Official Website
www.tbs.co.jp/Napoleon_no_mura
Broadcast
From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, 19 July 2015
Station
TBS
Story
Asai Eiji is an employee of the Tokyo metropolitan government and rather well-known within the government office. As a government official with the role of shaping Japan’s future, he focuses his attention on underpopulated areas called marginal villages and decides to revitalise Kagura Village in Hoshikawa City, Tokyo which is on the verge of ceasing to exist. Asai delivers a speech to a large group of people involved in a big project with a 100 billion yen budget. “I believe nothing is impossible!” His bold, captivating message mixing Napoleon’s words are met with applause. Asai’s childhood friend, Togawa Makoto, who is a management consultant, is surprised to learn about Asai’s work on revitalising rural Hoshikawa City. Kagura Village in Hoshikawa City is one of more than 10,000 marginal villages in Japan. Asai talks about the emergence of successive villages seeking revival now by creating value that only that locality would have. He is certain that Kagura Village has something great too and declares that they will definitely find it. Togawa gives a strained laugh in response. On Asai’s first day of work at Hoshikawa City’s Town Hall, he is quickly kept in check by the city’s mayor Fukumoto Junya who warns, “Forget the metropolitan government’s way of doing things. Please follow the rules of this town hall.” Furthermore, the staff of the Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce and Industry Division including the division head Yamada Daichi, who is a minion of Fukumoto, steers clear of Asai. No one is in a welcoming mood. Above all, Misaki Yukari, who stands out among the staff, has been ordered by Fukumoto to keep an eye on Asai and make sure he does not do unnecessary things. As the person responsible for Kagura Village, Asai is immediately put in charge of the planning committee members for the village festival. However, the budget handed to him is the usual 10,000 yen. Yukari takes an astonished Asai around the village with terraced rice fields, an abundance of crops and fish swimming in the clear stream. He is moved by the beauty of this original Japanese landscape. However, there is barely anyone here. Young people have left, the population has declined and half of the villagers are over 65. This is the reality of Kagura Village. Yukari introduces Asai to the Shinto priest, Komoda Kozaburo, who has earned the trust of the villagers. Asai says that he wants the festival to be grand and intends to solicit contributions from the villagers. He is told to meet all the villagers in person and sets about this task at once. However, teacups and ashtrays fly at him when he goes around to the houses. It is a harsh refusal by the villagers. Asai learns that they do not wish to liven up the festival. In the midst of this, Asai and Yukari visit the home of Igawa Tomiko whom they encountered at the town hall, and see the beautiful Japanese paper that she has created. Asai wonders how he can revitalise the village. Yukari tells him, “This village will eventually become a village without inhabitants.” Fukumoto is thinking of the village’s dissolution for the sake of the city’s development. Asai is laughed at by everyone in the division. However, his broad grin behind their back does not escape Yukari. At a later date, Asai gathers the villagers at the community centre and announces the festival’s main event. It will be sky lanterns; Tomiko’s Japanese paper released into the night sky by candle flame. Asai says in front of the villagers who shrink back, “The truth is, doesn’t everyone want to bring life back to this village and want to protect your hometown?” Asai gets pass the watchful eyes of Fukumoto and the rest and starts to spring into action to implement his plan for the Kagura Festival. With a 10,000 yen budget, Asai produces some innovative ideas that surprise the city government and villagers. His positive attitude to revitalise the village gradually changes the people around him who fear rocking the boat and who have given up on a revival because of the ageing population.
Characters
Karasawa Toshiaki as Asai Eiji
An employee of the Tokyo metropolitan government who goes to Kagura Village which is called a marginal village. He decides to revitalise the village by unearthing what should be the true value of the great things that are indigenous to this land. He inspires the villagers who had given up on everything with his novel ideas and remarkable ability to take action, and attempts to make over the village which is on its way to disappearing. He does not mince his words when he speaks. But this behaviour is based on a strong conviction that “a government official is precisely one who is useful”. He is what is called a “super civil servant” who crushes the “petty government official nature” of civil servants and saves a sparsely populated village.
Aso Kumiko as Misaki Yukari
A staff of the Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce and Industry Division at Hoshikawa City’s Town Hall. She is ordered to be Asai Eiji’s supervisor by the mayor, Fukumoto Junya, who says, “Only a competent person like you can do it.” She is pleasant to outsiders. But at home, she is rude and sloppy. She relieves stress by playing video games. According to her younger brother, Naoto, her real personality is ugly. She initially opposes Asai Eiji, but gradually finds herself getting involved before she realises it.
Yamamoto Koji as Togawa Makoto
Asai Eiji’s younger childhood friend. He runs a consultancy firm. He has a talent for making money and love a good story. He is the person who understands Asai the most and is his ally. He constantly supports Asai on the side as he struggles in Kagura Village.
Muro Tsuyoshi as Yamada Daichi
The head of the Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce and Industry Division at Hoshikawa City’s Town Hall. He is a minion of the mayor, Fukumoto Junya. He interferes with the project which Asai Eiji is trying to advance at Fukumoto’s command. He does not know what to do with Asai who just does what he wants.
Sawamura Ikki as Fukumoto Junya
The mayor of Hoshikawa City. He enjoys popularity in the constituencies nationwide as the handsome mayor for his fashionable air of a dandy and eloquence of his oratory at the city assembly. In Hoshikawa City, he is nicknamed the man that women most want to have an affair with. He is completely immune to the sensuality of his sexy secretary and is a man of iron will. But underneath, he has extremely sensitive feelings. He is a fairly neurotic, argumentative, pain in the neck. As the head of the local government, his unwavering vision to make efficiency the top priority in order to turnaround the finances. He obstructs Asai Eiji’s reform proposal at every opportunity.
Original Work
Roma Houou ni Kome o Tabesaseta Otoko Kaso no Mura o Sukutta Super Koumuin wa Nani o Shita ka by Takano Josen
Episodes
#1: There’s Nothing Impossible About This Village! A Super Civil Servant’s Miraculous Revitalisation of a Marginal Village on the Brink of Extinction
#2: A Family Moves from the City … A Mid-Summer’s Night Miracle for a Mother
#3: A Stunning Restaurant Plunge Pool View! A Promise with Late Wife … A 30-year Old Proposal
#4: The Great Matchmaking Operation! Winning City Girls’ Hearts!? The Great Outdoors and Male Disposition
#5: The Final … Ultimate Village Revitalisation! Great Adventure of Awkward Father and Son at Magnificent Underground Lake
#6: The Final Battle of a Hometown that Was Sold! For the Sake of Precious People
#7: Farewell Super Civil Servant! The Last Battle … The Strategy of Coming Back from the Dead
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