NHK Sends 19 Past Dramas Including Taiga Hit Kuroda Kanbei to Netflix Worldwide
A public broadcaster with a license-fee model is putting its flagship historical and contemporary dramas on the world's largest subscription streaming service, a move that tests the boundary between public-service mission and commercial platform partnership.
Reporting from 1 sources: Eiga Natalie.
NHK will begin distributing 19 of its past dramas on Netflix starting June 22, 2026, including the taiga drama Kuroda Kanbei, morning drama Manpuku, and Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. The titles will be available in Japan and globally, with more added sequentially through fiscal year 2026. NHK president Toshihiko Inoue addressed criticism about a public broadcaster partnering with a commercial platform, stating the goal is to spread understanding of Japanese society and culture overseas.
NHK will release 19 of its past dramas on Netflix starting June 22, 2026, beginning with six titles available immediately in Japan and worldwide. The initial slate includes the taiga drama Kuroda Kanbei starring Junichi Okada, the morning drama Manpuku with Sakura Ando and Hiroki Hasegawa, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju based on Haruko Kumota's manga, It Wasn't Because I Loved My Family, It Was Because I Loved Them, The Classroom of the Sky, and Tokyo Salad Bowl. More titles will be added sequentially through fiscal year 2026.
NHK president Toshihiko Inoue addressed criticism that a public broadcaster funded by license fees should not partner with a commercial platform. In a press conference, Inoue said the partnership aims to deliver NHK's dramas to global audiences and spread understanding of Japanese society and culture, calling it part of NHK's mission as a public broadcaster.
- Kuroda Kanbei: Taiga drama starring Junichi Okada as the strategist Kuroda Kanbei
- Manpuku: Morning drama based on the founder of Nissin Foods, starring Sakura Ando and Hiroki Hasegawa
- Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju: Based on Haruko Kumota's manga, starring Masaki Okada
- It Wasn't Because I Loved My Family, It Was Because I Loved Them: Starring Yuumi Kawai as the protagonist
- The Classroom of the Sky: Starring Masataka Kubota
- Tokyo Salad Bowl: Co-starring Nao and Ryuhei Matsuda
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie 大河ドラマ「軍師官兵衛」などNHKの過去作、Netflixで明日から世界配信 年度内にドラマ19本