Best Japanese Dramas Of All Time

15-year-old Ikeuchi Aya is an ordinary girl, the daughter of a family who works at a tofu shop, and a soon-to-be high schooler. However, odd things have been happening to Aya lately. ...more

Shuji Kiritani is one of the most popular guys in his school. He pretends to care for all of his classmates, but deep down, is quiet and doesn't open up to others. ...more

Onizuka Eikichi is a graduate of a third-rate University and the leader of a motorcycle gang, whose lifelong dream is to become a teacher. After being hired by a seemingly eccentric director, ...more

Kanzaki Nao is an honest college student who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The ...more

The story revolves around an eccentric home tutor named Yoshimoto, who is hired to teach the second son of the Numata family. While being tossed around by the weird and unconventional home ...more

Naruse Ryo, who is an able attorney that can turn any case in his clients’ favour, takes cases for the disadvantaged and defends them free of charge; therefore, he is called an ...more

Haru is the captain and star player of an ice hockey team, who is greatly respected by his teammates. For him, hockey is serious business that fully occupies his mind, while he ...more

29-year-old Hyuga Toru is a wealthy man. He first started to run an internet website in his small room, and his hobby began to make a lot of money. Nowadays, he doesn't ...more

Ryuzaki Ikuo and Danno Tatsuya are orphans who grew up in an orphanage called Mahoroba no Ie. When they were elementary school students, an orphanage staff, who took care of them like ...more

At a high school entrance ceremony, high school student Aihara Kotoko, who isn't that smart, notices the pretty boy Irie Naoki. She falls in love with him immediately. Kotoko initially doesn't express ...more

With graduation 10 days away, homeroom teacher Hiiragi gathers all 29 students of class 3-A and proclaims them as his hostages. His last lesson regards the death of a student that passed ...more

Dojima Otaro works as a popular host. Because of a past incident, he believes that love makes people unhappy. He now only pursues money and power. A mysterious woman appears in front ...more

Yamaneko is an eccentric and mysterious 'Phantom Thief' who steals from the corrupted rich while exposing their misdeeds. Along for the ride is Katsumura Hideo, a magazine reporter who, at Yamaneko's request, ...more

Fujinuma Satoru is an aspiring manga artist who has the ability to travel back in time moments before a life-threatening incident, in which he is able to prevent those from happening. When ...more

Elementary school teacher Suzuhara Nao decides to abduct Michiki Rena, one of her female students, after discovering that she is being abused by her mother. Fleeing Hokkaido to Tokyo, the two experience ...more

Sena is a college music graduate who dreams of becoming a professional musician and a world-class pianist. Unfortunately, he has not been able to find any breakthrough opportunities and has to settle ...more

This hilarious comedy follows the chaos, troubles, and friendship at a boys' boarding school after a girl disguised as a boy joins. Ashiya Mizuki has just come back to Japan from California ...more

Ichikawa Yasuo, who goes by the nickname Yasu, is a ‘dumb’ man unequalled anywhere in the world. He has not had schooling, is boorish and would immediately let his fists fly if ...more

When Ryoji finds out that the object of his father's perversion is his first love, Yukiho, he kills him. To his horror, Yukiho's mother forced her to do so to relieve their ...more

Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, a school for the ridiculously rich and privileged. Eitoku Gakuen is ruled by the Flower 4, otherwise known as the F4, a ...more

Megumi Noda or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading ...more

Shiratori Sakuto is 28, but has the intelligence of a 6-year-old boy. He works for Dream Flower Service, a flower distribution centre which provides employment for problem youth. One day, he and ...more

Haruta Soichi is a 33-years-old single man who isn't popular with women. He works at a real estate office and lives with his parents. However, one day, his mother walks away from ...more

An idealistic banker takes on corruption and wrongdoing at his large corporate bank. While forging ties with some unlikely allies, he must use his financial expertise, his instincts about human nature, and ...more

Fukami Hiroki's younger sister was killed by a friend. Hiroki then meets the killer's sister, Toyama Futaba, 15 years after the incident. Both of their families have been burdened with grief, but ...more

Tokuzo Akiyama is a young man from a rural area who is married and has a child along the way. One day, he eats a delicious breaded cutlet, which inspires him to ...more

25-year-old Moriyama Mikuri graduated but had no job offers. She became a temporary employee but was even laid off. So while she is taking a break right now, Mikuri feels unwanted and ...more

Sakurai Misaki is a pastry chef who dreams of someday working for a renowned Patisserie overseas; she has prioritised work to the extent that she has forgotten how to kiss. When she ...more

Yuuki Kai is in his senior year at university studying social welfare psychology. At present, he is in the middle of job-hunting season. He is finding it difficult with no job offers ...more

The story picks up right after Domyoji leaves for New York. After confessing to Domyoji, Makino has not spoken to him for a year. Rui and the other members of F4 try ...more

The setting is in Yokohama. Hiroto Kanzaki works hard every day and night for the survival of a small ship repair factory (inherited from his father) as well as the survival of ...more

Sawada Takuto is an ordinary university student, who one day learns that he has A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease) with not much time left to live. Instead of wallowing in despair, Takuto tries ...more

University student Sugishita Nozomi, Naruse Shinji, Ando Nozomi and Nishizaki Masato end up coming upon the scene of the murder of the Noguchi couple, because of a plan they had devised. Nishizaki ...more

Shunichi Minami possesses good looks and does well academically in high school. Chiyomi Horikiri is a bright girl who likes dancing. They were childhood friends and also their first loves, but after ...more

Arisu Ryohei—a listless, jobless and video-game-obsessed young man—suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games in order to survive. ...more

Nemoto Kahoko is a naive 21-year-old university student. She relies on her mother, Izumi, for everything in her life. Her mother wakes her up everyday and picks up her clothes, while Kahoko ...more

The story follows a brain surgeon named Minakata Jin, who has spent the last two years in anguish as his fiancee lies in a vegetative state after an operation he performed. One ...more

The drama is based on the best selling same-titled novel Minato Kanae, and is about two families that reside in the same upscale neighborhood. Amongst all the beautiful homes lined up in ...more

28-year-old Oshima Nagi works for a home appliance manufacturer in Tokyo. She conforms to her surroundings as she constantly gauges people’s moods. Because of that, her goal is to pass each day ...more

This is a love story between Akira Kuroiwa, a 15-year-old boy who knows nothing of love, and Hijiri Suenaga, his new 25-year-old homeroom teacher. One fated summer, Akira begins to realize he ...more

Sakaki Makio, also known as "Tornado", is a tough 27-year-old high school drop-out. By academic standards, he's pretty dumb. His father decides to force Makio to return to high school to receive ...more

Maki Maki, Sebuki Suzume, Beppu Tsukasa, and Iemori Yutaka happen to meet and form a quartet. They even begin to live together in Karuizawa during the winter, but there is a big ...more

Blessed with good looks, Takano Kyohei, a college student, is always suffering from the unreasonable behavior of customers who want him and the sexual harassment of his store manager. Because of his ...more

Next door to Chuo TV's offices is "Manhattan," a coffee shop for aficionados. The owner's passion for coffee is almost a sickness and all he wants is for his customers to enjoy ...more

"I thought I might be using a lifetime's happiness in a moment. I was that happy, and she was that beautiful." A young boy stands on the red earth of Australia under ...more

After unexpectedly losing her husband Shin, Koharu works hard to provide for her two children, Nozomi and Riku, despite facing financial hardships. When denied assistance at the social welfare office, Koharu reveals ...more

A romantic home comedy about 30-year-olds with an immature view on marriage that focuses on themes related to married couples and families in general. The protagonists of ‘Saikou no Rikon’ are two ...more

Five siblings live together. They have arguments everyday and sometimes even fight with each other. Each of the siblings have their own problems like studying, finding a job, marriage, etc. There are ...more

Sakuraba Junko, an English language school teacher, has had no boyfriend even before her 29th birthday and dreams of working in New York. But one day, she encounters a handsome monk in ...more

A genius physicist and university associate professor, Yukawa Manabu, solves difficult mysteries. Affectionately known as Detective Galileo, Yukawa is brilliant, an all-round sportsman, tall and handsome but eccentric. Yukawa's partner is a ...more

Yaeko Kogure is a 27-year-old office lady. After she resigned from her company to get married, her fiancé informed her that he was in love with another woman and broke off their ...more

"When we grow up... We'll kill him together." Koichi, Taisuke, and Shizuna are three siblings whose parents had been brutally murdered when they were just in elementary school, and they vowed to ...more

The story follows Aya Saito from last year in high school to her 40s, as she moves from Akita, a small rural town in the Japanese countryside to the glittering metropolis of ...more

Unnatural is a case-of-the-week medical mystery show; its main theme is the change of reality brought upon by imminent death of a loved one. Mystery and exhilarating human drama unfold against the ...more

Michima Shin is a 30-years-old lonely and unpopular novelist who lives alone in a big house. Shin's father is a convicted murderer, awaiting capital punishment, who killed 3 people, including his wife, ...more

Through the introduction of his friend Danma Ryuji, Onizuka Eikichi, the former legendary bike gang member, visits Meishu Academy to tend to the trees in the garden as a part-time gardener. Learning ...more

In education, career, and appearance... Sumire is perfect, too perfect for even her boyfriend, who summarily dumps her. Also sexually harassed at work, Sumire takes matters into her own hands. Returning home ...more

This is the story about one small coffee shop located in the northern island of Hokkaido. Yukichi Wakui used to work as a successful businessman at a prestigious trading firm. He worked ...more

Inaba Rika, whose childhood dream was to become a news reporter, is instead a director for an informative TV program. At one point, she was a reporter; however, her career was cut ...more

Sakuragi Kenji is a destitute lawyer and one-time member of a motorcycle gang trying to guide failing high school students with an average score of 36 into Japan's most prestigious educational institution, ...more

A girl is just 14 years old, but she endures a difficult life. Her parents abuse her at home and she is bullied by students at her school. She doesn't have a ...more

Aihara Kotoko finally becomes Irie Kotoko. Her life will be full of changes as she wants to become nurse and help her husband Naoki, but also she will face struggles of marriage ...more

If it can be treated one second earlier, the heart might start beating again. If there is one extra helicopter, another life in danger may be saved. If one more life can ...more

Kakei Shiro is a 45-year-old attorney who works for a small law firm and lives with his lover, Yabuki Kenji, a hairdresser. Kakei Shiro's regular routine is that after work, he buys ...more

A striking drama of the amazingly gifted surgeon Zaizen Goro, caught up by his desire for power and fame, and his contemporary physician Satomi Shuji, who selflessly continues a quest to save ...more

An exhilarating and entertaining comedy about a bizarre plan to steal a large sum of money from people consumed by desire. The main character, Dako and her partners in crime, a serious ...more

A drama about friendship that spans ages, this is based on a true story which chronicles the life of a man who died at the age of 23 after an illness that ...more

Half a year has passed, and Shirokin Gakuen has closed down. Yamaguchi Kumiko finds herself a teacher of a few young kids, who don't really benefit much from her style of teaching. ...more

Adachi Kiyoshi is a regular salaryman who, at the age of 29, was still a virgin. On his 30th birthday, he suddenly finds himself acquiring a new power - the ability to ...more

Drama series depicts the lives of three men born in 1987 and oppose irrational things of the world through work, love and friendship. The men are from the Yutori generation when the ...more

Koichi Miyazawa runs a small, but longstanding company which makes tabi (traditional Japanese socks). He is the CEO of the fourth generation company with about 20 employees. Due to a decrease of ...more

Shiomi Eiji is a florist. He is a single man with a young daughter named Shizuku. One day, he invites a blind woman seeking shelter under his shop awning to come in ...more

Okitegami Kyoko is a beautiful private detective who has a deep love for money. She is also known as the Forgetful Detective. Her memory is reset when she sleeps at night, which ...more

A new school year begins at Hanzaki Elementary School, and there's a new mysterious teacher named Akutsu Maya in grade 6, class 3. Meanwhile, Kanda Kazumi is now entering the 6th grade ...more

Can a family hope to recover after losing their mother to suicide? Keiichi Asuda serves his wife, Nagiko divorce papers after he tells her that he intends to marry his mistress. The ...more

20-year-old Hokuto is being detained as a murderer and tells his court-appointed lawyer Takai Soichi to get him the death penalty. Hokuto was actually severely abused by his parents in his childhood ...more

Yoshikawa Nao stays behind to live by herself when her parents leave to inherit her grandpa's farm in the country. On the day she moves into her new apartment, she discovers that ...more

Onotora Shu does not know that his foster father is a legendary professional killer. However, his daily life dramatically changes after someone murders this professional killer. Onotora decides to take over the ...more

A love story between Risa Shiroki and Hiroto Fukami. Twenty year old Risa Shiroki comes to Tokyo from her hometown in the countryside to attend university. Pretty and popular with male students, ...more

Asahi Mikuri‎ya works at a photography studio located near the sea. In the past, Asahi Mikuri‎ya dreamed of becoming a famous photographer, but now he is a cameraman for weddings and school ...more

Takenouchi plays an aquarium employee named Kengo, who seems ordinary at first glance but actually possesses a secret that he would sacrifice everything in order to protect. Meanwhile, Ueto plays Risa, a ...more

This drama is set in the late 1960s decade of Japan and depicts the rivalry between Manpyo Daisuke, a powerful banker, and his eldest son, Manpyo Teppei, the executive managing director of ...more

This drama is about behind the scene in TV drama productions. It also portrays how the whole production team and performers complete a project on a tight schedule as well as how ...more

Seventeen-year-old Mugi Awaya and Hanabi Yasuraoka appear to be the ideal couple. They are both pretty popular, and they seem to suit each other well. However, outsiders don't know of the secret ...more

A pet groomer at a salon in Shirogane, Nogami Meiko has a lot of celebrity dog-lovers as customers. She cheerfully serves customers with care, and her skills are tried and tested. The ...more

Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another ...more

Junko Harumi was once a model student during her middle school and high school days. However, she, unfortunately, failed to enter the prestigious Tokyo University, and her life has not gone smoothly ...more

From his unlikely start as an English encyclopedia salesman, Toru Muranishi casts a charismatic vision that leads Japanese pornography from idealized, substanceless skin flicks to more realistic and story-based encounters. Along the ...more

Set in Tokyo, Japan during the 1950's. Tamotsu is suspected of murdering his actress wife, Shizuka Harada. He flees to Taiwan and commits suicide. Tamotsu’s friend Banji Masuzawa works as a private ...more

Ogawa Miki yearned to live the life of a lovely girl and moved to the city from the countryside because of this. She holds a job at a fashion mail order company. ...more

The drama is set at the beautiful Shimanto River in the Kochi prefecture and revolves around a group of seven men and women and the unfolding of their lives. Ikuta plays a ...more

Freelance programmer Sakagami Keishi is paralysed in the lower half of his body because of an unknown illness and uses a wheelchair. He sets up a company called dele. LIFE in partnership ...more

27-year-old Fukazawa Misaki and 29-year-old Hazuki are sisters who are polar opposites in both lifestyle and personality. Although they would hurt each other's feelings, they would also make up for each other’s ...more

A marvellous team-play comedy with beautiful and active policewomen! Don't you want to meet with a woman who falls in love, likes to dress up, and arrests felonious offenses? What if she ...more

Hanamaki Mikoto is a paramedic with a special psychic ability: he can see the moment at which a person’s life ends. But the talent is a curse because, despite his best efforts, ...more

Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, ...more

Makino Hiyori is a rookie detective who is passionate about her work. One day, a video clip depicting a person being burned alive, is posted on the internet. Investigators believe this is ...more

Usami Kei is a salaryman who has risen in status due to his engagement with Mei, the wealthy daughter of his company's president. Shortly after she breaks off the engagement, a power ...more

Iga Kan works at a family restaurant. He is sincere, but rigid in his ways. He can't even fake smiles for his customers. Kan doesn't have a good reputation with his co-workers ...more

Momoko has just started a new job at a company that offers funeral services and cleans up after crime scenes when she discovers she has an amazing supernatural power. When she touches ...more