It was announced on May 29th that the title of the NHK Asadora drama series for the second half of 2026 will be "Blossom," and that actor Shizuka Ishibashi will play the lead role. The story is based on the author Chiyo Uno, but has been boldly reconstructed and some of the names of characters and organizations have been changed to create a fictionalized version. The original story has no source material, and the script is written by Sakurai Tsuyoshi, known for "Your Goods Are Here" and "Boogie Woogie" (both NHK). The synopsis has also been released.
◇◇The following contains spoilers
"Blossom" is the 115th serial TV drama. The protagonist, Tama Hano, is modeled after the writer Chiyo Uno, who continued to seek freedom throughout the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. She leaves her hometown of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, and meets fascinating people to pursue her dreams and move forward into the turbulent Taisho and Showa eras.
The story begins in 1897. The protagonist, Tama Hano, is born in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Her biological mother died when Tama was two years old, and she was raised by her father and his stepmother. After graduating from a girls' school, she started working as a substitute teacher, but was fired and forced to leave her hometown of Iwakuni. Moving to Tokyo to rely on relatives, Tama became more conscious of her childhood dream, and by submitting a novel to a contest, she began to pave the way for herself as a writer.
However, the world was in a time of great change in values. From the Taisho to the Showa era, Tama was engulfed in various difficulties, such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and war, marriage and divorce, bankruptcy and debt... but she faced life as a writer. In the midst of all this, she blossomed as a novelist.
Although she sometimes made enemies and was misunderstood, and sometimes hurt others, Tama remained true to her life and sought freedom, and by incorporating her feelings into her novels, she brings happiness to those who read them.
