“Like Asura”-Kuniko Mukoda (ドラマ「阿修羅のごとく」向田邦子)

Like Asura (Ashura no Gotoku) is widely considered a masterpiece of domestic drama. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Kuniko Mukoda (1929–1981), the story follows four sisters whose brutally honest interactions reveal the Asura-like ego and obsession lurking deep within the human heart. The story is originally set right here in Kunitachi City.

Originally broadcast as an NHK television drama in 1979, the classic has been adapted multiple times over the decades:

1979: Original NHK TV Drama

2003: Feature Film (directed by Yoshimitsu Morita)

2004: Stage Play

2025: Netflix Series (directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda)

Netflix Homepagehttps://about.netflix.com/ja/news/asura-streams-january-9
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The view of Mt.Fuji from Ishida Bridge(富士山絶景ー石田大橋)

Ishida Bridge crosses the Tama River between Kunitachi and Hino. On a sunny day, you’ll see lots of runners out enjoying the great view of Mt. Fuji!

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Atelier Seki(アトリエ関)

Tami Seki (1919–2010) was a hat designer who supported her husband, Gantei Seki, throughout her life. She opened her own hat atelier here in Kunitachi in 1967, which continues to be run by her students today. This atelier is also famous for inspiring the hat shop featured in Studio Ghibli’s movie Howl’s Moving Castle!

名称Atelier Seki/アトリエ関
所在地東京都国立市中2−2−1
Homepagehttps://atelierseki.jimdofree.com/
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Hakujuji(洋菓子「白十字」)

Hakujuji is a traditional confectionery and coffee shop that has been a landmark of Kunitachi City since 1955. It is such an iconic symbol of the city that it has appeared in films like “Summer blooms” and “Wolf Children” just as it is.

名称洋菓子店 白十字
所在地東京都 国立市中1-9-43 くにたちさくらビル1階
HomePagehttps://sakuracake.jp/
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“Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai”(小説『燃えよ剣』司馬遼太郎)

“Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai” (Moeyo Ken)

Written by Ryotaro Shiba, this famous historical novel follows Toshizo Hijikata, vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. The story actually begins right around here, as a young Toshizo travels from Ishida Village through Yaho to a night festival in Fuchu, looking to meet girls!

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“The Sputnik Sweetheart” – Haruki Murakami(小説「スプートニクの恋人」村上春樹)

Written by Haruki Murakami in 1999, this romantic fantasy story begins right here in Kunitachi City, travels all the way to Greece in Europe, and suddenly leaves readers with an unforgettable mystery. It is such a page-turner that you will completely lose track of time.

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Related Posts

”Wolf Children” (映画「おおかみこどもの雨と雪」)

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda in 2012, this animated film received numerous domestic and international awards in countries such as Belgium, Spain, and China.

The movie is a heartwarming fantasy about the love between a human woman and a werewolf, as well as the growth of their children—their independence and the journeys they take to find their own paths in life.

This unforgettable story begins right here in Kunitachi City, with a fateful encounter between a young woman and a wolf-man!

Homepagehttp://www.ookamikodomo.jp/index.html
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The Main Building of Takinogawa Gakuen(滝乃川学園本館)

The Main Building of Takinogawa Gakuen was built in Yaho in 1928 specifically for the education of children with intellectual disabilities.

Following a tragic fire eight years prior, Fudeko and her husband, Ryoichi, designed this facility with safety and ease of evacuation in mind—featuring wide corridors, low-step slopes with rubber guards, and large windows.

Today, this Main Building is registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property.

名称滝乃川学園 本館(石井亮一・筆子記念館)
所在地〒186-0015 東京都国立市矢川3丁目16番地の1
Homepagehttps://www.takinogawagakuen.jp/
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Fudeko Ishii-Takinogawa Gakuen(石井筆子 – 滝乃川学園)

Fudeko Ishii (1861–1944) was a pioneering female educator and the co-founder of Takinogawa Gakuen, Japan’s first school for children with intellectual disabilities, located right here in Yaho.

Born into a samurai family in Kyushu, she grew up to become one of Japan’s first female study-abroad students to Europe, alongside Umeko Tsuda.

After returning to Japan, fluent in three languages and versed in European social etiquette, she was celebrated as “the flower of Rokumeikan society.”

However, tragedy struck her personal life: she lost her husband and two of her three children to illness, while her surviving child had an intellectual disability. Driven by these experiences, she developed a deep devotion to special education.

She went on to found Takinogawa Gakuen, dedicating the rest of her life to educating children with intellectual disabilities.

Her dramatic life was adapted into the 2007 feature film “Fudeko’s Love” (Fudeko no Uta), starring Takako Tokiwa.

滝乃川学園 Homepagehttps://www.takinogawagakuen.jp/
映画「筆子その愛 天使のピアノ」Homepagehttps://www.gendaipro.jp/fudeko/index1.html
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Statue of Shigetsu<Pointing at the Moon>(四軒在家公園「指月」像)

This stone statue was made by Seki Bin at Shikenzaike Park in 2003. The title of this statue, “Shigetsu” (Pointing at the Moon), describes the foolishness of looking only at the finger pointing to the moon, rather than at the moon itself. It cautions us against getting so caught up in the means—such as words or written letters—that we lose sight of the ultimate truth and essential meaning behind them.

名称四軒在家公園
所在地〒186-0015 東京都国立市矢川3丁目10
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