 | Miotsukushi (澪つくし) (Day Beacon) | 1 April 1985 | 5 October 1985 | StarringYasuko Sawaguchi. Average rating of 44.3%.[3] |
| 35 | Ichiban-daiko (いちばん太鼓) (Best Taiko Drum) | 7 October 1985 | 5 April 1986 | StarringShin'ichirō Okano. About a man who enters the world of popular theatre. |
| 36 | Hanekonma (はね駒) (Vigorous Pony) | 7 April 1986 | 4 October 1986 | StarringYuki Saito. Average rating of 41.7%.[3] |
| 37 | Miyako no kaze (都の風) (Wind of the City) | 6 October 1986 | 4 April 1987 | StarringMiyuki Kanō. A woman from Kyoto moves to Nara and runs aryokan and then enters the fashion industry. |
| 38 | Chotchan (チョッちゃん) (Chotchan) | 6 April 1987 | 3 October 1987 | StarringHiro Komura. Based on the autobiography ofTetsuko Kuroyanagi's mother. |
| 39 | Hassai Sensei (はっさい先生) (Teacher Hassai) | 5 October 1987 | 2 April 1988 | StarringMayumi Wakamura. About a woman from Tokyo who goes to teach at an all-boys school. |
| 40 | Non-chan no yume (ノンちゃんの夢) (Dream of Non-chan) | 4 April 1988 | 1 October 1988 | StarringTomoko Fujita. About a woman who struggles to survive afterWorld War II and starts a magazine. Average rating of 39.1%.[3] |
| 41 | Jun-chan no ōenka (純ちゃんの応援歌) (Supporting Song of Jun-chan) | 3 October 1988 | 1 April 1989 | StarringTomoko Yamaguchi in her acting debut. Average rating of 38.6%.[3] |
| Heisei | ||||
| 42 | Seishun kazoku (青春家族) (Youthfulness Family) | 3 April 1989 | 30 September 1989 | StarsMisa Shimizu andAyumi Ishida. Average rating of 37.8%.[3] |
| 43 | Wakko no kin medaru (和っこの金メダル) (Wakko's Gold Medal) | 2 October 1989 | 31 March 1990 | About a female volleyball player who helps out the local community. StarringAzusa Watanabe. |
| 44 | Rinrin to (凛凛と) (Rinrin) | 2 April 1990 | 29 September 1990 | About a man who developed an early television system. StarringMinoru Tanaka. |
| 45 | Kyō, futari (京、ふたり) (Kyoto, Two People) | 1 October 1990 | 30 March 1991 | Set in an old Kyototsukemono store, this series depicted the conflicts between a woman, her daughter and her father-in-law. |
| 46 | Kimi no na wa (君の名は) (What is Your Name?) | 1 April 1991 | 4 April 1992 | The first year-long series sinceOshin. StarredKyōka Suzuki, but ended up being the first Asadora with an average rating under 30%.[3] |
| 47 | Onna wa dokyō (おんなは度胸) (Women Need To Be Brave) | 6 April 1992 | 3 October 1992 | Chronicles the conflicts between a woman and her step-daughter in a hot springs town. StarringPinko Izumi andSachiko Sakurai. |
| 48 | Hirari (ひらり) (Power and Beauty) | 5 October 1992 | 3 April 1993 | StarringHikari Ishida. Screenplay byMakiko Uchidate, who is a member of theJapan Sumo Association, and is involved in sumo matters, such as advancingrikishi to the rank ofYokozuna. The storyline evolves around sumo – as the heroine become anutritionist and works within the sumo system. Average rating of 36.9%.[3] |
| 49 | Ee Nyobo (ええにょぼ) (Good Wife) | 5 April 1993 | 2 October 1993 | A woman works hard to become a good doctor even though she is separated from her husband. StarringNaho Toda. |
| 50 | Karin (かりん) (Pseudocydonia) | 4 October 1993 | 2 April 1994 | A young woman, whose family runs an oldmiso company inNagano Prefecture, lives through the hardships of postwar Japan. StarringNaomi Hosokawa. Last Asadora to top 30% in ratings.[3] |
| 51 | Piano (ぴあの) | 4 April 1994 | 1 October 1994 | About the youngest of four sisters, all raised solely by their father, who wants to write children's books. StarringRisa Junna. |
| 52 | Haru yo, koi (春よ、来い) (Spring, Please Come!) | 3 October 1994 | 30 September 1995 | A successful screenwriter looks back on her life when she learns her husband has cancer. A year-long series, starringNarumi Yasuda. |
| 53 | Hashiran ka! (走らんか!) (Go Ahead Without Reserve) | 2 October 1995 | 30 March 1996 | Set inHakata, the series is about a young man who wants to playrock music even though his father expects him to follow him in makingHakata ningyō. One of the few Asadora starring a male character. |
| 54 | Himawari (ひまわり) (Sunflower) | 1 April 1996 | 5 October 1996 | About a woman, played byNanako Matsushima, striving to become a lawyer. |
| 55 | Futarikko (ふたりっ子) (Twins) | 7 October 1996 | 5 April 1997 | About a female professionalshogi player and her twin sister. StarringHiromi Iwasaki andMaiko Kikuchi, with Kana Mikura and Mana Mikura (ManaKana) playing them as children. Average rating of 29.0% |
| 56 | Aguri (あぐり) | 7 April 1997 | 4 October 1997 | Based on the life of the beauty stylist Aguri Yoshiyuki, who married the novelistEisuke Yoshiyuki and became the mother of the novelistJunnosuke Yoshiyuki and the actressKazuko Yoshiyuki. StarringMisato Tanaka andMansai Nomura. |
| 57 | Amakarashan (甘辛しゃん) (Sweet and Spicy Beauty) | 6 October 1997 | 4 April 1998 | About a young woman who hopes to become asake brewer. StarringYumiko Sato. |
| 58 | Ten Urara (天うらら) (Invigorating Day) | 6 April 1998 | 3 October 1998 | About a young woman training to be a carpenter who, through her own family situation, learns about the need for abarrier-free world. StarringRisa Sudo. |
| 59 | Yanchakure (やんちゃくれ) (Mischievous Girl) | 5 October 1998 | 3 April 1999 | About a young woman inOsaka who helps resurrect a shipbuilding company. StarringMiho Konishi. |
| 60 | Suzuran (すずらん) (Lily of the Valley) | 5 April 1999 | 2 October 1999 | Follows the life of a woman, raised in a coal town inHokkaido by a father who worked on the railroad, from the 1920s to the 1930s. StarringNagiko Tōno andChieko Baisho. |
| 61 | Asuka (あすか) | 4 October 1999 | 1 April 2000 | Asuka learns to become awagashi maker, even though wagashi is a heavily male-dominated field. StarringYūko Takeuchi. |
| 62 | Watashi no aozora (私の青空) (My Blue Sky) | 3 April 2000 | 30 September 2000 | About a young woman whose fiancé leaves her, pregnant, at the altar. With her son, she leaves forTsukiji to make it on her own. StarringTomoko Tabata. |
| 63 | Ōdorī (Audrey オードリー) (Audrey) | 2 October 2000 | 31 March 2001 | About a young woman involved in theJapanese film industry in Kyoto. StarringAya Okamoto. |
| 64 | Churasan (ちゅらさん) (Water Lady) | 2 April 2001 | 29 September 2001 | The first Asadora set inOkinawa. StarringRyōko Kuninaka. |
| 65 | Honmamon (ほんまもん) (Gourmet Life) | 1 October 2001 | 30 March 2002 | About a young woman striving to become a chef inWakayama Prefecture. StarringChizuru Ikewaki. |
| 66 | Sakura (さくら) | 1 April 2002 | 28 September 2002 | Sakura Matsushita (Shiho Takano) is a third-generationJapanese-American, living inHonolulu, Hawaii. Her dream is to become anALT teacher in Japan, and moves there to achieve her dream. Firstasadora to be recorded inHD. |
| 67 | Manten (まんてん) (Full of the Sky) | 30 September 2002 | 29 March 2003 | StarringMao Miyaji. About a woman who studies to be ameteorologist. |
| 68 | Kokoro (こころ) (Heart) | 31 March 2003 | 27 September 2003 | StarringNoriko Nakagoshi. Set inAsakusa, Tokyo. |
| 69 | Teruteru Kazoku (てるてる家族) (Happy Family) | 29 September 2003 | 27 March 2004 | StarringSatomi Ishihara and based on a novel byRei Nakanishi. First Asadora to average under 20% in ratings.[3] |
| 70 | Tenka (天花) (Ceiling) | 29 March 2004 | 25 September 2004 | StarringEma Fujisawa as a young woman fromSendai, Miyagi |
| 71 | Wakaba (わかば) | 27 September 2004 | 26 March 2005 | StarringNatsuki Harada as a young woman who becomes a landscaper |
| 72 | Fight (ファイト) | 28 March 2005 | 1 October 2005 | Yuika Motokariya stars as 15-year-old Kido Yū, living with her family inTakasaki,Gunma Prefecture. Yū faces tough times, and relies on the friendship of a horse to keep her spirits up. |
| 73 | Kaze no Haruka (風のハルカ) (Haruka in the Wind) | 3 October 2005 | 1 April 2006 | StarringEri Murakawa. Takes place inYufuin,Ōita Prefecture. Haruka's goal is to become a travel agent, and moves to Osaka, leaving her father and sister behind, to achieve her dream. |
| 74 | Junjō Kirari (純情きらり) (Shining Junjo) | 3 April 2006 | 30 September 2006 | StarringAoi Miyazaki. Sakurako's dream is to become a jazz pianist. Events take place inOkazaki,Aichi Prefecture. |
| 75 | Imo Tako Nankin (芋たこなんきん) (Taro, Octopus and Pumpkin) | 2 October 2006 | 31 March 2007 | Based on a true story,Naomi Fujiyama plays the heroine role of Machiko Hanaoka – a 37-year-old woman who dreams of becoming a novelist. She marries into anextended family. Events take place in the city ofOsaka. |
| 76 | Dondo Hare (どんど晴れ)[8][9] (Clear Up Soon!) | 2 April 2007 | 29 September 2007 | StarsManami Higa. Screenplay byEriko Komatsu. Natsumi marries an heir of a high classryokan, located inMorioka,Iwate Prefecture. She then becomes the ryokan'sokami or manager. |
| 77 | Chiritotechin (ちりとてちん) (Life's Like a Comedy) | 1 October 2007 | 29 March 2008 | StarringShihori Kanjiya. The storyline focuses on the art ofrakugo. Kiyomi's dream is to become a rakugoka, despite rakugo being a male-dominated field. |
| 78 | Hitomi (瞳) (Eyes) | 31 March 2008 | 27 September 2008 | StarringNana Eikura. Hitomi's dream is to become a dancer of modern music. |
| 79 | Dandan (だんだん) (Thank You) | 29 September 2008 | 28 March 2009 | Starring identical twinsMana and Kana Mikura (ofFutarikko fame). Finding each other years after being separated as children, they work together to achieve their dreams as singers. |
| 80 | Tsubasa (つばさ) (Wings) | 30 March 2009 | 26 September 2009 | StarringMikako Tabe as Tsubasa who works at a local radio station, and eventually becomes adisc jockey. |
| 81 | Wel-kame (ウェルかめ) (Welcome Back) | 28 September 2009 | 27 March 2010 | StarringKana Kurashina. About a girl fromMinami-cho,Tokushima who, inspired by seeing asea turtle when she was six, strives to become a magazine editor. Lowest rated Asadora at 13.5%.[3] |
| 82 | Gegege no Nyobo (ゲゲゲの女房) (GeGeGe's Wife) | 29 March 2010 | 25 September 2010 | StarringNao Matsushita. Fumie is the wife of manga artistShigeru Mizuki. The screenplay is based on her rags to riches biography. |
| 83 | Teppan (てっぱん) (Teppanyaki) | 27 September 2010 | 2 April 2011 | StarringMiori Takimoto andSumiko Fuji. Akari's natural mother is originally from Osaka. She moves to Osaka to live with her grandmother to learn more about her mother. She learns that her grandmother closed theokonomiyaki restaurant after Akari's teenage mother ran away. Akari then re-opens the restaurant. |
| 84 | Ohisama (おひさま) (Sunshine) | 4 April 2011 | 1 October 2011 | StarringMao Inoue. The title refers to the sun, and thus also relates to the heroine Yoko, whose name means "child of the sun". Yoko's dream is to become a school teacher, but she also experiences tough times during thePacific War. |
| 85 | Carnation (カーネーション) | 3 October 2011 | 31 March 2012 | StarringMachiko Ono. Based on the life of fashion designerAyako Koshino. Her three daughters would eventually all become fashion designers. |
| 86 | Umechan Sensei (梅ちゃん先生) (Doctor Umechan) | 2 April 2012 | 29 September 2012 | StarringMaki Horikita, who plays a young woman striving to become aphysician inpost-World War IITokyo. |
| 87 | Jun to Ai (純と愛) (Jun and Ai) | 1 October 2012 | 30 March 2013 | StarringNatsuna as a young woman who wants to start her ideal hotel. Set inOsaka andMiyakojima. |
| 88 | Amachan (あまちゃん) (Little Ama) | 1 April 2013 | 28 September 2013 | StarringRena Nōnen as a young woman who becomes anama and then anidol before returning toTohoku to help revive the area after theearthquake. |
| 89 | Gochisōsan (ごちそうさん) (Thanks for the Hospitality) | 30 September 2013 | 29 March 2014 | StarringAnne Watanabe as a young woman trying to learn how to cookJapanese cuisine during theTaisho andShōwa periods. |
| 90 | Hanako to Anne (花子とアン) (Hanako and Anne) | 31 March 2014 | 27 September 2014 | StarringYuriko Yoshitaka as Hanako Muraoka, the woman who first translatedAnne of Green Gables into Japanese.[10] |
| 91 | Massan (マッサン) | 29 September 2014 | 28 March 2015 | StarringCharlotte Kate Fox as Ellie Kameyama, wife of Masaharu Kameyama, portrayed byTetsuji Tamayama, a man who startswhisky brewing in Japan. It is based on the life ofRita Taketsuru, a Scotswoman who married the Japanese manMasataka Taketsuru, the father of Japan's whisky industry. The title comes from Rita's nickname for Masataka. Fox is the first non-Japanese actress to be the lead star in anasadora production.[11][12][13] |
| 92 | Mare (まれ) | 30 March 2015 | 26 September 2015 | StarringTao Tsuchiya as a young woman from theNoto Peninsula who wants to become apâtissière.[14] |
| 93 | Asa ga Kita (あさが来た) (Here Comes Asa!) | 28 September 2015 | 2 April 2016 | StarringHaru as Asa Imai.[15] Based on the life ofAsako Hirooka, a pioneering Japanese businesswoman. |
| 94 | Toto Neechan (とと姉ちゃん) (Daddy Sister) | 4 April 2016 | 1 October 2016 | StarringMitsuki Takahata as Tsuneko Kohashi, a woman who starts a successful consumer advice magazine. |
| 95 | Beppinsan (べっぴんさん) (Miss Beppin) | 3 October 2016 | 1 April 2017 | StarringKyoko Yoshine as Sumire, a brave woman who starts a company makes clothing for children. Based on the lives of Atsuko Banno, founder of Familiar. |
| 96 | Hiyokko (ひよっこ) (Bloom) | 3 April 2017 | 30 September 2017 | StarringKasumi Arimura as Mineko Yatabe, a young woman who travels from ruralIbaraki Prefecture to Tokyo in the mid-1960s to find her lost father. |
| 97 | Warotenka (わろてんか) (Laugh It Up!) | 2 October 2017 | 31 March 2018 | StarringWakana Aoi as Ten Fujioka. Based on the lives of the founders ofYoshimoto Kogyo. |
| 98 | Hanbun, Aoi. (半分、青い。) (Half Blue Sky) | 2 April 2018 | 29 September 2018 | StarringMei Nagano as Suzume Nireno. About a woman who lost hearing in one ear who, after failing as amangaka, becomes an inventor. |
| 99 | Manpuku (まんぷく) (Mampuku) | 1 October 2018 | 30 March 2019 | StarringSakura Ando as Fukuko Imai. Based on the lives ofMomofuku Andō, who inventedinstant ramen, and his wife Masako.[16] |
| Reiwa | ||||
| 100 | Natsuzora (なつぞら) (Summer Sky) | 1 April 2019 | 28 September 2019 | StarringSuzu Hirose as Natsu Okuhara, an orphan raised inHokkaido who wants to become ananimator. |
| 101 | Scarlet (スカーレット) | 30 September 2019 | 28 March 2020 | StarringErika Toda as Kimiko Kawahara, who aims to become aceramic artist. |
| 102 | Yell (エール) | 30 March 2020 | 27 November 2020 | StarringMasataka Kubota as Yūichi Koyama. Based on the life of composerYūji Koseki. The firstasadora to be recorded in4K, and the first sinceMusume to Watashi to be broadcast in only five 15-minute episodes per week Monday through Friday, with omnibus airings on Saturday mornings instead of a fresh episode. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the series was forced to suspend production, and no new episodes were aired from 29 June to 11 September 2020; completed episodes were rerun during this time. The production delay also made it the firstasadora to conclude broadcast outside the usual March–April or September–October cycles. |
| 103 | Ochoyan (おちょやん) (Little Waitress) | 30 November 2020 | 14 May 2021 | StarringHana Sugisaki as Chiyo Takei. Based on the life ofChieko Naniwa. The suspension of production due to theCOVID-19 pandemic delayed the conclusion of its predecessorYell (エール), making it the firstasadora to start airing on a day outside the usual March–April or September–October cycles. |
| 104 | Okaeri Mone (おかえりモネ) (Welcome Back, Mone) | 17 May 2021 | 29 October 2021 | StarringKaya Kiyohara as Momone Nagaura, who dreams to be a meteorologist. |
| 105 | Come Come Everybody (カムカムエヴリバディ) | 1 November 2021 | 8 April 2022 | StarringMone Kamishiraishi,Eri Fukatsu, andRina Kawaei. The story is about 100 years-old family, three generations, grandmother, mother, and daughter who walked with a radio English course during the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras. This is the first time in the history of a serial television novel that three actresses play the three main characters as different heroines. The heroine baton will be passed down to the next generation in a relay system. At 112 episodes, it is the shortestasadora to date. |
| 106 | Chimudondon (ちむどんどん) | 11 April 2022 | 30 September 2022 | StarringYuina Kuroshima as Nobuko Higa, who dreams to be a chef. |
| 107 | Soar High! (舞いあがれ！) | 3 October 2022 | 31 March 2023 | StarringHaruka Fukuhara as Mai Iwakura, who dreams to be a pilot. |
| 108 | Ranman (らんまん) | 3 April 2023 | 29 September 2023 | StarringRyūnosuke Kamiki as Mantarō Makino, who dreams to be a botanist. It is loosely based on the life of botanistTomitaro Makino. |
| 109 | Boogie Woogie (ブギウギ) | 2 October 2023 | 29 March 2024 | Starring Shuri as Suzuko Hanada, who dreams to be a singer. It is loosely based on the life ofShizuko Kasagi. |
| 110 | Tora ni Tsubasa (虎に翼) (The Tiger and Her Wings) | 1 April 2024 | 27 September 2024 | StarringSairi Ito as Tomoko Inotsume, who dreams to be a lawyer. It is loosely based on the life ofYoshiko Mibuchi. |
| 111 | Omusubi (おむすび) | 30 September 2024 | 28 March 2025 | StarringKanna Hashimoto as Yui Yoneda, who dreams to be a nutritionist. |
| 112 | Anpan (あんぱん) | 31 March 2025 | Fall 2025 (tentative) | StarringMio Imada as Nobu Asada. It is loosely based on the life of Nobu Komatsu, the wife ofTakashi Yanase, the creator ofAnpanman. |
| 113 | Bakebake (ばけばけ) | Fall 2025 (tentative) | Spring 2026 (tentative) | StarringAkari Takaishi as Toki Matsuno andTommy Bastow as her husband Heaven. It is loosely based on the life ofSetsu Koizumi, the wife of Yakumo Koizumi (Lafcadio Hearn), a Greek-Irish writer. Cast after beating more than 1,700 actors in an audition, Bastow is the first non-Japanese male actor to be the lead star in anasadora production.[17] |
| 114 | Kaze, Kaoru (風、薫る) | Spring 2026 (tentative) | Fall 2026 (tentative) | StarringAi Mikami as Rin Ichinose. (The other starring actress will be announced at a later date.) It is loosely based on the lives of Chika Ozeki and Masa Suzuki, one of whom became Japan's first trained nurse. |