TBS Program Catalog

Search by Cast Name

Ken Watanabe (渡辺謙)

Fathers

おやじの背中   아버지의 등   父親的背影

60 min × 9 eps|9 episodes

The relationship between father and child is showcased each week in 10 episodes penned by different writers, and featuring 10 pairs of leading actors. A former boxer (Koji Yakusho) trains his daughter (Hikari Matsushima) to participate in the Olympic Games and survive in a highly competitive world. Another father (Tsunehiko Watase) and son (Kankuro Nakamura VI) formerly at odds with each other embark on a pilgrimage inspired by the death of the wife and mother. All the stories are suited for viewing by the whole family yet delve into universal themes with which everyone can identify.

A School Behind Bars

塀の中の中学校   담장안의 중학교   監獄裡的中學

150 min x 1 ep|1 episode

Although Junpei is aiming to become a professional photographer, he has just completed a five-year teaching post at a reform school. His next assignment is deputy homeroom teacher at a prison school. Junpei will be working alongside senior teacher, Miyake. The students of the prison school are all convicted felons. Those who have not yet finished compulsory education but show the will to learn and have a clean slate of behavior in prison are the conditions for admission to the school. However, the screening process is strict, and only those judged worthy by the admissions committee are permitted to take 14 subjects and study for seven hours a day. The students are something of a motley crew and this drama traces not only their rocky path to graduation but also how Junpei grows through coming into contact with them.

Vessel of Sand

砂の器   모래 그릇   砂之器

75 min. x 1 ep. / 65 min. x 1 ep. / 60 min. x 9 eps.|11 episodes

Eiryo Waga is well-known musician who has begun a rapid climb to stardom, but he must keep his terrible past a secret. One day someone who knows all about his past confronts him, and Waga kills him in order to protect the fame he has obtained. Unfortunately, as Waga is leaving the scene, he runs into Asami, a budding stage actress. An investigation team is established led by two detectives, but they have difficulty making any headway. Meanwhile, by coincidence Waga bumps into Asami again. She also has her own dark past, and soon they fall in love. But Waga is already engaged to Ayaka whose father is responsible for his rapid ascent to the top of the music world. It looks like Waga’s ambitions are about to confront reality. Based on Seicho Matsumoto’s famous work that was released in 1960-61, this drama illustrates the life of a man burdened with a heavy fate in a contemporary setting.

Ikebukuro West Gate Park

池袋ウエストゲートパーク   이케부크로 웨스트 게이트 파크   池袋西口公園物語

75 min. x 1 ep. / 60 min. x 10 eps. / 120 min. x 1 ep. (Special)|12 episodes

Living in an area known for its juvenile crime, 21 year-old Makoto has become a member of a youth gang called the G-Boys. Known for his cool head and ability to get things done, Makoto becomes a key trouble-shooter for the gang by diffusing tense situations and keeping his friends out of harm’s way. However, the death of his girlfriend and an escalating turf war with a rival gang threaten to be more than Makoto can handle.