Japan envoy performs beloved TV drama themes in Iran to mark centenary of diplomatic ties
Japan’s ambassador to Iran has stepped onto the concert stage as a flute soloist to play music from three Japanese television dramas that became enduring favorites among Iranian audiences, in a cultural project ahead of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Tokyo.
A video released on Wednesday showed Ambassador Tamaki Tsukada, performing with the private Istgah Orchestra, taking on the role of flute soloist rather than diplomat in new renditions of the theme music from Oshin, known in Iran as Years Away from Home, Hanekonma, known as The Story of Life, and From the North Country, IRNA reported.
The three series were broadcast on Iranian national television during the 1980s and early 1990s and captivated Iranian viewers with depictions of Japanese culture.
The performances were presented as an effort to retell part of Japan’s cultural identity through three landmark works of Japanese television music.
The international project was conceived by Mehdi Norouzi, who also heads the Istgah musical institute.
The collaboration comes as Iran and Japan draw closer to the centenary of diplomatic relations, a historic milestone that gives cultural cooperation greater significance than ever.
Oshin is widely regarded as the most popular Japanese television series ever shown in Iran. After its original broadcast in Japan, the series was aired in more than 60 countries and became part of the cultural memory of many societies. No country outside Japan formed a stronger emotional bond with Oshin than Iran.
In the mid-1980s, when Iranian society was enduring the hardships of war, the story of a young girl building her future through patience, hope and perseverance became part of daily life for millions of Iranian families.
The opening notes of Oshin’s theme music still evoke memories of home, family, solidarity and a shared era for many Iranians, making that collective memory the starting point for the new musical project.
Hanekonma tells the story of a girl from a poor family who, with her mother’s support, saves enough money to attend a Christian school and study English. Although her father initially rejects her decision, she perseveres and ultimately becomes Japan’s first female journalist.
From the North Country follows Goro, who returns from Tokyo to his hometown in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido with his daughter Hotaru and son Jun after separating from his wife, where the family begins a new life.
The music of all three series remains among the most memorable television soundtracks for Iranian audiences, with some people continuing to use the themes as mobile phone ringtones decades after the programs first aired.