One of the more interesting economic realities of Japan is that, despite having one of the largest per capita savings rates in the world and the fact that more than 60 percent of the nation's assets are in the hands of people over the age of 60, almost no one writes wills.
Though some people explain anti-will sentiment as proof of the stability of the Japanese family (shares of inheritances with regard to specific family members are actually stipulated in the civil code), it seems to have more to do with the fact that writing a will requires that one confronts the inevitability of his or her death.
On this week's "Monday Mystery Theatre" (TBS, 9 p.m.), the subject of wills is the premise of a two-hour drama, which, despite the series title, seems to be a family melodrama rather than a suspense thriller.