Mito Kōmon

Mito Kōmon (水戸黄門) is a Japanese jidaigeki or period drama that has been on prime-time television since 1969. The title character is the historic Tokugawa Mitsukuni, former vice-shogun and retired second daimyo of the Mito Domain. In the guise of Mitsuemon, a retired crêpe merchant from Echigo, he roams the realm with two samurai retainers, fun-loving Sasaki Sukesaburō (Suke-san) and studious Atsumi Kakunoshin (Kaku-san). An episode typically starts with some injustice perpetrated by a corrupt official, wealthy merchant or gangster; the travelers arrive incognito, discover the injustice and quietly investigate it; and the episode concludes with a brawl in which the unarmed, disguised protagonists better a crowd of samurai and gangsters, culminating with the presentation of the inrō that reveals the hero's identity.

History and characters

Five actors have portrayed the lead character in the series. Eijirō Tōno created the part and appeared in 13 seasons. His successor was Kō Nishimura. Asao Sano followed, and Kōji Ishizaka took the role in two series, quitting for cancer treatments. Kōtarō Satomi, has played Mitsuemon since 2002.

The character normally sports a pointed white beard. He wears the lavish garb of a wealthy retiree, and carries a walking stick.

Singer-actor Ryōtarō Sugi was the series' first Suke-san, followed by Kōtarō Satomi (who many years later took the lead role). Teruhiko Aoi was next, then Yūji Kishimoto, and Ryūji Harada. Opposite them, Tadashi Yokouchi, Shin'ya Ōwada, Goro Ibuki, Jundai Yamada, and Masashi Gōda have played Kaku-san.

In each of the show's 42 seasons, various other regular characters have joined the retinue. For many years it was the food-loving commoner Hachibei, the reformed thieves, former ninja Kazaguruma no Yashichi (His weapon is Shuriken with pinwheel) and his wife Kasumi no Oshin, and the ninja Tsuge no Tobizaru and Kunoichi Kagerō Ogin. Portrayed by Kaoru Yumi, Ogin was the lead character in a light-hearted spinoff, Mito Kōmon Gaiden Kagerō Ninpō-chō. The same actress took on a new role, Oen, in which she continues as of 2007.

Many former regular actors appeared in the show's gala 1000th episode, which aired on December 15, 2003. A 1978 film distributed by Toei Company shared the cast, production crew, and title.

Since its inception, the program has been a mainstay of the Panasonic Drama Theater (formerly known as the National Theater), sponsored by Panasonic. The TBS network airs the show throughout Japan, and shows reruns on both its analog stations and its CS satellite channel. For nearly three decades, Mito Kōmon shared the time slot with Ōoka Echizen, and various actors and actresses appeared in both series.

An unusual feature of the series is that the credits list the maker of the inrō. The last episode aired on December 19, 2011.

See also

Mito Kōmon is a title of other films:

• Mito Kōmon (1957 film)^[1]
• Mito Kōmon (1960 film)^[2]
• Mito Kōmon (1978 film)^[3]

Mito Kōmon is also a part of the title of over 70 Japanese films.

References

This article is based in part on the article 水戸黄門 (テレビドラマ) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved April 12, 2007. That article is now 水戸黄門 (パナソニック ドラマシアター).

Notes

Bibliography

• Schilling, Mark (1997). "Mito Komon". The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture. New York: Weatherhill. pp. 135–138. ISBN 0-8348-0380-1. 

External links

• Mito Kōmon at TBS (in Japanese)
• Mito Kōmon at C.A.L (in Japanese)
• Set report on Mito Kōmon (in English)
• http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1172114/