Hisashi Tsugiya, producer of Nippon TV, spoke to ttvnews about the process of creating these dramas, which succeeded in Turkey and the world, and granted him an award from the Broadcast Creators Association of Japan.
As Japan’s leading broadcaster, Nippon TV is known in Asia and the world for owning some of the most globally successful shows, such as the format Dragons’ Den -from which Shark Tank is adapted-, as well as fictions such as Mother and Woman -My Life for My Children-.
These two series have been notable remake successes in Turkey and have collectively been sold in almost 40 countries around the world. And in addition to international recognition, this year the series have granted Nippon TV with a major award.
In June, Nippon TV’s award-winning producer, Mr. Hisashi Tsugiya, creator of the series, received an award from the Broadcast Creators Association of Japan, the association which promotes and aims to contribute to the success and further development of the broadcast culture in Japan.
“Mr. Katsumi Oyama, whom the award is named after, is one of the people who built the foundation of Japanese TV dramas. He is the one I have always looked up to and admired as my goal”, Mr. Tsugiya said to ttvnews.
“With this award, I realized that I could achieve my big goal, and it became a bigger motivation and driving force for me to make further leaps in my creation from now on”, he added.
The award is not only a recognition to his outstanding work, but to Japanese production as a whole. “Until now, Japanese dramas had rarely been evaluated overseas”, he explained.
“The ability to play a part in bringing a lot of encouragement and more vitality to the Japanese drama world is my dream come true”, he added.
Japanese Series Production: A Current Affair
While predicting such success as Mother and Woman -My Life for My Children- were able to achieve is practically impossible, there are some elements that are mandatory for a hit production and Nippon TV is an expert at finding them.
It all starts with relevant stories that appeal to multiple audiences. “I always start by discussing with screenwriters and directors about the ideas I’ve kept in mind recently, and social news or events that have impacted me”, Tsugiya explained.
“In other words, they are what we want to convey to many people, and want to appeal strongly”, he added.
After that, the producer and his team work on “creating what kind of story is appropriate to express that, and how we can make it reach and be understood and accepted by many people.
“There are a lot of aspects/dimensions to one event, and the way of understanding it varies on the way people receive it. A story is also the same. Continuing the development of events that include multifaceted elements and interpretation makes the story interesting and attracts people,” he said.
“I think that you should always keep in mind the power of the story. It will be a very lucky job to be able to work together with a scriptwriter who understands the power of the story to create a drama series,” he added.
As for what’s in store for the future, the producer would like to find a story that provokes thought for viewers and reflects upon the current state of our world.
“The lifestyles and values of the world are changing rapidly. In such a situation, I think it is important for each person to think for themselves what is something that must be valued, in order for people to live strongly”, he said.
“In other words, having your own sense of values enriches and makes your life full. I would like to create a story that will give us an opportunity to think about such things,” he concluded.
