It was announced on November 29th that the latest installment of the popular period drama "Abarenbo Shogun" (TV Asahi), which aired from 1978 to 2003 starring actor Ken Matsudaira (71), will be broadcast for the first time in about 17 years since the special in December 2008. It will be broadcast as "TV Asahi Drama Premium 'New Abarenbo Shogun'" from 9:00 pm on January 4th of the new year. The latest image of the eighth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune (Matsudaira), riding a white horse with the same dignified dignity as always, was also released. "Abarenbo Shogun" is a thrilling period drama series in which Yoshimune, a renowned ruler, fights against the "evil" rampant in Edo while blending into the lives of ordinary people as Tokuda Shinnosuke, the third son of a poor samurai, commonly known as Shin-san. The contrast between the friendly Shin-san and the dignified Yoshimune, and the powerful fight scenes made it popular. The total number of broadcasts, including the 12 series and three specials (April 2003, March 2004, December 2008), is 832. It is the second longest-running single drama with the same actor, after "Zenigata Heiji" starring Hashizo Okawa, which aired 888 episodes. This time, the story is set in Edo, more than 20 years after Yoshimune's reign. At the beginning of the series, Yoshimune was a young shogun, but now he is about to turn 60 and faces the issue of succession. While retaining the world view and charm of the series that has been cultivated over the years, the story depicts the conflict between Yoshimune and his sons, the human drama within Edo Castle shaken by the issue of succession, and the difficult cases swirling with conspiracies that occur in the castle town, with new characters and a sense of the times. It is directed by Takashi Miike, who is known as the "master of violence" for films such as "Crows Zero" (2007) and "Ichimei" (2011). The script will be written by Omori Mika, known for the NHK morning drama "Asakatta" (2015-16) and the historical drama "Seiten wo Tsuke" (2021). Matsudaira, who celebrated his 50th anniversary in showbiz this year and just celebrated his 71st birthday on November 28th, was selected to play the role of Yoshimune at the age of 23, and has played the role of "Lord" for nearly half a century. Regarding this revival, he said, "'Abarenbo Shogun' and Yoshimune are very important to me, as they have lived with my showbiz career and have nurtured the actor Matsudaira Ken. That's why I was extremely happy to receive this offer. I have always wanted to make a comeback, so I am really thrilled that it has come true." The filming began at Toei Kyoto Studio, and when asked how he felt about taking on the challenge of filming for the first time in a long time, he commented, "When I acted, I didn't feel any gap at all, and I was able to get into it smoothly. Maybe it's because my feelings haven't changed much since the series started... Even for me, it felt a little strange." He added, "This time, we are depicting things like parent-child love and the struggle for succession that we have never seen before, so I think it will be a very rich and good film. Also, in keeping with director Miike Takashi's style, I have tried a different filming technique for the fight scenes than I have used before, so I personally can't wait to see the finished product. I hope that many people will see it."