PROGRAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
WITHOUT NOTICE
“Okaeri, Tokowaka no Machi (A Girl and Ise’s 1,300 Years),” premieres on Monday, Sept. 14, at 7:35 p.m.
Located near the Ise Grand Shrine, guesthouse Tokowaka is in the Kawa-saki part of Ise City, Mie Prefecture. The much-adored Natsumi, who runs Tokowaka with her mother, is beloved among locals as “Tokowaka’s poster girl.” A high-school sophomore and active art-club member, she recently won a prize in an art competition. This inspires her dream of attending art college. However, she cannot go away and leave her mother behind…
“Rich Man, Poor Woman,” premieres on Monday, Sept. 21, at 7:35 p.m.
Tokyo University student Chihiro Sawaki works hard but cannot find a job due to lack of experience. At a job interview, she meets Toru Hyuga, billionaire CEO of software firm Next Innovation. He initially dismisses her for not meeting the job requirements; however, frustrated, she snaps and rants about all the information she’s learned about his company. Toru finds Chihiro’s name — the same as his mother, whom he’s been seeking for years — intriguing. He offers Chihiro a one-day job to persuade a government official to choose his firm for a contract. Though Chihiro and Toru meet strangely and frequently conflict, they end up growing together.
“Yell,” Monday through Saturday at 7:15 p.m.; repeats Sunday and Tuesday through Friday at 8:20 a.m. and at 8:05 p.m.
This 102nd Drama Serial depicts the life of famous composer Yuichi Koyama, who meets future wife Oto Sekiuchi through music. As they overcome hardship, Yuichi composes songs that become “yells” for people all over Japan in the Shöwa Era of radical social and cultural change.
“Inseki Kazoku (182 Days Left),” Wednesday at 7:35 p.m. and at 10:35 p.m.; re-airs Thursday at 8:40 a.m.
With six months left before Earth will be wiped out by a meteorite, Kumiko Kadokura asks herself, “Will you be able to say that you had lived a happy life when the time comes? Yes, I died together with my family… NO WAY!!! I still have so much to live for! Housewife? A good mom? I will leave that all behind starting now!” When she dreams of starting all over with her high-school crush, the Kadokuras are in chaos…
“Keishicho Sosa Ichikacho 2020,” Tuesday at 7:35 p.m. and at 10:35 p.m.; repeats Wednesday at 8:40 a.m.
Junichi Oiwa, the head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s star unit, returns! Leading over 400 elite detectives, he must attend initial investigations at the scene of all crimes, decide on a course of action for the investigations, direct task forces and get into the investigations at a critical phase. He overcomes these hurdles to be an ideal boss to his subordinates.
NGN 3 MOVIE CHANNEL (Spectrum Digital Ch. 679/HD 1679)
Premiere titles air on Friday. “Movie of the Month” premieres on the first Saturday. Movies are shown at various times. Check your digital on–screen guide for movie schedules, using either the GUIDE or INFO buttons (up to one week ahead). Or call NGN, Mon. – Fri. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 538–1966 for inquiries or to request an e–mail of NGN 3 programming information. All movies are in the Japanese language with full English subtitles.
Movie of the Month
“Tsukiji Wonderland,” 2016 documentary, 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Directed by Naotaro Endo.
A documentary filmed over 16 months chronicling Tsukiji Market (now in Toyosu), which has sustained Japanese food culture for over 80 years. At Tsukiji, intermediate wholesalers and chefs play out a duel among professionals, as the season’s fish mesmerizes tourists from around the world and scenes feature areas never before caught on film. Through Tsukiji’s passion, the film reveals the essence of Japan’s traditional cuisine.
Movies in Alphabetical Order
“Amanogawa,” 2018 drama, 1 hour and 43 minutes.
Directed by by Shun Konii. Starring Momoko Fukuchi and Takayuki Yanagi.
Tokyo high-school girl Shiori cannot argue against mother Satomi, who researches artificial intelligence but spends little personal time with her daughter. The education-obsessed Satomi forces Shiori to study until, fed up, Shiori stops going to school.
When she visits her beloved grandmother who taught her to play taiko drums, Shiori agrees to stay on the mystical island Yakushima in the southern sea of Japan. There, Shiori meets a robot. Communicating with it, she learns to live again.
“Aoi no Abarenbo (Fine Man),” 1961 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Daisuke Yamazaki. Starring Kinya Kitaoji and Midori Isomura.
A young son of the Kuwana clan master gets disowned for rebellious behavior. After traveling from mountains to ocean to defeat evil, however, he becomes a fine man.
“Benikujaku Kanketsu-hen (Crimson Peacock Part 5),” 1955 jidaigeki, 53 minutes.
Directed by Ryo Hagiwara. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura and Chiyonosuke Azuma.
The last chapter of the adventure of the Crimson Peacock treasures. Will Kojiro and Ukinemaru defeat the evil Ikkaku and preserve these treasures?
“Edo no Meibutsu Otoko Isshin Tasuke (Noble Tasuke),” 1958 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Sawashima. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Hitomi Nakahara.
Brave and compassionate man Tasuke prevents a feud between lords.
“Fuunji Oda Nobunaga (Oda Nobunaga),” 1959 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura and Katsuo Nakamura.
Pivotal turning points in the career of young lord Nobunaga Oda, who helped unify the warring states of feudal Japan under a central ruler in the late 16th century.
“Gang Chushingura (Gang Loyalty and Vengeance),” 1963 action film, 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Chiezo Kataoka, So Yamamura, Kenji Imai and Eitaro Shindo.
Modern gangster version of Chushingura, chronicling almost scene-for-scene the “47 ronin” story, transposed from the Genroku to the Showa Era.
“Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko Nazo no Ryujin Misaki (The Mysterious Cape),” 1963 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Hibari Misora.
At the edge of the Genkai Sea, Ryujin Misaki is a leprosy isolation ward. When sword master Saotome, a Shogunate guard, hears rumors of a missing doctor at Ryujin Misaki, he suspects things at the ward are not what they seem, so he launches an investigation.
“Hayatozoku no Hanran (Rebellion),” 1957 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa, Yumiko Hasegawa and Kunio Kaga.
In the Sengoku era, Kyushu’s Hayato Clan faces a battle for its survival.
“Hibari no Hahakoi Guitar (Hibari the Traveling Performer),” 1962 drama, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Kiyoshi Saeki. Starring Hibari Misora and Eitaro Shindo.
Guitarist Kimie performs at inns to help her sickly mother. One night, she is surprised by her father who abandoned them 20 years ago. Now he has married into a wealthy family. Can she regain his love?
“Hitokiri Kannon Uta (Swordsong),” 1970 samurai-crime film, 88 minutes.
Directed by Takahashi Harada. Starring Bunta Sugawara, Minoru Oki and Tomisaburo Wakayama.
In Meiji Japan, wayward blind priest Ryotatsu must teach an abandoned boy how to cope without sight. When he journeys with the child to find the boy’s mother, they run afoul of both gangsters and corrupt army officers swaying the public against Saigo Takamori’s group, then end up posing as Satsuma rebels.”
“Kizudarake no Jinsei Furui Yatsu de Gozansu (A Scarred Life 2),” 1971 drama, 1 hour 33 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Koji Tsuruta and Tomisaburo Wakayama.
Members of the same yakuza gang are forced to fight each other.
“Kodomo Tsukai (Innocent Curse),” 2014 horror film, 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Directed by Takashi Shimizu. Starring Hideaki Takizawa and Mugi Kadowaki.
Shaken by child disappearances and suspicious adult deaths, a town hears an internet rumor that any adult who encounters a returned “child” will die mysteriously three days later. Denying that children are killing adults, local newspaper reporter Shunya Ezaki investigates the truth behind the strange deaths. Who on earth is “Kodomo Tsukai,” and what dark fate do the abducted children drag their adult victims toward?
“Mito Komon (Lord Mito: All Star Version),” 1960 samurai film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hashizo Okawa, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Utaemon Ichikawa.
An all-star cast version of Japan’s beloved “Lord Mito.” Along with his loyal assistants, Suke and Kaku, Lord Mito unveils a malicious arsonist in Edo.
“Nanatsu no Chikai Kurosuisen no Maki (The Seven Vows),” 1956 jidaigeki-adventure film, 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hashizo Okawa, Chiyonosuke Azuma and Ryunosuke Tsukigata.
King’s retainer Toruhan journeys to find a royal treasure to be revealed through secret codes hidden in seven crosses carried by his fellow samurai.
“Nihon Jokyoden Tekka Geisha (Flint Geisha),” 1970 drama, 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Junko Fuji and Bunta Sugawara.
Young geisha Koshizu’s wish of reuniting with Yukichi, the man who helped her ten years ago, comes true. When Koshizu learns of the trouble faced by Yukichi’s business, she feels it time to repay the debt.
“Nijiiro Days (Rainbow Days),” 2018 drama, 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Directed by Ken Iizuka. Starring Ryusei Yokohama and Taishi Nakagawa.
Lovable, pure-hearted Natsuki; flirtatious playboy Tomoya; slow-paced but intelligent otaku Tsuyoshi; seemingly cheerful but secretly sadistic Keiichi … With different personalities, the high-school boys become best friends who hang out. Changes occur in their silly, playful, fun-filled lives when Natsuki, awkward with girls, falls in love with schoolmate Anna.
“Rikugun Chouhou 33 (Army Intelligence),” 1968 action film, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi. Starring Shinichi Chiba and Tetsuro Tanba.
Army agent Kazuo reveals a foreign-intelligence network in Japan then gets sent to Borneo Island on a special mission.
“Sanada Yukimura no Boryaku (The Shogun Assassins),” 1979 jidaigeki, 2 hours and 28 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Hiroki Matsukata and Miori Terada.
Ten warriors of the Shogunate battle a plot to assassinate Toyotomi.
“Shin Hebihimesama Oshima Sentaro (Snake Princess: Oshima and Sentaro),” 1965 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Sawasima. Starring Hibari Misora and Yoichi Hayashi.
Young Sentaro avenges the murders of his father and younger sister.
“Shingo Nijuuban Shobu Kanketsu-hen (Shingo’s Challenge Part 3),” 1963 samurai film, 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Hashizou Okawa, Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Ryutaro Otomo and Yumiko Hasegawa.
While journeying across Japan’s countryside, Shingo encounters many whose lives were affected by his past actions. Though he had intended to bring justice to evildoers, Shingo’s victorious duels caused family members of his victims to suffer — leading him to question his life philosophy.
“Soretsu Shinsengumi Bakumatsu no Doran (The Shogun’s Guard: Valor in Turbulence),” 1960 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Chiezo Kataoka, Ryutaro Otomo, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Kotaro Satomi, Hashizo Okawa and Shinobu Chihara.
Military team Shinsengumi guards the Shogun at the end of the Edo era.
“Umon Torimoncho Jigoku no Kazaguruma (Case of Umon: Hell’s Windmill),” 1960 samurai-action film, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Sawashima. Starring: Ryutaro Otomo, Kotaro Satomi, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Shunji Sakai.
Umon is called to help when bystanders Kayo and Minokichi, along with ronin Gontaro, are mistakenly identified as suspects in a series of recent murderss. To uncover the truth, Umon launches an investigation.
“Yume no Hawaii de Bon Odori (Dancing in Hawaii),” 1964 drama, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Ryuichi Takamori. Starring Kazuo Funaki and Chiyoko Honma.
Hard-working college student Natsuo earns enough money to go to Hawai‘i. Though his late father was born there, his family had disowned him for moving to Japan to marry Natsuo’s mother, Shizue. When Natsuo arrives in the islands, he attempts to develop a relationship with his grandfather. Through he still harbors his past resentment, in his old age, Natsuo’s grandfather misses his hometown in Osaka. So in an attempt to cheer him up, Natsuo plans a big bon dance celebration.
