Heart of a Samurai

Tenchijin is the 48th NHK Taiga drama. It airs on NHK from January 4, 2009 every Sunday from 20:00 to 20:44 JST to November 22, 2009 spanning 47 episodes. The story centers on the life of the 16th century samurai Naoe Kanetsugu. Production began on April 27, 2007. The story is based on the novel Tenchijin by Masashi Hisaka and was adapted for screen by scriptwriter Eriko Komatsu. The series' music composer was Michiru Oshima. The protagonist of the drama, Naoe Kanetsugu, was taught by Uesugi Kenshin in his youth that to conquer the world is a trifling matter, but what matters is to live one's life with righteousness. After Uesugi's death, Naoe supports Uesugi Kagekatsu, who holds the destiny of Echigo province.

Cast

Satoshi Tsumabuki

Hiroshi Abe

Michiko Kichise

Saki Aibu

Masami Nagasawa

Kyoko Fukada

Reiko Takashima

Anne Watanabe

Kazuki Kitamura

Takako Tokiwa

Masanobu Takashima

Misako Tanaka