It has been announced that actress Yuki Sakurai will star in the NHK drama series "Bears Don't Lie," which will air in the spring of 2027 in the "Drama 10" slot (NHK General, Tuesdays at 10 PM). Sakurai will play Shiori Ichinose, a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, while Kyohei Shibata will play Shiori's father, Taizo Kitano, a solitary bear hunter. The drama will be a human suspense story in which father and daughter team up to solve cases.
Metropolitan Police Detective Kanna Ichinose, investigating the mysterious death of an idol, tracks down a key suspect through her investigation into the idol's social circle and the drugs that caused her death. In the man's room, she finds a photograph that looks familiar—a landscape of Hokkaido, Kanna's hometown.
Around that time, livestock damage caused by brown bears was frequent in the local area. The local government, overwhelmed by the situation, asked Taizo Kitano, a solitary brown bear hunter, to exterminate the bear, but he had a special feeling for that particular bear. The story follows Shiori and Taizo, a father and daughter who have drifted apart, as they each pursue the same truth from different locations...
In addition to Sakurai and Shibata, the cast also includes Koshi Mizukami, Shiori Kubo, Yu Miyazaki, Kohei Shoji Shoji, Seiichi Tanabe, Shinya Kote, Takeshi Masu, Naomi Zaizen, Katsumi Takahashi, and Yukie Nakama.
◇Comment from Yuki Sakurai
As I received the offer and read through the script, I remember feeling a mix of pressure and excitement about how I could embody the charm of this intricately woven story.
The character I play, Kanna, is a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but at the same time, she is also a daughter and a mother. As we investigate the case, we see not only the pursuit of the culprit, but also the pasts, conflicts, and feelings that each character carries. I feel that one of the greatest charms of this work is how the choices of each character gradually intertwine and lead to an unexpected truth.
Our daily lives are made up of a series of choices. Even this present moment is a result of those choices. I was reminded once again that I want to cherish the "now" that I won't regret, regardless of whether it's good or bad. I hope you'll pay attention to how events that take place in different places, Tokyo and Hokkaido, connect, and how the relationship between Kanna and her father, Taizo, changes. Filming hasn't started yet, but I hope to create a work that will truly touch everyone's hearts, together with the staff and cast.
◇Comment from Kyohei Shibata
After reading the script, I felt that this drama is a story full of love. Taizo's love for his wife and daughter, the bond between his daughter Shiori and her family, and the various forms of love shown by each character are all depicted with care, making it a very captivating work.
Since deciding to live as a hunter in his youth, Taizo has clumsily stuck to his beliefs. He feels a deep sense of gratitude to his wife and family who have accepted and supported him. However, a certain event causes him to experience great internal conflict, and there are scenes that are heartbreaking to portray. Nevertheless, it's been a while since I've been able to deeply engage with a character, and I find it very rewarding.
I believe this story will be unpredictable for viewers, keeping them glued to the screen as they wonder where it's headed. The magnificent scale of the filming in Hokkaido is also one of the highlights. I want to work together with my co-stars, valuing teamwork, to expand on the performances and create a wonderful world that is unique to this work.
