Ruri no Shima

Ruri no Shima (Japanese: 瑠璃の島), also known as Ruri's Island, is a Japanese television drama series that aired on the Nippon Television (NTV) network from April 16 to June 18, 2005. The series consists of 10 episodes and achieved an average viewership rating of 12.6% during its initial broadcast run.

Plot

The story is set on Hatomi Island, a remote location in the southernmost region of Japan. With a population of only 49 people, the island lacks basic infrastructure such as hospitals, banks, and convenience stores. The narrative centers on the island's elementary school, which faces closure due to a lack of children. To prevent the school from shutting down—a move that would threaten the island's future viability—a local resident named Yuzo Nakama travels to Tokyo to recruit a foster child.

He encounters Ruri Fujisawa, a sixth-grade student who has grown up without parental affection. The drama follows Ruri's transition to life on the island, her integration into a foster family, and the emotional growth she experiences as she learns to form new bonds.

Production

The series was directed by Ryuichi Inomata and Kenji Ikeda, with a screenplay written by Yoshiko Morishita and Toshio Terada. The story was based on a novel by Katsu Moriguchi. The production was overseen by producer Masahiro Kunimoto.

Cast

• Riko Narumi as Ruri Fujisawa
• Yutaka Takenouchi as Tatsuya Kawashima / Makoto Takahara
• Manami Konishi as Sanae Shimabukuro
• Ken Ogata as Yuzo Nakama
• Fumiyo Kohinata as Shomei Yonemuri
• Haruka Igawa as Mizuki Saito
• Mayuko Nishiyama as Natsumi Matsukume
• Toshiki Kashu as Shigeru Saito
• Masanobu Katsumura as Koji Matsukuma
• Naomi Nishida as Nao Fujisawa
• Anzu Nagai as Izumi Arikawa

Sequel

A special follow-up episode titled Ruri's Island Special 2007: First Love was broadcast on NTV in 2007.