Markets

During the conference "NHK Taiga Drama: Enticing Japan and Beyond", organized by Japanese public broadcaster NHK, director Taku Kato offered a comprehensive insight into the evolution of Japanese drama and its growing global impact. The session explored the rich storytelling traditions behind Taiga Drama—NHK’s long-standing historical epic series—and how Japan is leveraging technology to ensure the genre remains relevant in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

NHK's latest installment, Unbound, continues the legacy of Taiga Drama, an annual, year-long television event that has become a cornerstone of Japanese entertainment culture. Kato emphasized the importance of keeping historical narratives dynamic and appealing to younger audiences:
"Period dramas are such an integral part of Japanese entertainment culture that it's very important to keep them fresh. Younger viewers expect updated production values and innovative storytelling. This is crucial not only for the genre but for ensuring that public service television remains relevant, especially as global streaming giants expand into local markets."

He underscored NHK's unique capacity as a public broadcaster, combining traditional storytelling with modern techniques and ambitious productions. NHK's internal collaboration across departments has yielded projects that rival international co-productions in scale and innovation. One example is the broadcaster’s early experimentation with virtual production—a collaboration between its drama and science teams—which led to a sci-fi short film and the upcoming drama Queen of Mars, set to premiere this fall.

NHK’s wide-ranging expertise has also produced hit titles such as Hanson's Cases, a true crime series rooted in Japan's investigative journalism tradition. These efforts reflect NHK's strategic approach to content, balancing domestic cultural integrity with global standards.

Kato also touched on the shifting global perspective toward Japanese content.
"When I started participating in the global market around 2010, Japan wasn’t fully on the radar," he recalled. "But over time, with platforms like MIPCOM, the International Emmys, and FIPA, there’s been a rising appreciation for cultural diversity in global storytelling. Now, Japanese content is being recognized as a powerful cultural export—especially anime and, more recently, with the success of series like Shogun."

He revealed that NHK has also begun working on international co-productions, including a still-secret project brokered through ZDF.  Robert Franke (ZDF) confirmed: "this initiative speaks to the growing collaboration between Japan and international markets—especially as interest in Asian IP continues to rise."