Ryomaden (2010 TV Series)
Ryomaden (Japanese: 龍馬伝) is a Japanese historical television series produced and broadcast by NHK. It served as the 49th installment in the network's long-running Taiga drama series. The program aired on Sunday evenings at 20:00 from January 3 to November 28, 2010, totaling 48 episodes.
Background and Plot
The series centers on the life of Ryoma Sakamoto (1836–1867), a pivotal figure in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period. The narrative explores his role as a visionary leader who advocated for the modernization of Japan, ultimately contributing to the transition toward the Meiji Restoration. The story is framed through the perspective of Iwasaki Yataro, a contemporary of Sakamoto who later founded the Mitsubishi conglomerate.
Production
Ryomaden occupied the Sunday 20:00 time slot on NHK, following the conclusion of Tenchijin and preceding the broadcast of Gou. The production featured a large ensemble cast, with Masaharu Fukuyama in the lead role of Ryoma Sakamoto. The series was directed by a team including Keishi Ohtomo, Takehiro Shoen, Kazuki Watanabe, Hitoshi Manabe, Takegoro Nishimura, and Toki Kajiwara, with the screenplay written by Yasushi Fukuda.
Cast
The series featured a wide array of prominent Japanese actors portraying historical figures:
- Masaharu Fukuyama as Ryoma Sakamoto
- Teruyuki Kagawa as Iwasaki Yataro
- Ryoko Hirosue as Kao Hirai
- Nao Omori as Hanpeita Takechi
- Shinobu Terajima as Tome Sakamoto
- Shihori Kanjiya as Sana Chiba
- Takeru Satoh as Okada Izo
- Yoko Maki as Ryo Narasaki
- Tetsuya Takeda as Katsu Kaishu
- Katsumi Takahashi as Saigo Takamori
