Official Website
www.tbs.co.jp/shitamachi_rocket
Broadcast
From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, 18 October 2015
Station
TBS
Story
Tsukuda Kohei was once a researcher with the Space Science Development Agency and now runs Tsukuda Industries, a small factory which was left by his father in the traditional working-class neighbourhood of Tokyo. His relationship with his daughter, Rina, is somewhat strained, but business at Tsukuda Industries is running smoothly and results have gradually started to improve. However, Tsukuda puts too much emphasis on his own dream of developing a rocket engine and business goes on the decline little by little. One day, Kyohama Machinery suddenly declares that it will cease to do business with Tsukuda Industries. Hard-pressed for funds with the loss of a major client, Tsukuda goes to Tsukuda Industries’ main bank Hakusui Bank with his accounts manager Tonomura Naohiro in order to secure working capital. They are told by the bank that it will be difficult to make a new loan if development of a hydrogen engine that does not have prospects for practical use continues. The two men do not know what to do in the face of Hakusui Bank’s reluctance. Then, a new problem emerges. Tsukuda Industries gets sued by a rival, Nakashima Industries, for patent infringement. Although Tsukuda Industries is clean, the fact that it is being sued by a big company hurts its reputation and financing from banks is also in a desperate situation. Nakashima Industries, which has an eye on Tsukuda Industries’ technology, drags out the trial with an underhanded courtroom strategy and slowly but steadily robs Tsukuda Industries of strength. In the midst of this, Teikoku Heavy Industries, one of Japan’s leading corporations, offers to buy a patent which Tsukuda Industries possesses for 2 billion yen. This is necessary money for Tsukuda Industries which is on the verge of life and death. But this patent is filled with Tsukuda’s dreams. What decision will he make as a businessman and as company president with the lives of many employees his hands?
Characters
Abe Hiroshi as Tsukuda Kohei
The second generation company president of Tsukuda Industries which develops and sells small engines. He was a researcher of the space science development agency, but resigned to take responsibility for a failed rocket launch and took over the small factory that his father bequeathed. After he became the company president, business performance immediately improved. However, he cannot give up his dream of creating a rocket engine and has been conducting research on a valve system that is essential to the engine. But expenses accumulate and weigh on the business. The sales team has a low opinion of it. This was even pointed out by Tonomura Naohiro, the head of the accounting department. At that moment, Tsukuda Industries is sued by a competitor for a small engine that infringes a patent … …
Tsuchiya Tao as Tsukuda Rina
The only daughter of Tsukuda Kohei and Izumi Saya. A second-year high school student. She has been brought up by Tsukuda’s mother Kazue after her mother left. She is at a particularly difficult age and has not been communicating properly with her father. At times, she even says nasty things and frequently makes her father upset.
Maya Miki as Izumi Saya
Tsukuda Kohei’s ex-wife. They attended the same university and got married when Tsukuda was a graduate student. However, when Tsukuda, who had been an outstanding researcher, became the company president of a small factory, she felt weary of his focus on running the business and left home. Even after that, she remained at the space science development agency, taking the tried-and-tested path. At that moment, she hears about Nakashima Industries’ lawsuit and introduces the lawyer Kamiya Shuichi, who specialises in intellectual property, to Tsukuda.
Tatekawa Danshun as Tonomura Naohiro
A bank employee from Hakusui Bank who has been seconded to Tsukuda Industries as the head of the accounting department. His only saving grace is his diligence. He would have spent his entire life at the bank, but was suddenly ordered to go to Tsukuda Industries and found himself at a crossroad in life. However, he does not complain and goes out of his way for Tsukuda Industries which is cash-strapped. But his tactlessness and uncommunicative personality causes trouble. The employees including Tsukuda regard him as the bank’s spy and are wary of him.
Yasuda Ken as Yamazaki Mitsuhiko
The head of Tsukuda Industries’ technology development department. Tsukuda Kohei’s junior from university days. Appreciated for his skills, he was invited to lead the technology development department five years ago. He is a dedicated researcher who loves experiments more than his three meals. He is usually a man of few words, but speaks fervently when it concerns the research that he is involved in.
Hashimoto Satoshi as Mita Kimiyasu
The manager of the legal affairs group of Tsukuda Industries’ rival, Nakashima Industries. He is the person who set up a lawsuit seeking 9 billion yen in damages from Tsukuda Industries or copying its technology and infringing a patent.
Ikehata Shinnosuke as Nakagawa Kyoichi
Nakashima Industries’ lawyer. He belongs to the country’s biggest law firm Tamura & Okawa. An outstanding lawyer who is well-known in the technology field of corporate law. He is complicit in the ruthless courtroom strategy of Nakashima Industries’ which brings lawsuits in order to run small and medium companies, which become competition, to the ground. He starts to drive Tsukuda Industries to the edge with brilliant tactics.
Megumi Toshiaki as Kamiya Shuichi
A partner of the law firm Kamiya & Sakai. A brilliant lawyer who is an expert in lawsuits related to intellectual property. He used to be belong to Tamura & Okawa, the legal adviser to Nakashima Industries which has sued Tsukuda Industries. A former classmate of Tsukuda Kohei’s ex-wife, Izumi Saya, who refers him to defend Tsukuda Industries.
Koizumi Kotaro as Shiina Naoyuki
The second generation company president of Sayama Manufacturing, he comes from NASA. He has rapidly expanded the factory that his father used to run, by changing to the American style of management and he is shrewd venture capitalist. After he became the company president, company’s sales has doubled to 4 billion yen. He regards Tsukuda Industries as a rival.
Kikkawa Koji as Zaizen Michio
The head of Teikoku Heavy Industries’ aerospace systems department. He has been in the elite track ever since he joined the company and is now in charge of the Stardust Programme, a project under his company president Fujima Hideki to develop a domestic rocket. Although he acknowledges Tsukuda Industries which obtained the patent for the valve system that is critical to rocket development. But the policy of Fujima is to produce key technology in-house and he approaches Tsukuda Kohei to negotiate the purchase of the patent that he possesses but … …
Sugi Ryutaro as Fujima Hideki
The president of Teikoku Heavy Industries. He aims to make the Stardust Programme a success and make Teikoku Heavy Industries a leading global company in the field of aerospace. He is the person who holds the final key to whether Tsukuda Industries can supply a component of the rocket that is being developed by his company.
Scriptwriter
Yatsu Hiroyuki (Ryusei Wagon, Roosevelt Game, Hanzawa Naoki)
Original Work
Shitamachi Rocket by Ikeido Jun
Episodes
#1: Japan Dream ~ A Touching Story Emerges!! A SME Competes Against a Large Corporation! Tears! Dreams and Pride!
#2: Can I Prevent the 2 billion yen Acquisition Crisis with My Daughter’s Love?
#3: New Adversary Teikoku Industries Bares Fangs
#4: The Counterattack Begins! Avenge the Sub-contract Humiliation
#5: Rocket Volume Concludes, A Tearful, Moving Launch
#6: The Assassin from NASA
#7: The Counterattack Begins!! Small Factory vs Medical Care Ambitions
#8: Tsukuda & Zaizen, An Unexpected Upset … Aim for the Counterattack!!
#9: Technology Doesn’t Lie!
Click here for photos from the press conference.
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