Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
TV | CHANNEL SURF Jul 6, 2013
Koizumi Jr. lands a mystery; Yuji Oda is a happy "loser"; CM of the Week: Xylish
by Philip Brasor
Kotaro Koizumi, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, plays against type in the new mystery series “Namonaki Doku” (“Unnamed Poison”; TBS, Mon., 8 p.m.), based on a story by Miyuki Miyabe. Saburo (Koizumi) rescues Nahoko (Ryoko Kuninaka) from a molester and they ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Jun 30, 2013
The struggles of a single mother; the return of a good Samaritan; CM of the week: Kincho
The welfare ministry estimates there are more than 1 million single mothers in Japan whose individual annual incomes are less than ¥2 million. A new drama series titled simply “Woman” (Nippon TV, Wed., 10 p.m.) is about one such single mother. Koharu (Hikari Mitsushima) ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Jun 23, 2013
A drama involving former classmates; Upper House elections prep; CM of the week: Coca-Cola
The eight-part NHK suspense drama “Gekiryu: Watashi Oboete Imasu ka?” (“Wild Current: Do You Remember Me?”; NHK-G, Tues., 10 p.m.) is about five former classmates struggling with personal and professional problems 20 years after a friend of theirs disappeared during a junior high school ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Jun 16, 2013
Real-life celebrity drama; the Akihabara idol underground; CM of the week: Asahi Soft Drinks
The Takashimas were once the first family of Japanese show business. Tadao Takashima was a popular stage musical actor in the 1960s and Hanayo Sumi a star in the Takarazuka all-female musical revue company. They married and were celebrated as a “sweet couple,” producing ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Jun 14, 2013
The economics of men's cosmetics; top six meaty menus; CM of the week: Toyota
Though everyone is fretting about Japan’s economic future, the young people who are destined to become tomorrow’s leaders have had little opportunity to share their own ideas on the topic. NHK’s new information program, “Oikonomia” (NHK-E, Tues., 11:30 p.m.), a madeup term based on ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Jun 2, 2013
Fun with frugality plus competitive money saving; CM of the week: Parinko
On the variety show “Shiawase Bonbi Garu” (“Happy Poor Girls”; Nippon TV, Tues., 10 p.m.), celebrities look at how much fun it is to live the impoverished life. The women who are the subjects of the show grew up during the recession, so saving ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF May 19, 2013
Private tutor as crime solver; inner workings of the human body, dramatized; CM of the week: Acom
These days a college education doesn’t get you as far as it used to, though it comes in handy for solving crimes, apparently. The hero of the two-hour suspense drama “Katei Kyoshi ga Toku” (“Private Tutor Solves the Case”; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.) is ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF May 12, 2013
Womens fashion fail-off; celebs discuss transgender issues; CM of the week: Boss
Everybody on TV knows their place and what’s expected of them, so the “women’s pride battle” on the variety show “London Hearts” (TV Asahi, Tues., 9 p.m.) needs to be qualified. What kind of women? Pride in what? The subtitle of this week’s contest ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF May 5, 2013
Two documentaries on the rougher side of sports; CM of the week: Bandai Namco's Gundam games
The life of a pro athlete can be grueling, but 37-year-old soccer player Dan Ito has a perverse determination to make his even more so.
TV | CHANNEL SURF Apr 28, 2013
Enka queen sings jazz; documentary on dementia; CM of the week: g.u.
Aki Yashiro is known as the Queen of Enka, or “Japanese ballads,” according to the standard translation. However, Yashiro started out singing jazz in hostess clubs and didn’t make her enka debut until 1971, when she was 21 years old. Last year she finally ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Apr 21, 2013
'The Cat Lawyer and the Invisible Man'; Imalu as a barista; CM of the week: Loto 7
A sequel to an award-winning original script solicited by TBS and Kodansha publishing, “Neko Ben to Tomei Ningen” (“The Cat Lawyer and the Invisible Man”; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.) stars Hidetaka Yoshioka as Taro Momose, a graduate of the University of Tokyo’s law department ...
TV | CHANNEL SURF Apr 14, 2013
Profiles of Japanese living overseas; CM of the week: Astalift
It’s been said that Japanese people, especially younger ones, no longer travel abroad in search of adventure. This week there are three programs that go looking for Japanese people who do just that. One of the shows is the special two-hour premiere of a ...