Official Website
www.tv-asahi.co.jp/drama-olympic
Broadcast
From 9.00 p.m., 30 November & 1 December 2013
Story
In the summer of 1964, two blasts occur in quick succession in Tokyo with the Tokyo Olympics just around the corner. The explosions broke out at the private residence of Suga Shuichiro, the highest official in charge of security at the Olympics, and at the police academy in Nakano. However, a gag order was somehow issued as soon as the two incidents took place. Detective Ochiai Masao of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division learns about this from his colleague Iwamura Takashi the next day. Iwamura himself had happened to hear of the rumour. Ochiai is suspicious about the information cover up by not just the media but also the First Investigative Division. However, a name flits through his mind. Soka Jiro. It is the name of the bomber Ochiai and Iwamura have been pursuing for the whole of last year. It began in 1962 with a bomb package sent to a famous female singer. This was followed by a series of explosions that targeted movie theatres and the underground rail system, and caused many injuries. However, they have not been able to obtain any clues and the cases will soon go unsolved. Ochiai’s instincts tell him that Soka could be involved in these two cases too. Two days after the fire at the policy academy, there is a rapid development in the situation. The members of the Fifth Section of the First Investigative Division which Ochiai belongs to are secretly assembled at an assembly hall in order to escape the prying eyes of the media. The head of the First Investigative Division Tamari Minoru and his deputy Tanaka Seiji announce that before the incident at Suga’s private residence, a threat formed from cutout characters was sent to the police commissioner. “I will sabotage the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. I will prove that this is possible sometime soon. I seek a sincere response from the people of Japan. Soka Jiro.” Two days later, Suga’s private residence was blown up with an incendiary device made of dynamite. And before the blast at the Nakano police academy, a second threat was sent from Soka. Tamari’s instruction is that staging the Tokyo Olympics is of prime importance to Japan and they cannot afford for anything to cause alarm. So the men begin the covert investigation under the command of the Public Security Department. Ochiai soon obtains information from an eyewitness who saw a man and woman in a red sports car in the vicinity of Suga’s private residence just before the explosion. He establishes that the owner of the car is Suga’s estranged second son Tadashi, and immediately tails Tadashi with Iwamura. Meanwhile, the Olympics office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is blown up. At the scene is a time bomb similar to the one that exploded at Suga’s residence … … Then, they find out something that will turn the direction of the investigation on its head. The hand-addressed threats on the three bombings were different from Soka Jiro’s. It is also confirmed that only one back issue of the Wireless & Science magazine is missing from the library at Chuo TV where Tadashi works. Furthermore, Kitano Explosives in Ota district has 25 missing sticks of dynamite. This dynamite is used in construction work. So Ochiai heads to the construction worker agency which frequently accesses Kitano Explosives. He is told of Shimazaki Kunio, a poor Tokyo University student who hails from Akita Prefecture and works at the company, by the company president Yamada Shinichi. Above all else, Ochiai gets hung up on Shimazaki’s reluctance to explain why he is a Tokyo University student and yet works for the construction worker agency when he meets him. One day, Ochiai’s attention is captured by a newspaper article on Suga’s promotion to police commissioner if the Olympics is a success. Suspecting a connection between this article and the explosions, Ochiai’s conviction that Tadashi is the criminal grows. At this point, yet another blast takes place near the Olympic Village and Hio Construction too. This reinforces his misgivings but the investigation is stopped by Tamari. He starts to probe the people around Tadashi in secret, and is stunned to learn that his own younger sister Yumi is Shimazaki’s girlfriend … … Who is the real criminal? And what is the motive?
Characters
Takenouchi Yutaka as Ochiai Masao
A detective with the Fifth Section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division. He is called the First Investigative Division’s ace because of his meticulous investigations and bold attitude. He became a surrogate parent to his younger sister Yumi after their parents died early. Yumi attends Tokyo University where she gets drawn to her senior Shimazaki Kunio and starts to have differences of opinion with Masao. He has a pregnant wife Harumi and a 2-year-old son Hiroshi. As the day of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics inches closer, a series of incidents occur. As he pursues the criminal in these cases, he learns of the existence of the Tokyo University post-graduate student Shimazaki Kunio, but … …
Matsuyama Kenichi as Shimazaki Kunio
A Tokyo University post-graduate student who is majoring in Economics. A native of Akita Prefecture. He started doing part-time manual labour at the same housing quarters for construction workers right after his older brother who was working in Tokyo died of an illness in July 1964. The sight of wretched plight of the labourers becomes too much for him to bear as Tokyo develops with each passing day for the staging of the Olympic Games. Before long, he becomes a suspect in the series of incidents that have occurred before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics and gets pursued by investigators.
Kuroki Meisa as Ochiai Yumi
Ochiai Masao’s younger sister. A Tokyo University student. She is dependent on her older brother who became a surrogate parent to her after their parents died early, but aims to be self-reliant ever since she started university. She has taken a fancy to Shimazaki Kunio, a post-graduate student who is a suspect in the cases of intimidation against the country on the occasion of the Tokyo Olympics. Even though she soon learns that her brother has begun to suspect and pursue Shimazaki, she goes into action for Shimazaki’s sake.
Amami Yuki as Kasahara Eiko
A staff at Chuo TV, the news bureau where Suga Tadashi works. She has an interest in the series of incidents and proceeds to tirelessly cover the story. She probes Tadashi whose father is the highest official in charge of security task force for the Tokyo Olympics.
Esumi Makiko as Professor Hamano
A professor of Tokyo University’s Department of Economics. She gives Ochiai Masao information on her former students Suga Tadashi and Yabutani Kiyoshi. Shimazaki Kunio and Ochiai Yumi also belong to her class.
Karasawa Toshiaki as Sato Shigeo
A detective at Ueno Police Precinct in charge of pickpockets. He comes across habitual offender Murata Tomekichi at Ueno station and tails him all the way to Tokyo Station. He ends up running into Ochiai Masao and the other detectives.
Kishibe Ittoku as Suga Shuichiro
The highest official in charge of security task force for the Tokyo Olympics, he is running at full speed on the elite path. He is seen as the next police commissioner if he pulls off the Olympic Games. His wife is the daughter of the owner of the large construction company, Hio Construction.
Kiritani Kenta as Yabutani Kiyoshi
A Tokyo University student who is committed to the student movement as a leader of a student group. He leads demonstrations and was subdued by Ochiai Masao in the past.
Kunimura Jun as Oba Genzo
The chairman of the organised crime group Oba-kai based in Tokyo’s Taito district. While clashes with the country are occurring, his office is attacked. In truth, he has a secret deal with the government for the Olympic Games … …
Sasano Takashi as Murata Tomekichi
A pickpocket on trains. He has had five previous convictions. A native of Akita Prefecture. He met Shimazaki Kunio by chance on an overnight train from Tokyo to Akita. He started hanging about with Shimazaki in Tokyo after that.
Sawamura Ikki as Tamari Minoru
The head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s First Investigative Division. The greatest ideologue in the Criminal Investigations Department. Gathering all the members of the Fifth Section including Ochiao Masao, he notifies them of the existence of a letter from a criminal planning to sabotage the Tokyo Olympics and orders a covert investigation.
Fukiishi Kazue as Ochiai Harumi
Ochiai Masao’s wife. A native of Akita Prefecture. She has an outgoing personality and supports her busy husband behind the scenes. She is now pregnant with their second child. Her estimated delivery date is strangely also on 10 October, the day of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.
Cast
* Takenouchi Yutaka as Ochiai Masao
* Matsuyama Kenichi as Shimazaki Kunio
* Kuroki Meisa as Ochiai Yumi
* Amami Yuki as Kasahara Eiko
* Eikura Nana as Tsukioka Midori
* Esumi Makiko as Professor Hamano
* Emoto Akira as Yamada Shinichi
* Osugi Ren as Tanaka Seiji
* Ozawa Yukiyoshi as Nii Kaoru
* Karasawa Toshiaki as Sato Shigeo
* Kishibe Ittoku as Suga Shuichiro
* Kiritani Kenta as Yabutani Kiyoshi
* Kunimura Jun as Oba Genzo
* Saito Takumi as Iwamura Takashi
* Sasano Takashi as Murata Tomekichi
* Sawamura Ikki as Tamari Minoru
* Hayami Mokomichi as Suga Tadashi
* Fukiishi Kazue as Ochiai Harumi
* Aijima Kazuyuki as Shimazaki Hatsuo
* Iida Kisuke as Sawano Hisao
* Ishida Takuya as Terada
* Ishibashi Anna as Keiko
* Izumiya Shigeru as Kin
* Emoto Tasuku as Yamamoto
* Endo Kaname as Kurahashi Tetsuo
* Kakizawa Hayato as Kawai
* Kusabue Mitsuko as Shimazaki Umeko
* Kurokawa Tomoka as Kobayashi Yoshiko
* Kondo Yoshimasa as Sasaki
* Sasaki Sumie as Yone
* Suzuki Kazuma as Yano
* Tatara Kei as Ochiai Hiroshi
* Tanaka Tetsuji as Kitano
* Tanaka Yoji as Shiono
* Toda Keiko as Chiyo
* Nakamoto Ken as Mori Takuro
* Hara Sachie as Shimazaki Kiyoko
* Harada Ryuji as Suga Masaru
* Hino Ryujin as Kajimoto
* Hiraizumi Sei as Yamabe
* Mitsuishi Ken as Miyashita Daikichi
* Musaka Naomasa as Higuchi
* Muroi Shigeru as Akemi
* Yamaguchi Tomomitsu as Kazama
* Watanabe Dai as Yonemura Shigeru
Click here for pictures from the press conference.
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