SocietyCultureSep 28, 2026 16:07 (JST)
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Tokyo, Sept. 28 (Jiji Press)–So Kuramoto, who wrote scripts for many popular Japanese television dramas including the “Kita no Kuni kara” series, died of multiple organ failure on Sept. 18 at his home in Furano, Hokkaido, northern Japan. He was 91.
Born in Tokyo, Kuramoto, whose real name was Kaoru Yamaya, graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1959 and joined Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. After leaving the company in 1963, he became a freelance screenwriter.
In fiscal 1976, he won the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts for “Zenryaku Ofukuro-sama,” a youth drama set in a Japanese-style restaurant in downtown Tokyo.
In 1977, he moved to Furano, where Kita no Kuni kara was set. Depicting a family living in harmony with nature, the drama series was broadcast between 1981 and 1982 and was highly acclaimed. Eight special sequel dramas were produced later to continue the popular series until 2002.
From 1984, Kuramoto ran “Furano Juku,” a training school for screenwriters and actors, at his own expense. After the school closed in 2010, he focused on nurturing young talent by teaching “Furano Group,” a theater company primarily composed of graduates from the school.
