Yae's Sakura

{{Infobox television

| image = Yae no Sakura-poster.jpg

| caption = Promotional poster

| alt_name =

| genre = Taiga drama

| creator =

| developer =

| writer = Mutsumi Yamamoto

| director =

| creative_director =

| presenter =

| starring = Haruka Ayase
Hidetoshi Nishijima
Joe Odagiri
Hiroki Hasegawa
Jun Fubuki
Yutaka Matsushige
Kyōko Hasegawa
Tetsuji Tamayama
Gō Ayano
Shun Oguri
Meisa Kuroki
Kotaro Koizumi
Shido Nakamura
Takumi Saito
Yoshiko Miyazaki
Katsuhisa Namase
Kumiko Akiyoshi
Masaya Kato
Masahiro Takashima
Kōji Kikkawa
Ichikawa Somegorō VII
Izumi Inamori
Takashi Sorimachi
Eiji Okuda
Hiroaki Murakami
Hiroki Matsukata
Toshiyuki Nishida

| narrated = Mitsuko Kusabue

| theme_music_composer = Ryuichi Sakamoto

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer = Nobuyuki Nakajima

| country = Japan

| language = Japanese

| num_seasons =

| num_episodes = 50

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer =

| producer = Shinsuke Naitō (chief)

| editor =

| location =

| cinematography =

| camera =

| runtime = 45–75 minutes

| company =

| channel = NHK

| first_aired = {{start date|2013|1|6}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2013|12|15}}

| related =

}}

{{Nihongo|Yae's Sakura{{cite web|title=Yae's Sakura|url=https://www.iemmys.tv/nominees/yaes-sakura/|website=International Emmy Awards|publisher=International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=12 October 2019}}|八重の桜|Yae no Sakura|lead=yes}} is a 2013 Japanese historical drama television series and the 52nd NHK taiga drama. Written by Mutsumi Yamamoto, the drama focuses on Niijima Yae, who is portrayed by Haruka Ayase.{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fd20130104r1.html|title=NHK spotlights gunslinging daughter of the north in yearlong Sunday drama|first=Edan|last=Corkill|work=The Japan Times|date=4 January 2013}} Yae is a strong believer in women's rights and the story follows her journey in Japan, during the time it is opened up to Western ideas.

Yae, who came from the Aizu Domain (now within Fukushima Prefecture), was chosen for the taiga drama as her story of loss and hope was felt to be timely in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The drama was nominated for the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series.

Production

Kunishirō Hayashi - Sword fight arranger

Cast

Haruka Ayase as Niijima Yae
Rio Suzuki as childhood Yae

;Her family

Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yamamoto Kakuma, Yae's brother
Hiroki Hasegawa as Kawasaki Shonosuke, Yae's first husband
Joe Odagiri as Joseph Hardy Neesima, Yae's second husband
Jun Fubuki as Yamamoto Saku, Yae's mother
Yutaka Matsushige as Yamamoto Gonpachi, Yae's father
Kyōko Hasegawa as Higuchi Ura, Kakuma's first wife
Mitsuki Tanimura as Yamamoto Tokie, Kakuma's second wife
Masahiro Toda as Tokuzō, manservant of the Yamamoto family

;Aizu Domain

Gō Ayano as Matsudaira Katamori, 9th daimyō of the Aizu Domain
Toshiyuki Nishida as Saigō Tanomo, chief senior counselor of the Aizu clan
Izumi Inamori as Matsudaira Teru, adoptive sister of Katamori
Ayame Goriki as Hinata Yuki, childhood friend of Yae
Meisa Kuroki as Nakano Takeko, a female swordmaster for the Aizu Domain
Takumi Saito as Jinbo Shuri, chief retainer of the Aizu domain and son of Kuranosuke
Masane Tsukayama as Jinbo Kuranosuke, chief retainer of the Aizu domain
Tetsuji Tamayama as Yamakawa Hiroshi, major general of the Imperial Japanese Army and childhood friend of Yae
Mikako Ichikawa as Yamakawa Futaba
Ryo Katsuji as Yamakawa Kenjirō
Kumiko Akiyoshi as Yamakawa En
Kiko Mizuhara as Ōyama Sutematsu
Morio Kazama as Hayashi Yasusada
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi as Kajiwara Heima
Shido Nakamura as Sagawa Kanbei
Shingo Yanagisawa as Kayano Gonbei
Shihori Kanjiya as Fujita Tokio, childhood friend of Yae
Junko Miyashita as Takagi Sumie

;Tokugawa shogunate

;Shinsengumi

;Government of Meiji

;Chōshū Domain

;Satsuma Domain

;Others

Hiroaki Murakami as Matsudaira Yoshinaga
Eiji Okuda as Sakuma Shōzan
Goro Ibuki as Tokugawa Nariaki
Kyūsaku Shimada as Maki Yasuomi
Mitsuki Tanimura as Oda Tokie (Kakuma’s second wife)
Hiroki Matsukata as Ōgakiya Seihachi
Eric Bossick as Carl Wilhelm Heinrich Lehmann
Mayuko Kawakita as Tsuda Umeko
Ichikawa Somegorō VII as Emperor Kōmei
Kenji Masaki as Sakamoto Ryōma
Masahiro Takashima as Makimura Masanao

Production

On June 22, 2011, NHK announced that its 52nd taiga drama is titled Yae's Sakura and will be about the life of Niijima Yae, the "Jeanne d'Arc of Bakumatsu", with Mutsumi Yamamoto as writer and Katu Takō as director.{{cite news|title=大河ドラマ「八重の桜」...新島八重の生涯を描きます|url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/dramatopics-blog/2000/86512.html|access-date=9 November 2019|work=NHK ドラマ|publisher=NHK|date=22 June 2011|language=ja|quote=その姿は後に讃えられる、「幕末のジャンヌ・ダルク」と。}} The historical figure of Niijima was chosen for her story of loss and hope, along with her coming from the Aizu domain (now within the Fukushima Prefecture), to help inspire Japan after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which seriously affected Fukushima more than the other prefectures.{{cite news|last=Corkill|first=Edan|title=NHK spotlights gunslinging daughter of the north in yearlong Sunday drama|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2013/01/04/tv/nhk-spotlights-gunslinging-daughter-of-the-north-in-yearlong-sunday-drama/|access-date=9 November 2019|work=The Japan Times|publisher=The Japan Times Ltd.|date=4 January 2013}}

=Music=

Ryuichi Sakamoto was announced as the series' theme music composer on April 10, 2012.{{cite news|title=坂本龍一、2013年「八重の桜」で大河テーマ音楽初挑戦|url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/67595|access-date=9 November 2019|work=Natalie|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|date=10 April 2012|language=ja}} This is Sakamoto's first time composing music for a taiga drama.

TV schedule

Episode	Original airdate	Title	Directed by	Rating
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
1	{{Start date\|2013\|1\|6}}	{{nihongo\|"Naranu kotowa Naranu"\|ならぬことはならぬ\|No Means No}}	rowspan="4"\|Taku Katō	21.4%
2	{{Start date\|2013\|1\|13}}	{{nihongo\|"Yamuniyamarenu Kokoro"\|やむにやまれぬ心\|The Heart Must Do What It Must}}	18.8%
3	{{Start date\|2013\|1\|20}}	{{nihongo\|"Kechirashite Mae e"\|蹴散らして前へ\|Kick Open the Way Forward}}	18.1%
4	{{Start date\|2013\|1\|27}}	{{nihongo\|"Yōrei-boshi"\|妖霊星\|Star of Ill Portent}}	18.2%
5	{{Start date\|2013\|2\|3}}	{{nihongo\|"Shōin no Yuigon"\|松陰の遺言\|Shoin's Will}}	rowspan="2"\|Masae Ichiki	18.1%
6	{{Start date\|2013\|2\|10}}	{{nihongo\|"Aizu no Ketsui"\|会津の決意\|Aizu's Resolve}}	15.3%
7	{{Start date\|2013\|2\|17}}	{{nihongo\|"Shōgun no Kubi"\|将軍の首\|The Shoguns' Heads}}	Sō Suenaga	17.5%
8	{{Start date\|2013\|2\|24}}	{{nihongo\|"Mamanaranu Omoi"\|ままならぬ思い\|Uncontrollable Emotions}}	Taku Katō	15.6%
9	{{Start date\|2013\|3\|3}}	{{nihongo\|"Hachigatsu no Dōran"\|八月の動乱\|Upheaval in August}}	Masae Ichiki	15.1%
10	{{Start date\|2013\|3\|10}}	{{nihongo\|"Ikedaya Jiken"\|池田屋事件\|The Ikedaya Incident}}	Takuya Shimizu	12.6%
11	{{Start date\|2013\|3\|17}}	{{nihongo\|"Shugoshoku wo Ute!"\|守護職を討て！\|Attack the Shugoshoku!}}	Taku Katō	14.3%
12	{{Start date\|2013\|3\|24}}	{{nihongo\|"Hamaguri-gomon no Tatakai"\|蛤御門の戦い\|The Battle of Hamaguri-gomon}}	Masae Ichiki	13.9%
13	{{Start date\|2013\|3\|31}}	{{nihongo\|"Teppō to Hanayome"\|鉄砲と花嫁\|Firearms and the Bride}}	Sō Suenaga	14.3%
14	{{Start date\|2013\|4\|7}}	{{nihongo\|"Atarashiki Hibi e"\|新しい日々へ\|Towards New Days}}	Taku Katō	11.7%
15	{{Start date\|2013\|4\|14}}	{{nihongo\|"Satchō no Mitsuyaku"\|薩長の密約\|Satsuma-Choshu Secret Treaty}}	rowspan="2"\|Takuya Shimizu	14.2%
16	{{Start date\|2013\|4\|21}}	{{nihongo\|"Tōzakaru Senaka"\|遠ざかる背中\|The Retreating Figure}}	13.8%
17	{{Start date\|2013\|4\|28}}	{{nihongo\|"Nagasaki kara no Okurimono"\|長崎からの贈り物\|Gift from Nagasaki}}	rowspan="2"\|Masae Ichiki	13.7%
18	{{Start date\|2013\|5\|5}}	{{nihongo\|"Shōnosuke tono Tabi"\|尚之助との旅\|Travels with Shonosuke}}	15.7%
19	{{Start date\|2013\|5\|12}}	{{nihongo\|"Yoshinobu no Gosan"\|慶喜の誤算\|Yoshinobu's Misjudgement}}	Sō Suenaga	15.0%
20	{{Start date\|2013\|5\|19}}	{{nihongo\|"Kaisen! Toba-Fushimi"\|開戦！鳥羽伏見\|Outbreak of War!}}	Taku Katō	13.7%
21	{{Start date\|2013\|5\|26}}	{{nihongo\|"Haisen no Sekinin"\|敗戦の責任\|Responsibility for Defeat}}	Masae Ichiki	14.1%
22	{{Start date\|2013\|6\|2}}	{{nihongo\|"Otōto no Kataki"\|弟のかたき\|Vengeance for a Younger Brother}}	Sō Suenaga	13.3%
23	{{Start date\|2013\|6\|9}}	{{nihongo\|"Aizu wo Sukue"\|会津を救え\|Save Aizu}}	Taku Katō	15.0%
24	{{Start date\|2013\|6\|16}}	{{nihongo\|"Nihonmatsu-shōnentai no Higeki"\|二本松少年隊の悲劇\|The Tragedy of the Nihonmatsu Youth Brigade}}	Masae Ichiki	14.8%
25	{{Start date\|2013\|6\|23}}	{{nihongo\|"Byakkotai Shutsujin"\|白虎隊出陣\|Byakkotai Goes to War}}	Yoshiharu Sasaki	12.9%
26	{{Start date\|2013\|6\|30}}	{{nihongo\|"Yae, Kessen no Toki"\|八重、決戦のとき\|Yae, the Moment of Battle}}	rowspan="3"\|Taku Katō	14.0%
27	{{Start date\|2013\|7\|7}}	{{nihongo\|"Hōimō wo Toppa seyo"\|包囲網を突破せよ\|Break Through the Siege}}	12.9%
28	{{Start date\|2013\|7\|14}}	{{nihongo\|"Jiman no Musume"\|自慢の娘\|Daughter of Pride}}	16.6%
29	{{Start date\|2013\|7\|21}}	{{nihongo\|"Tsuruga-jō Kaijō"\|鶴ヶ城開城\|Surrender of Tsuruga Castle}}	rowspan="2"\|Sō Suenaga	14.5%
30	{{Start date\|2013\|7\|28}}	{{nihongo\|"Saiki eno Michi"\|再起への道\|Road to Recovery}}	12.6%
31	{{Start date\|2013\|8\|4}}	{{nihongo\|"Rien no Wake"\|離縁のわけ\|A Reason for Divorce

}||Yoshiharu Sasaki||15.4%

|32||{{Start date|2013|8|11}}||{{nihongo|"Ani no Mitorizu"|兄の見取り図|Brother's Sketch}}||rowspan="2"|Masae Ichiki||13.9%

|33||{{Start date|2013|8|18}}||{{nihongo|"Shōnosuke tono Saikai"|尚之助との再会|Reunion with Shonosuke}}||15.9%

|34||{{Start date|2013|8|25}}||{{nihongo|"Kaettekita Otoko"|帰ってきた男|The Man Who Came Back}}||Taku Katō||13.4%

|35||{{Start date|2013|9|1}}||{{nihongo|"Jō no Propozu"|襄のプロポーズ|Jo's Proposal}}||Sō Suenaga||14.2%

|36||{{Start date|2013|9|8}}||{{nihongo|"Dōshi no Chikai"|同志の誓い|Oath of Comrades}}||Yoshiharu Sasaki||15.4%

|37||{{Start date|2013|9|15}}||{{nihongo|"Kageki na Tenkōsei"|過激な転校生|Radical Transfer Student}}||Ryōhei Nakano||15.0%

|38||{{Start date|2013|9|22}}||{{nihongo|"Seinan Sensō"|西南戦争|Seinan War}}||Taku Katō||11.9%

|39||{{Start date|2013|9|29}}||{{nihongo|"Watashi tachi no Kodomo"|私たちの子ども|Our Children}}||Masae Ichiki||13.3%

|40||{{Start date|2013|10|6}}||{{nihongo|"Tsuma no Hattari"|妻のはったり|A Wife's Bluff}}||Sō Suenaga||12.4%

|41||{{Start date|2013|10|13}}||{{nihongo|"Kakuma no Musume"|覚馬の娘|Kakuma's Daughter}}||Ryōhei Nakano||12.4%

|42||{{Start date|2013|10|20}}||{{nihongo|"Jō to Iku Aizu"|襄と行く会津|Going to Aizu with Joe}}||Taku Katō||14.8%

|43||{{Start date|2013|10|27}}||{{nihongo|"Rokumeikan no Hana"|鹿鳴館の華|Flowers of Rokumeikan}}||Masae Ichiki||11.5%

|44||{{Start date|2013|11|3}}||{{nihongo|"Jō no Yuigon"|襄の遺言|Jo's Testament}}||rowspan="2"|Sō Suenaga||10.0%

|45||{{Start date|2013|11|10}}||{{nihongo|"Fugi no Uwasa"|不義の噂|Rumors of Infidelity}}||12.8%

|46||{{Start date|2013|11|17}}||{{nihongo|"Kakeochi"|駆け落ち|Elopement}}||Takuya Shimizu||13.7%

|47||{{Start date|2013|11|24}}||{{nihongo|"Nokosareta Jikan"|残された時間|Time Left}}||Tomoki Hase||13.7%

|48||{{Start date|2013|12|1}}||{{nihongo|"Goodbye, Mata Awan"|グッバイ、また会わん|Goodbye, See You Later}}||Taku Katō||13.7%

|49||{{Start date|2013|12|8}}||{{nihongo|"Futatabi Ikusa wo Manabazu"|再び戦を学ばず|Never Learn to Fight Again}}||Masae Ichiki||12.2%

|50||{{Start date|2013|12|15}}||{{nihongo|"Itsunohimo Hana wa Saku"|いつの日も花は咲く|The Flowers Will Always Bloom}}||Taku Katō||16.6%

!colspan="5"|Average rating 14.6% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).

Reception

In 2014, the series was nominated for the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series.

Home media

The first 15 episodes of Yae's Sakura were released on Blu-ray on October 23, 2013.{{cite web|title=NHK Taiga Drama - Yae no Sakura Complete Edition Part 1 (Blu-ray)(Japan Version)|url=https://www.yesasia.com/us/nhk-taiga-drama-yae-no-sakura-complete-edition-part-1-blu-ray-japan/1033930988-0-0-0-en/info.html|website=YesAsia|publisher=YesAsia.com Ltd.|access-date=30 March 2020}}{{cite web|title=NHK Taiga Drama Yae no Saskura Complete Edition Dai 1 shu Blu-ray BOX|url=https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/VPXX-75926|website=CDJapan|publisher=Neowing|access-date=30 March 2020}} The next 16 episodes received a Blu-ray release on January 22, 2014, which includes two behind-the-scenes featurettes and the textless series intro among others.{{cite web|title=NHK Taiga Drama Yae no Saskura Complete Edition 2 Blu-ray BOX|url=https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/VPXX-75927|website=CDJapan|publisher=Neowing|access-date=30 March 2020}} The last 19 episodes of the series were released on Blu-ray on March 19, 2014, with the release featuring cast interviews and a behind-the-scenes featurette among others.{{cite web|title=NHK Taiga Drama Yae no Saskura Complete Edition 3 Blu-ray BOX|url=https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/VPXX-75928|website=CDJapan|publisher=Neowing|access-date=30 March 2020}} All of the Blu-ray releases are region free.

Soundtracks

NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack I (January 30, 2013){{cite web|title=NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack 1|url=https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_TV-Soundtrack_000000000029998/item_NHK大河ドラマ「八重の桜」オリジナル・サウンドトラック-I_5246999|website=HMV & Books Online|publisher=Lawson Entertainment, Inc.|access-date=31 March 2020}}
NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack II (July 31, 2013){{cite web|title=NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack "Yae No Sakura" 2|url=https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_TV-Soundtrack_000000000029998/item_NHK-Taiga-Drama-Original-Soundtrack-Yae-No-Sakura-2_5428777|website=HMV & Books Online|publisher=Lawson Entertainment, Inc.|access-date=31 March 2020}}
NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack III (November 13, 2013){{cite web|title=Nhk Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack [yae No Sakura] 3|url=https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_TV-Soundtrack_000000000029998/item_Nhk-Taiga-Drama-Original-Soundtrack-yae-No-Sakura-3_5546864|website=HMV & Books Online|publisher=Lawson Entertainment, Inc.|access-date=31 March 2020}}
NHK Taiga Drama "Yae no Sakura" Original Soundtrack Complete Edition (January 1, 2014){{cite web|title=NHK大河ドラマ「八重の桜」- オリジナル・サウンドトラックコンプリート盤 (2枚組ALBUM)|url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/NHK大河ドラマ「八重の桜」-オリジナル・サウンドトラック-コンプリート盤-2枚組ALBUM-中島ノブユキ/dp/B00G3BRBOS/|website=Amazon.com|access-date=31 March 2020|language=ja}}

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.nhk.or.jp/archives/bangumi/special/taiga/detail/d_052.html}} {{in lang|ja}}
{{IMDb title|1975780}}

Category:Taiga drama

Category:2013 Japanese television series debuts

Category:2013 Japanese television series endings

Category:Cultural depictions of Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Category:Television series set in the 1850s

Category:Television series set in the 1860s

Category:Television series set in the 1870s

Category:Television series set in the 1880s

Category:Television series set in the 1890s

Category:Television series set in the 1900s

Category:Television shows set in Kyoto

Category:Boshin War films