As the 64th anniversary of Japan's surrender approaches, the special memorial programs about World War II come faster and thicker. This week's big event is a docudrama called "Saigo no Akagami Haitatsunin" (The Last Red Letter Deliveryman; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.). "Red letter" refers to the draft notices received by men during the war. These were hand delivered by special deliverymen. It was considered a great honor to receive a call to service by the Imperial Army, and families would celebrate out in the open, but, understandably, many recipients and their loved ones secretly dreaded the arrival of such notices.
In the drama portion of the program, Hidetaka Yoshioka plays the deliveryman, who distributes draft notices in a small village in Shiga Prefecture. The documentary portion traces the fates of the men who received notices and then left for battle.
If you pay any attention to local news it would seem that Japan is suddenly overrun with illegal drugs. Every day a celebrity or group of college students is busted for marijuana or "stimulant drugs."