It was announced on April 20th that the TV anime "Ikoku Nikki," based on the manga by Tomoko Yamashita, has won the Galaxy Award for March 2026, an award that recognizes programs, individuals, and organizations that have contributed to the improvement of broadcasting culture.
"Ikoku Nikki" (Foreign Country Diary) is a manga serialized in "FEEL YOUNG" (Shodensha) from 2017 to 2023. Makio Kodai, a shy novelist, impulsively takes in his niece, Asa Takumi, who lost her parents at her sister and brother-in-law's funeral. Makio prefers solitude, while Asa is friendly and straightforward, and the two, with completely different personalities and values, begin an awkward life together. It was broadcast on ABC TV, TOKYO MX, and other channels from January to March.
The Galaxy Awards were established in 1963 by the Broadcast Critics Association with the hope of improving the quality of Japanese broadcasting culture. The association commented, "The story of Asa, a 15-year-old girl who suddenly loses her parents, and her aunt, the novelist Makio, is a story of two people with completely opposite personalities and values. They live together in the same room, but it feels like they are living in different countries. The anime delicately portrays their cohabitation through its unique depiction of inner landscapes and sound effects. The quiet affirmation of mutual respect and coexistence despite their inability to understand each other deeply resonated with me."
The NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake," the ETV special "Searching for the 'Voices Buried in Time': 15 Years of Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Evacuees," and the NHK Special "The Nuclear Accident: The Buried Containment Operation" also received the same award.
