Articles about NHK
Without a trace
The makers of Japan-Singapore drama Lost & Found discuss the unique collaboration behind this adventure series, appealing to Gen Z and how it is rooted in the real-world phenomenon of people who choose to disappear.
Mission to Mars
Japanese sci-fi drama Queen of Mars looks to the future with a story set between Mars and Earth. Executive producer Satoru Watanabe and chief director Takegorō Nishimura tell DQ about making this ambitious yet timeless project.
Taking a bite of Anpanman
NHK executives Ken Kurasaki and Hiroshi Kashi introduce DQ to the Japanese broadcaster’s latest daily drama – based on the artist behind a classic superhero character – and explain why character development is crucial to making its 15-minute episodes.
CODA conduct
Producer Sakabe Koji tells DQ how the creative team strived for authenticity when making Japanese miniseries Deaf Voice, in which a man from the CODA (child of deaf adults) community working as a court sign language interpreter becomes involved in a murder case.
Strange lands
Taku Kato, the director of Japanese film A Stranger in Shanghai, discusses making the single drama for broadcaster NHK, filming in China, and appealing to international audiences.
Imitating art
Japanese actor Ken Watanabe discusses playing the lead in NHK single drama An Artist of the Floating World, based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Paint job
Japanese director Kazutaka Watanabe introduces NHK’s film An Artist of the Floating World, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro and starring Ken Watanabe as an ageing painter revisiting his past.
Trial of the century
Executive producer David Cormican recalls the making of Tokyo Trial, a four-part miniseries that follows the tense international trial that decided the fates of Japanese war criminals in the wake of the Second World War.
Spirit guardian
Japanese series Moribito is heading into its third and final season. Producer Kiyoshi Umibe pulls back the curtain on this stunning drama to reveal how visual effects and a stellar cast combine to bring the epic fantasy to life.
Converging on Cannes
The great and good of the television industry are once again packing their bags for another week in the south of France. DQ previews some of the drama series set to break out at Mipcom 2017.
Runaway success
Two women are on the run in Japanese drama Runaway Women. DQ hears about this emotional thriller from its director and its executive producer.
Japanese and Polish dramas make headlines
Japanese exports and Polish originals lead the line this week, while there are also interesting insights from Eurodata TV Worldwide about the big trends in scripted TV.
Buyers stick to the scripted in Mipcom
Titles like Victoria, Timeless and Midnight Sun did good business at Mipcom, but there were also interesting format deals involving Japan, Ukraine and Argentina.
View from the East: NHK’s Masafumi Endo discusses success in Asia
Masafumi Endo, head of drama at Japanese broadcaster NHK, tells DQ what series need to be successful in the Far East and why viewers can look forward to meeting the ‘Japanese Harry Potter.’