Anpan:[Character introduction] "The wandering baker" Yamura Sokichi. He has a bad mouth, but his skills are good. Sadao Abe is appearing in a Asadora for the first time in 22 years.

" Anpan " is the NHK Asadora drama series starring Mio Imada , which will begin airing on March 31st in the first half of the 2025 fiscal year. It is a story of love and courage based on the married couple Takashi Yanase Takashi (1919-2013) and Nobu Komatsu(1918-1993), the manga artist and picture book writer who created "Anpanman." There are four days left until the series begins airing. Here, we will introduce Yamura Sokichi, played by Sadao Abe.

◇ I came to Kochi out of nowhere.

Yamura Sokichi is a wandering baker. He is a mysterious man who suddenly appears in Kochi from nowhere. He is strict about money and has a bad mouth, but he is a skilled baker. He has a big influence on the lives of the heroines Nobu Asada(Imada) and Takashi Yanai(Takumi Kitamura).

Abe, who plays Yamura, will be appearing in a Asadora for the first time in 22 years since "Kokoro" in the first half of 2003.

When his appearance was announced in July last year, Abe commented, "It's a fascinating role as a wandering baker! I'm excited! Where does he come from, where is he going? What is his purpose? There are still many mysteries at the moment, so I'm looking forward to receiving the script! I've always loved the lyrics, 'For what purpose were you born? What do you live for? What makes you happy? What gives you joy?', so I'm happy to be involved in a TV drama series! I look forward to working with you."

◇What about the drama's script, narration, music, and theme song?

The drama depicts how Nobu Asada and Takashi Yanai, "two nobodys," overcome all sorts of rough seas and arrive at "Anpanman," the embodiment of "irreversible justice."

The script is written by Miho Nakazono, known for the TV Asahi series "Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon." The narrator is NHK announcer Risa Hayashida Risa, and the music is by composer and musician Izutsu Akio. The theme song is a new song by rock band RADWIMPS called "Tamamono."

It will be broadcast on NHK General TV from March 31st, Monday to Saturday at 8:00 a.m. and other channels.