It was revealed on Getsuku that the title of the NHK historical drama to be broadcast in 2028 will be "John Manjiro," and that Kento Yamazaki will play the lead role. The announcement was made at a press conference held on the same day at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo, to announce the production and the lead actor.
"John Manjiro" is the 67th NHK Taiga drama, depicting the life of John Manjiro, who was active from the late Edo period to the Meiji era. The script is written by Yuki Fujimoto. Set in 19th-century Japan, America, and the Pacific Ocean, it is a grand and moving epic about ordinary people who become "castaways," depicting a series of life-or-death survival struggles and the romance of a long-awaited reunion. Yamazaki plays the protagonist of this work, Nakahama Manjiro, also known as "John Manjiro."
What kind of story will it be...?
◇Synopsis of "John Manjiro"
In 1840, when fragile Japanese ships were causing countless shipwrecks, Manjiro, a poor boy from Tosa, left his mother and set out on his first deep-sea fishing trip with a veteran fisherman. It was the beginning of a journey that would change his destiny.
After a life-or-death struggle, Manjiro and his companions are rescued by the American whaling ship, the John Howland. Experiencing English for the first time, encountering rough foreign sailors, and witnessing the lucrative world of whaling, Manjiro's curiosity is piqued. Even if he were to return to his isolated country, he might face the death penalty. Therefore, he decides to live and learn more. And so, accepting Captain Whitfield's invitation, he resolves to travel to America alone.
America in the midst of the Industrial Revolution. Manjiro, supported by his captain, attends school and experiences friendship, love, and the joys of youth. Despite facing racial discrimination, he learns that in this world, skill is what matters. And he becomes a sailor everyone respects.
However, as he gradually hears negative rumors about Japan, Manjiro begins to question the meaning of his own life and makes a renewed decision.
"Let's go home." To reunite with his mother, and to share the knowledge and skills that opened up his life with Japan.
With a firm resolve to one day repay the captain's kindness, Manjiro presses forward into the turbulent adventures of life.
