Hidetaka Yoshioka:First starring role in a WOWOW drama in 11 years, "Night Signpost," winner of the Mystery Writers of Japan Award

It has been revealed that actor Hidetaka Yoshioka will be starring in the WOWOW drama "W Night Signpost - A Record of a Certain Suspect" (WOWOW). This will be Yoshioka's first lead role in a WOWOW drama in 11 years, since "W Tokusou."

The original work is a mystery novel "Night Signpost" (Chuokoron-Shinsha) by Akira Ashizawa, which won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel and Short Story Series. This is a full-scale social mystery in which Yoshioka plays detective Taira Shotaro, who is in charge of a murder case that occurred in 1996, and investigates the footsteps of suspect Akutsu, who has been on the run for two years, and the reason for the murder, while approaching the "truth" of the case. When the dots of the characters are connected around a certain suspect, an unexpected "dark side of society" is brought to light...

"Serial Drama W: Night Signpost - A Record Surrounding a Certain Suspect" will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand in September. There are five episodes in total, with the first episode being broadcast for free.

◇Story

In 1996, Togawa Masahiro, a teacher who runs a cram school in Yokohama, was murdered. Akutsu Gen, a former student of the victim who suffered from mild mental disorders, quickly emerged as a suspect in the investigation, but even now, two years after the incident, no trace of the murderer has been found.

As the investigation shrinks, detective Taira Shotaro (Yoshioka Hidetaka) is ordered by section chief Izutsu Isao to take charge of the full-time investigation into the murder of Togawa together with young detective Oya Keigo. Why was Togawa, a man of character with no bad rumors about him, murdered? Taira and his team continue to question people every day, including those at the cram school who knew Togawa, the mother and ex-wife of suspect Akutsu, and other acquaintances, but the mystery only deepens.

Meanwhile, Akutsu's classmate Toyoko Nagao, who ends up hiding the murderer, and elementary school student Haru Hashimoto, who Akutsu meets by chance. When these seemingly unrelated people start to move around Akutsu, a fugitive suspect, the dots that seemed separate start to connect, and the story unfolds in an unexpected way.

The reason behind Akutsu's murder and escape, the "truth" that Taira and his team discover, and a certain social problem that comes to light... This is a full-scale social mystery that approaches the one and only truth, centered around detective Taira Shotaro, who himself has family problems.

◇Comment from Hidetaka Yoshioka

I always learn something new through the dramas and the roles I play in WOWOW dramas. As with "CO Transplant Coordinator," "Tokusou," and "Cold Case," I feel like I'm embodying the character in the drama, rather than just playing a role. I would call it a socially conscious human mystery, but I hope it's a drama that will leave viewers and myself asking questions in our hearts.

◇ Comment from scriptwriter and director Junichi Mori

This is a social drama, but I tried to structure it so that it would not just present the problems, but would also allow viewers to find a ray of hope. In addition, the characters have complex backgrounds and motives, and I was careful not to simply classify them as good or bad. Shotaro Taira, played by Hidetaka Yoshioka, has a strong sense of justice, but is also troubled by how he should confront social injustice.

However, this attitude places a mental burden on the child, causing a strain in the parent-child relationship. Yoshioka-san delicately plays the two roles of "detective" and "father," adding depth and persuasiveness to the story. I remember groaning many times while watching the lingering expressions on the monitor. Each of the characters in this work has a complicated background and circumstances. Even as they are tossed about by life, they search for their own path. I hope you will watch the outcome of this human drama.

◇Comment from original author Hiroshi Ashizawa

When I had the opportunity to observe the filming, the lead actor, Yoshioka Hidetaka, spoke about his feelings for Akutsu (the suspect in the film), and my heart was warmed by the thought that I was so glad that the detective in charge of this case was someone who could face Akutsu with such eyes.

I wrote the original story because I wanted to see the scene that emerges when fragments of each individual's heartfelt life intertwine, a kind of miraculous chemical reaction, and I am so happy and grateful that so many people are devoting precious time of their lives to reading this story.

I am truly looking forward to seeing what kind of scenes we will see as a result of the chemistry between everyone involved in the production of this drama.