is the name
NHK gives to the annual, year-long
historical fiction television series it broadcasts in
Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white
Hana no Shogai, starring
kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku and
Takarazuka star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music director, and actors for the series. The 45-minute show airs on the NHK General network every Sunday at 20:00, with rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 13:05. Satellite, HDTV digital satellite, and NHK World Premium broadcasts are also available.