A statute of limitations ticking, three war-scarred souls, and one last chance for justice.
A family murder case that occurred in Hita City, Oita Prefecture. A murderer whose statute of limitations is about to expire is shown on TV, and detective Kiyoshi Atsumi heads to Tokyo, but... The upstart Keiju Kobayashi, his old friend Etsuko Ichihara, and Atsumi. The postwar experiences of three people who were tossed about by the war overlap. The screenplay by Satoru Hayasaka, the music by Kousuke Kanno, and above all, the performances of Atsumi and Ichihara make this a masterpiece in the history of TV dramas. A two-hour version was later created as an art festival award-winning work.
Acting
Atsumi's restrained devastation; Ichihara's warmth masking decades of pain.
Score
Kousuke Kanno's music haunts without overwhelming the quiet desperation.
Writing
Hayasaka's script weaves three timelines into 72 minutes of elegiac precision.
Director
Shinya Hashimoto
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 1977 broadcast captured Japan's ambivalence toward its postwar generation—too young to fight, too old to forget.
Atsumi was primarily known for comedy; this dramatic turn reportedly left crew members in tears between takes.
JP
