Tenchijin (天地人) is a 2009 Japanese super historical drama television series, and the 48th taiga drama of NHK. It aired every Sunday from January 4 to November 22, 2009, spanning 47 episodes.[Note 1] The drama centers on the life of 16th century samurai Naoe Kanetsugu, played by Satoshi Tsumabuki.

Tenchijin
Written byEriko Komatsu
Kazue Matsushita
Directed byKataoka Keiji
Yōichirō Takahashi
Yūsuke Noda
Masae Ichiki
StarringSatoshi Tsumabuki
Kazuki Kitamura
Takako Tokiwa
Misako Tanaka
Masanobu Takashima
Shun Oguri
Tetsuji Tamayama
Masami Nagasawa
Manami Higa
Saki Aibu
Yusuke Kamiji
Yu Shirota
Mikihisa Azuma
Seishiro Kato
Kotaro Koizumi
Yoshizumi Ishihara
Yoshino Kimura
Kei Yamamoto
Akira Nakao
Kyoko Fukada
Shigeru Kōyama
Takeshi Katō
Ryuhei Matsuda
Takashi Sasano
Kōji Kikkawa
Reiko Takashima
Ken Utsui
Sumiko Fuji
Hiroshi Abe
Hiroki Matsukata
Narrated byNobuko Miyamoto
Theme music composerKazuhiro Koizumi
Opening theme"Tenchijn ~ Opening Theme" (「天地人~オープニングテーマ」) by the NHK Symphony Orchestra
ComposerMichiru Ōshima
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes47
Production
Executive producerShinsuke Naito
Running time45 x 45 minutes
2 x 75 minutes
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseJanuary 4 (2009-01-04) –
November 22, 2009 (2009-11-22)

Production began on April 27, 2007. The drama is based on the novel of the same name by Masashi Hisaka and was adapted by Eriko Komatsu, with Michiru Ōshima as series composer.[1] The fourth episode of the series, “An Older Woman” (「年上の女(ひと)」), is the highest-rated episode of any Japanese drama in 2009.[2]

Plot

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The protagonist of the drama, Naoe Kanetsugu, was taught by Uesugi Kenshin in his youth that to conquer the world is a trifling matter, but what matters is to live one's life with righteousness. After Uesugi's death, Naoe supports Uesugi Kagekatsu, who holds the destiny of Echigo province.

Production

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Production Credits

Production for Tenchijin began on April 27, 2007.[citation needed] The usual taiga drama production would have one-third of the expected number of scripts finished before shooting begins. Afterwards, audience reception is taken into account as the rest of the series is written.[3]

Cast

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Starring role

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Naoe house

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Higuchi house

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Uesugi clan

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Uesugi retainers and their family members

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Oda clan

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Toyotomi clan

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Tokugawa clan

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Mōri clan

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Maeda clan

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Takeda clan

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Later Hōjō clan

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Date clan

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Sanada clan

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Chōsokabe clan

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Other

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TV schedule

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Episode Original airdate Title Directed by Rating
1 January 4, 2009 (2009-01-04) "Gosai no Kashin" (五歳の家臣) Hiroshi Kataoka 24.7%
2 January 11, 2009 (2009-01-11) "Nakimushi, Yoroku" (泣き虫、与六) 23.5%
3 January 18, 2009 (2009-01-18) "Tono no Hatsukoi" (殿の初恋) 24.7%
4 January 25, 2009 (2009-01-25) "Toshiue no Hito" (年上の女(ひと)) 26.0%
5 February 1, 2009 (2009-02-01) "Nobunaga wa Oni ka" (信長は鬼か) 24.2%
6 February 8, 2009 (2009-02-08) "Iza, Uijin" (いざ、初陣) Yōichirō Takahashi 24.4%
7 February 15, 2009 (2009-02-15) "Haha no Negai" (母の願い) 23.2%
8 February 22, 2009 (2009-02-22) "Kenshin no Yuigon" (謙信の遺言) 23.1%
9 March 1, 2009 (2009-03-01) "Kenshin Shisu" (謙信死す) Hiroshi Kataoka 20.3%
10 March 8, 2009 (2009-03-08) "Futari no Yōshi" (二人の養子) Yōichirō Takahashi 22.2%
11 March 15, 2009 (2009-03-15) "Otate no Ran" (御館の乱) Masae Ichiki 22.8%
12 March 22, 2009 (2009-03-22) "Inochigake no Shisha" (命がけの使者) 21.7%
13 March 29, 2009 (2009-03-29) "Sennyū! Takeda no Jin" (潜入!武田の陣) Hiroshi Kataoka 17.8%
14 April 5, 2009 (2009-04-05) "Ōgon no Meiyaku" (黄金の盟約) Yōichirō Takahashi 19.8%
15 April 12, 2009 (2009-04-12) "Otate Rakujō" (御館落城) 19.6%
16 April 19, 2009 (2009-04-19) "Shingen no Musume" (信玄の娘) Masae Ichiki 21.1%
17 April 26, 2009 (2009-04-26) "Naoe Kanetsugu Tanjō" (直江兼続誕生) 20.1%
18 May 3, 2009 (2009-05-03) "Gi no Senshi-tachi" (義の戦士たち) Hiroshi Kataoka 16.7%
19 May 10, 2009 (2009-05-10) "Honnō-ji no Hen" (本能寺の変) 20.2%
20 May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) "Hideyoshi no Wana" (秀吉の罠) Yūsuke Noda 21.6%
21 May 24, 2009 (2009-05-24) "Mitsunari no Namida" (三成の涙) 21.0%
22 May 31, 2009 (2009-05-31) "Sanada Yukimura Sanjō" (真田幸村参上) 20.7%
23 June 7, 2009 (2009-06-07) "Ai no Kabuto" (愛の兜) Hiroshi Kataoka 22.0%
24 June 14, 2009 (2009-06-14) "Tomadoi no Jōraku" (戸惑いの上洛) 22.0%
25 June 21, 2009 (2009-06-21) "Tenkabito no Yūwaku" (天下人の誘惑) Masae Ichiki 20.7%
26 June 28, 2009 (2009-06-28) "Kanpaku wo Shikaru" (関白を叱る) 20.3%
27 July 5, 2009 (2009-07-05) "Yoroku to Yoshichi" (与六と与七) Yūsuke Noda 20.1%
28 July 12, 2009 (2009-07-12) "Kita no Dokuganryū" (北の独眼竜) 21.8%
29 July 19, 2009 (2009-07-19) "Tenka Tōitsu" (天下統一) Masae Ichiki 21.9%
30 July 26, 2009 (2009-07-26) "Onna-tachi no Jōraku" (女たちの上洛) Hiroshi Kataoka 21.0%
31 August 2, 2009 (2009-08-02) "Ai no Hanaikusa" (愛の花戦) 19.6%
32 August 9, 2009 (2009-08-09) "Yotsugi no Sadame" (世継ぎの運命(さだめ)) Yūsuke Noda 24.8%
33 August 16, 2009 (2009-08-16) "Gonin no Kanetsugu" (五人の兼続) 20.3%
34 August 23, 2009 (2009-08-23) "Saraba, Echigo" (さらば、越後) Hiroshi Kataoka 14.9%
35 August 30, 2009 (2009-08-30) "Ieyasu no Inbō" (家康の陰謀) Masae Ichiki 19.9%
36 September 6, 2009 (2009-09-06) "Shijō-saidai no Mitsuyaku" (史上最大の密約) 20.4%
37 September 13, 2009 (2009-09-13) "Ieyasu eno Chōsenjō" (家康への挑戦状) Hiroshi Kataoka 21.6%
38 September 20, 2009 (2009-09-20) "Futatsu no Sekigahara" (ふたつの関ヶ原) 20.0%
39 September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27) "Mitsunari no Yuigon" (三成の遺言) 19.5%
40 October 4, 2009 (2009-10-04) "Uesugi Tenraku" (上杉転落) Yūsuke Noda 18.8%
41 October 11, 2009 (2009-10-11) "Uesugi no Ikiru Michi" (上杉の生きる道) 17.7%
42 October 18, 2009 (2009-10-18) "Shōgun Tanjō" (将軍誕生) Masae Ichiki 18.2%
43 October 25, 2009 (2009-10-25) "Saneyori Tsuihō" (実頼追放) Hirokazu Ozaki 20.9%
44 November 1, 2009 (2009-11-01) "Kanashimi no Hanayome" (哀しみの花嫁) Masae Ichiki 19.5%
45 November 8, 2009 (2009-11-08) "Osaka no Jin e" (大坂の陣へ) Yūsuke Noda 22.2%
46 November 15, 2009 (2009-11-15) "Osaka-jō Enjō" (大坂城炎上) Hiroshi Kataoka 21.7%
47 November 22, 2009 (2009-11-22) "Aai wo Kakageyo" (愛を掲げよ) 22.7%
Average rating 21.2% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).[4]

Soundtrack and books

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Soundtrack

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  • NHK Taiga Drama Tenchijin Original Soundtrack Vol.1 (February 18, 2009)
  • NHK Taiga Drama Tenchijin Original Soundtrack Vol.2 (August 26, 2009)
  • NHK Taiga Drama Tenchijin Original Soundtrack Vol.3 (October 21, 2009)

Books

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Official guide
  • NHK Taiga Drama Story Tenchijin First Part ISBN 978-4-14-923350-5 (December 20, 2008)
  • NHK Taiga Drama Story Tenchijin Latter Part ISBN 978-4-14-923351-2 (July 10, 2009)
  • NHK Taiga Drama Story Tenchijin Last Part ISBN 978-4-14-923352-9 (October 24, 2009)
  • NHK Taiga Drama, Historical Handbook, Tenchijin ISBN 978-4-14-910693-9 (December 20, 2008)
  • Sōun Takeda - Writing about Samurai ISBN 978-4-8356-1743-5 (September 30, 2009)
Novel

Notes

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  1. ^ It is an unusual Taiga Drama as the final episode will be broadcast as early as November, due to the first phase of Saka no Ue no Kumo, a series of NHK Special Drama, being broadcast from November 29 to December 27.

References

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  1. ^ "NHKドラマ". Archived from the original on 6 October 2008.
  2. ^ "『天地人』が1位 2009年"ドラマ視聴率10傑"出揃う! 定番ジャンルの人気の高さ実証". Oricon (in Japanese). Oricon ME inc. 25 December 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2019. 1位は、俳優の妻夫木聡が"愛と義"に生きた名将・直江兼続を熱演したNHK大河ドラマ『天地人』(1月25日放送)の26.0%。
  3. ^ Shinozuka, Jun, ed. (January 2011). "Feature 1: JQR Interview – Yoshiko Nishimura". Japan Quality Review Vol. 0-1. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  4. ^ "『天地人』最終回視聴率は22.7% 年間平均"20%超え"果たす". Oricon. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
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