The first episode of the NHK Taiga drama " UNBOUND " (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others), starring actor Ryusei Yokohama, "Arigatayama no Kangarasu", will be broadcast on January 5th with an extended 15 minutes. This is the first time that this long-running Taiga drama will depict the mid-Edo period. Here, we will introduce the main character Tsutaya Juzaburo, played by Yokohama.
Tsutaya Juzaburo was born into a poor family in Yoshiwara, a suburb of Edo that had grown into one of the world's largest cities with a population of over one million in the mid-18th century during a time of national peace. He was separated from his parents at a young age and adopted by the Hikite-chaya family.
Tsutaeshige, who was raised in a community of people that went beyond blood ties, started out as a rental bookstore owner and then went on to start a book editing and publishing business.
At the same time, Edo culture flourished in the free atmosphere created by the powerful man of the time, Tanuma Okitsugu, and a variety of literary figures such as Hiraga Gennai emerged. Tsutae interacted with cultural figures such as Houseidō Kisanji, and produced a succession of hits with his lavishly illustrated "kibyoshibon" books. At the age of 33, he set up a store in Nihonbashi, the commercial center, and rose to become "the publishing king of Edo."
"UNBOUND" is the 64th taiga drama, depicting the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo(or "Tsutajyu" for short), who is said to have built the foundations of Japan's media industry and pop culture. The script was written by Yoshiko Morishita, known for "Drama 10 'Ooku'" which was broadcast on NHK two years ago and became a big hit.
