Category Archives: New Shows!

One of the most popular and most requested series on KIKU is coming back for a third season: Doctors 3. Once again, the handsome, kind, and capable Dr. Sagara will have to use his subtle (and sometimes devious) skills to make things happen at Dogami General Hospital, especially when dealing with his nemesis, the ambitious and egotistical Dr. Moriyama.

Doctors 3 begins Monday, March 21, at 8pm. There are nine episodes in this series. The Japanese title is Saikyou no Meii.

Ja, ne!

This Thursday, 2/4, we begin a new series titled Truth of Zero at 9pm. It is about a brilliant but socially inept medical examiner named Mao Matsumoto. Mao is a genius with an IQ of 150, but she is so absorbed in the world of forensic medicine that she has no friends, and no interest in food, fashion, or dating. Her fellow medical examiners and team of detectives must figure out a way to get through to this oddball who is only concerned about her work. The Japanese title for this series is Zero no Shinjitsu.

Also, the second year of Behind the Noren is about to begin! We have been re-airing the first series on Tuesday nights at 9pm, but now that we are in between taiga dramas, Behind the Noren is also airing at 8pm on Tuesday nights.

The first half hour of Behind the Noren 2 will air on Sunday, 2/14, from 9:30-10pm. From the next week on, it’ll air as a full hour on Sunday nights from 9-10pm.

In year 2 of Behind the Noren, a new rival to become the proprietress of the inn appears. When Naoko’s husband Shosuke disappears once again, his mother Shino sends Naoko to Taiwan to bring him back. While she is gone, Shino’s niece Yukiko appears to help out at the inn, and she becomes Naoko’s strongest rival for the position. The Japanese title for this series is Hanayome Noren.

Ja, ne!

We apologize for the technical problems with the first 20 minutes of last night’s airing of Emperor’s Chef. The show did eventually play in its entirety, but in case you missed it, it will re-air again today at 1pm.

We have a new drama starting Sunday, 10/25, at 9pm. The Japanese title is Tennou no Ryoriban, or The Emperor’s Chef. It is based on the true story about Tokuzo Akiyama, who was a master chef in the Ministry of the Imperial Household from 1921 to 1989.

As a young boy (and second son) Tokuzo flitted from one thing to another, unconcerned about his future and unable to make a commitment. It was a source of great frustration for his father. So his father arranged for Tokuzo to marry the daughter of a family that owned a seaweed business. One day while delivering seaweed, the newly married Tokuzo is given a sample of a freshly fried cutlet that he finds so delicious, it overwhelms him. From that point on, Tokuzo has found his future. He is inspired to become a cook of western style food.

Tokuzo trains in Paris and at the young age of 26, he becomes the chef for the Emperor of Japan!

Ja, ne!

As a young boy growing up in the country

Tokuzo tastes a new food, and this awakens

his awareness and interest in cooking.

Tokuzo goes to Tokyo and Paris

to pursue the culinary arts.

Fighting against discrimination and prejudice,

he becomes a chef at the Ritz Hotel in Paris,

the epitome of high society and luxury.

At the young age of 26, he rises to become the Emperor’s Chef in Japan.

In January this year, we aired a special titled “Letter to Mom in Heaven” as part of our New Year’s week of specials. If you didn’t see it in January (or even if you did), you’ll have a chance to see it this Wednesday when we air it in place of Mystery Theatre. It’s a very bittersweet story about a family trying to heal itself after the death of the wife and mother.

The husband, Haruki Mizunuma, is a workaholic who focused all his energy on his career, leaving the raising of his young son to his wife, Kyoko. But after Kyoko passes away, Haruki is faced with raising his son alone. This is even more difficult when his son Ren becomes despondent and loses the will to live.

At the one year anniversary of Kyoko’s death, Haruki and Ren travel to Kyoko’s hometown to visit her father. But Haruki has another motive for the visit. He wants to search for the meaning behind the “tree of happiness” Kyoko wrote about in her diary.

Ja, ne!

Can you believe it? It’s already September!

Which means…it’s time for our Autumn (September) specials!!!

This year, our specials are airing the week of September 14. If you’re a long-time KIKU viewer who followed Making It Through throughout all 20 seasons, you’ll be excited to learn there is a new 2015 special. We will be airing the four hour special on two nights: Monday, 9/14, and Sunday, 9/20. A lot has happened to the Okakura family since the last special. Some sad news, some happy news, and, as usual, many things for the sisters to deal with and figure out.

On Wednesday, 9/16, which is usually our Mystery Theatre night, we are airing a Seichi Matsumoto special, Black Gospel. Matsumoto’s signature style is intrigue, and Black Gospel will not disappoint. It is about a crime that takes place in 1959, a time following the war when Japanese were very sensitive about how foreigners in their country were treated, so as not to create international problems. When a young foreign priest is suspected in the murder of a young woman, detectives must handle the investigation with great sensitivity. And this becomes a greater problem when their investigations uncover shadowy business dealings behind the church.

Our Thursday special is Pro Bono, about a young woman seeking revenge against an attorney who refused to defend her younger brother, who was wrongly accused of a crime. When her brother is sentenced to life and dies in prison, the young woman, Kiriko, is determined to avenge the injustice done to her brother.

Friday, 9/18, we have a Mission to Kill special. We aired a Mission to Kill special last year, and this program is a continuation of that special, in which four professional assassins are hired by victims of crimes seeking revenge.

If you love animals, you’ll love our Saturday special, Kinako’s Challenge. It is a documentary about a police dog named Kinako who just could not pass her dog exams, and the trainer who never gave up on her.

Following Kinako, is a special starring our popular “fat detective” Hidehiko Ishizuka, and another fat guy, Sumo Master Furiwake. The two travel to Odawara and Hakone playing an eating game. The winner gets to eat to his heart’s content, while the loser is left with an empty stomach.

Please tune in for our September specials!

Ja, ne!

We have a new drama starting next Friday, 8/28, at 8pm. It is titled My Prince (real Japanese title is Hakuba no Ouji-sama Junai Tekireiki).

This drama is about a single schoolteacher named Takako Hara. At 32 years of age, and with multiple failed relationships in her past and no serious boyfriend in her present life, Takako assumes she will probably be alone the rest of her life.

Until…a teacher seven years younger than Takako joins the staff. Despite their age difference, Takako finds herself falling in love. But can he reciprocate her feelings when he is already engaged to be married?

Tune in to My Prince to find out!

Ja, ne!