Asa ga Kita

Plot

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Undaunted by Repeated Setbacks (1st week - 13th week)

In 1901, Asa Shirooka gave a lecture at the freshmen ceremony of Sunrise Women's University (日の出女子大学).

Back in 1861, Asa is shown as a naughty and curious girl, being the second daughter of the Imai family, a rich merchant family in Kyoto. She was displeased with the arrangements her father made for her and her well-behaved older sister Hatsu to marry into two merchant families in Osaka. Rather than be a bride, she wanted to pursue studies in accounting and business. When her fiancé Shinjirō (11 years older than her) came to visit however, her life began to change. Shinjirō gave her an abacus and encouraged her to act on her own will. As a result, the family reluctantly agreed to let Asa learn accounting due to her fiancé's gift, and Asa became fond of Shinjirō for his gentleness.

In 1865, 15-year-old Asa was still naughty, which annoyed her parents and the maids to no end. Asa's older sister Hatsu was ready to marry, but her future husband Sōbei, whom the sister had met only once before, was indifferent to the talented and kind Hatsu. Hatsu's future mother-in-law Kiku was also rude and mean, which disturbed the sisters greatly. While Asa actively opposed her sister's marriage, Hatsu remained obedient. Asa was likewise expected to soon be married, but the untimely death of Shinjirō's older brother made them postpone the marriage for six months.

After Asa married into the Shirooka family, she recalled their father's advice to protect their new families, and so from time to time, she showed her interest in the family's business and finances. Luckily her father-in-law Shōkichi was open-minded, and her mother-in-law Yono did not actively oppose her behavior, which allowed her to study and work in the new family. One night, the Shinsengumi came to force the family to lend them some money. Asa stood her ground to to ask them if they would ever return to pay back the loan; as the family is not a charity, but running a credible business. Rather than be insulted, her innocence and bravery persuades the Shinsengumi to act reasonably, and this earns Asa the respect of the family and its employees. This also convinces her husband that she is no longer a child, and they finally consumate their marriage.

During this time Saisuke Godai (Later Tomoatsu Godai), a samurai she met in her childhood, comes to see her. The man has returned from his studies overseas, and hints to Asa that the society is going to change rapidly. He was also attracted to Asa's unique personality, but remained reasonable, since Asa was a married woman. He would later help Asa and befriend her family throughout his life.

Asa was always worrying about her sister Hatsu, and sneaked out to see her from time to time. Although Hatsu's relationship with her husband had improved, her personal freedom was strictly restricted by her overbearing mother-in-law Kiku, who did not allow her to participate in the family business, prevented her from even leaving the house, and wanted her to focus on childbearing. This causes Hatsu to be depressed.

In 1868, political changes induced a financial crisis. Asa managed to help her family survive it by reassuring creditors, and considering to venture into new lines of business (coal mining) for the family. On the other hand, the Mayuyama family which Hatsu married into, had gone bankrupt. The Imai family refused to aid Hatsu, for Hatsu was married out Imai family by the patrilineal marriage, and the risk was huge - Hatsu and Sōbei could not grantee to pay the money back. So the whole Mayuyama family left their residence to hide from their creditors.

With the help of her seemingly playful and irresponsible husband Shinjirō, Asa eventually found her sister Hatsu and constantly visited her with her husband. Hatsu was living the as a peasant with her family at this time, and were in poverty. Later, Hatsu became pregnant, but her husband Sōbei, who was now suffering from severe depression, disappeared. Hatsu gave birth to a boy, in the Shirooka's household, when she came to bring some vegetables to Asa. Yono liked the boy very much, and even come to visit Kiku to cuddle the boy, thus giving Asa some pressure to have a child. Godai later helped the sisters find Sōbei in a gambling den, and upon learning that he had a son, Sōbei resolved to start afresh with optimism, for the sake of his son Ainosuke. The sisters later bring Ainosuke to visit their dying grandfather Tadamasa, who deeply loved and trusted his granddaughter Asa all throughout her childhood. They also learned that the Imai family were going to move to Tokyo, as it was becoming a promising new center of politics and economy.

After Hatsu fell pregnant with the second son, Yono began to pressure Shinjirō to take a concubine, since Asa was childless for many years of her marriage. Shōkichi did not agree, for the couple get along well, and Shinjirō also ignored the issue. Asa could not stand the pressure however, and asked her husband to take a concubine. Shinjirō reluctantly agreed, which made Asa desperate. However, she subsequently confessed to Shinjirō that she wanted Shinjirō to only have her in his lifetime which Shinjirō accepted.

The sisters' mother Rie bore great sympathy for Hatsu and could not watch her older daughter suffer. She managed to persuade her husband to give them a plot of land located at Wakayama. The Mayuyama family then proceeded to Wakayama to begin their new life as tangerine orchard owners.

While Asa was actively travelling between her home in Osaka and the coal mine in Kyushu, to monitor the workers and learn about the fact of coal mining, she fell pregnant after a decade of marriage, much to her surprise. With the escort of Shinjirō from Osaka, she returned home and gave birth to a girl, whom Shōkichi named Chiyo, and spent some time with her. A discontent worker intentionally caused an accident in coal mine during Asa's time staying with her daughter. The worker was revealed to be Shinjirō's childhood friend, who was a son of the family's old employee. After his father's failure of an independent business years ago, the Shirooka family had refused to aid his father, which made his family fall to poverty. The boy expressed his hatred to Shinjirō, which made a shade to childhood Shinjirō's heart, making him fear the power of money, thus devoted to his hobbies and give his power to his wife Asa. Shōkichi and Shinjirō managed to fix the relationship to him. Soon after that, Shōkichi died, still wanting to see more of Chiyo's growth upon his death.

In 1878, Godai tempted Asa to Tokyo to see the advanced development of Tokyo, and also her parents and her younger brother returned from overseas. He also introduced his friend Ōkubo Toshimichi and other notable figures to Asa. Later after Ōkubo promptly being assassinated, Asa comforted Godai, and Godai swear to her that he will finish his friend's dreams.

The Soft Heart (14th week - 26th week)

In 1879, maid servant Fuyu, who was initially Hatsu's dowry maid, later accepted by Shirooka family to provide her better life, crushed on Shinjirō, while her father, who saw Fuyu and her sisters as burdens, intended to introduce a marriage for her. After confessing love to Shinjirō and willing to be his concubine (Along with Shinjirō's shamisen teacher Miwa, she was a candidate for Shinjirō's concubine to Yono) and failed, her heart broke. As her appearance with Shinjirō was spotted by the men her father introduced, she was also not able to marry. Kisuke, a manager of Shirooka family business, who has crushed on Fuyu for a long time, and advised Shinjirō to accept Fuyu's confession, proposed to Fuyu. Fuyu was touched and accepted, the couple has gone to the coal mine to monitor the workers for Asa, and they later gave birth to a daughter Natsu.

In 1880, Shinjirō's younger brother, Eizaburō got married with Sachi, a cute girl introduced to him and met his standards. Asa was not called as "Young Madame" anymore, instead of "Madame", and Yono as "Lady Old Madame". Asa offer to revolutionize the family business as a bank, which made Eizaburō and the head manager Gansuke frustrated for Asa's gained control for the business.

Miwa began to work as an inn hostess, to provide a place for business people's social life, also starting to serve foreign food. She managed to bring Godai, Shirooka couple and herself closer. Shinjirō also began managing social affairs for Osaka business people, and became more important about the family business, to help his wife. At this time, Chiyo has gain some discontent to her workaholic mother. In 1885, Godai died of poor health due to his devotion to the development of Japan and pressure of mistrust of some factions.

Asa's nephew Ainosuke, who inherit both Mayuyama and Imai family's talent, began interested in business and begged to work in Shirooka family business and study something from it. Yono and Chiyo welcomed him and let him eat with the family. In 1891, the family's comprehensive shop for goods transaction, and their investment to textile industry had gained profit. Eizaburō also had his daughter, and his core family move to a resident independent to the family. With the business expanding, Chiyo became more displeased with her busy mother and fond of her gentle aunt Hatsu.

Later Asa decided to hire some female staffs for the bank, to give young girls chance to work, and also create an advantage to other banks. Izumi Narusawa, an educator, came to seek Asa's support, to create a women's university. Asa started to socialize around to find notable people support it.

(to be added)

Cast

Family Tree

Note: Those who don't have a surname displayed in tree means he/she change his/her surname upon marrying someone. Characters without name were mentioned but did not appear in the drama.

Spin-off drama "Warenabe ni Tojibuta"

The main character is Kisuke. It was broadcast on April 23, 2016.