Asuka

Asuka aka Sweet Ambition

Details

• Title: あすか
• Title (romaji): Asuka
• Also known as: Sweet Ambition
• Genre: Asadora drama, human drama
• Episodes: 149 x 15 minute episodes
• Viewership ratings: Ep1=25.9, High=27.6, Avg=24.4
• Broadcast network: NHK
• Broadcast period: 1999-Oct-04 to 2000-Apr-01

Synopsis

The 61st NHK Asadora Drama is Asuka. Set in Kyoto in the home of a traditional Japanese candymaker, Asuka is the story of one young girl's dream to one day walk in her father's shoes and become a top candymaker in the male-dominated world of wagashi (Japanese confectionery). Asuka grows to be a healthy, adventurous young girl with a deep curiosity and, a desire to become a candymaker like her father. This NHK drama is one of the best in years with an excellent cast, a well-developed story based on extensive research into the traditional worlds of candymaking and the tea ceremony in Kyoto, and beautiful scenery and settings in Kyoto and the surrounding areas. ---groink

Cast

• Takeuchi Yuko as Miyamoto Asuka (heroine, age 19)
  • Enokizono Miho as Miyamoto Asuka (as a young girl)
• Fujioka Hiroshi as Miyamoto Rokutaro (Asuka's father)
• Konno Misako as Miyamoto Kyoko (Asuka's mother)
• Ashiya Gannosuke as Fujiyoshi Ganjiro (Kyoko's father)
• Arima Ineko (有馬稲子) as Fujiyoshi Shino (Kyoko's mother)
• Umezawa Tomio as Fujiyoshi Tamajiro (Kyoko's older brother)
• Natori Yuko as Ayase Hiroko (Mai's mother)
• Sato Hitomi as Ayase Mai (Asuka's cousin)
  • Sugimoto Yuria (杉本友莉亜) as Ayase Mai (as a young girl)
• Fujiki Naohito as Hayata Shunsaku aka Professor (Asuka's childhood friend)
  • Asari Yosuke as Hayata Shunsaku (as a young boy)

Ogiya Isshindo

• Inoue Charu as Kiyokawa Tetsuji (wagashi maker)
• Kunita Hideya (国田栄弥) as Enomoto Tomekichi (wagashi maker)
• Uchiba Katsunori (内場勝則) as Hattori Takeharu (wagashi maker)
• Fukumoto Shinichi as Tsurumi Jun (wagashi maker)

Kyoto

• Azuma Chizuru as Terashima Kiku
• Kaneda Ryunosuke (金田龍之介) as Matsuzaka Tahei (tea ceremony master)
• Kano Yukikazu (加納幸和) as Matsuzaka Saburota (Tahei's son)
• Brian Hulse as Michael Brown

Nara

• Mishima Yuriko (三島ゆり子) as Imamura Yoshimi (Ganjiro's sister)
• Murakami Shoji (村上ショージ) as Imamura Seiichi (Yoshimi's son)
• Mita Atsuko (三田篤子) as Imamura Michiyo (Seiichi's wife)
• Yamaguchi Tomomitsu as Batayan (childhood friend in Nara)
  • Nakamura Hiroki (中村大輝) as Batayan (as a boy)
• Hirahata Keiji (平畠啓史) as Sanpei (childhood friend in Nara)
  • Ishino Shinichiro (石野慎一郎) as Sanpei (as a boy)
• Oe Senri as Yamagiwa-sensei (Asuka's teacher)

Others

• Arimori Narimi as Segawa Yoko (CM consultant)
• Kakei Toshio as Hidaka Hideaki (business consultant)
• Ichida Hiromi (市田ひろみ) as Tamaki Sawako
• Koyanagi Keiko (小柳圭子) as Yone
• Asahina Kiyoko (朝比奈潔子) as Sada
• Sawamoto Tadao (沢本忠雄) as 御伊志堂
• Tsuyuno Goro (露の五郎) as Keigetsu
• 'Let's Go' Chosaku (レツゴー長作) as Shojikiya
• Kitami Yuiitsu (北見唯一) as Matsumoto Hiromatsu
• Seki Hideto (関秀人) as Irotoki Shigetsu
• Hironaka Maki (弘中麻紀) as Yoshiko
• Okamura Aki (岡村亜紀) as Yumi
• Oyama Rumi (大山ルミ) as Hitomi
• Yamanishi Atsushi (山西惇) as Sakabe Bu
• Momoyama Mitsuru (桃山みつる) as Gosho Chieko
• Mr. Okure (Mr.オクレ) as Kuwata
• Mineo Susumu (峯尾進) as Master Shiozaki

Production Credits

• Screenwriter: Suzuki Satoshi (鈴木聡)
• Director: Tamura Fumitaka (田村文孝)
• Music: Oshima Michiru
• Narrator: Arima Ineko (有馬稲子)

External Links

• Official NHK Asadora web site
• Kyoto Dialect Glossary

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