NHK's special drama "Snow Smoke Chase," starring actors Kanata Hosoda and Tsuyoshi Muro, will be broadcast on NHK General TV and BS Premium 4K at 10 PM on January 2nd and 3rd, 2026. With just one week until the broadcast, original author Keigo Higashino commented, "The story is simple and clear: a chase between a suspect and a detective. Since it's New Year's, I hope everyone will enjoy the exhilarating chase and the exciting skiing scenes without thinking too hard about it."
Higashino started snowboarding after he turned 40 and became captivated by its charm. In March of this year, the 5th game of "SNOWBOARD MASTERS," a contest to determine "Japan's best snowboarder," which Higashino initiated and continues to hold, was held in Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano Prefecture, where the drama was filmed.
In the drama, Hosoda plays Tatsumi Wakisaka, a fourth-year university student who is a member of a snowboarding club and becomes a suspect in a murder case, and Muro plays Atsuhiko Kosugi, a local police detective investigating the murder. The unpredictable story unfolds between a falsely accused university student, a local police detective, and the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.
The official website also released behind-the-scenes footage as part of the "Merry Christmas!" project. The footage shows "Behind the Scenes of the Nozawa Onsen Location Shoot," shot with a film camera by Hosoda, who plays Wakisaka, and Daigo Kotaro, who plays Wakisaka's friend Namikawa, during filming in Nozawa Onsen Village.
Additionally, Nozawa Onsen Village is also hosting a mini exhibition featuring a special snowboard from the show signed by the original author and cast members, the main visual, a panel with comments from the cast members, and props from the drama.
