Tokyo Friends
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese television drama released on June 3, 2005. Unlike many other dramas, it was never aired on TV but released as a set of 3 DVD
s. Volumes one and two contain the first 4 episodes while volume three contains the last episode. Each episode is approximately 70 minutes.
The Tokyo Friends Premium Box was also released which includes all 5 episodes, a bonus DVD, and 12 postcards. Although this is a very typical Tokyo-story and was never aired on TV, it was quite successful probably because it was Ai Otsuka
's debut as an actress.
to Tokyo
to pursue her dreams. On arrival, she found a job as a waitress in a restaurant and met guitarist Ryuuji Shintani. Ryuuji liked her voice and invited her to join his band as the vocalist, The Survival Company (also known as Sabakan). The two started a relationship but then broke off when Rei wanted to write her own songs.
Rei met other girls also working in the restaurant, Hirono, Ryoko and Maki, all in pursuit of their own dreams, and became good friends with all of them.
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s. Volumes one and two contain the first 4 episodes while volume three contains the last episode. Each episode is approximately 70 minutes.
The Tokyo Friends Premium Box was also released which includes all 5 episodes, a bonus DVD, and 12 postcards. Although this is a very typical Tokyo-story and was never aired on TV, it was quite successful probably because it was Ai Otsuka
Ai Otsuka
is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and actress from Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo," which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.A piano...
's debut as an actress.
Plot
Rei Iwatsuki moved from her hometown KōchiKochi, Kochi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to pursue her dreams. On arrival, she found a job as a waitress in a restaurant and met guitarist Ryuuji Shintani. Ryuuji liked her voice and invited her to join his band as the vocalist, The Survival Company (also known as Sabakan). The two started a relationship but then broke off when Rei wanted to write her own songs.
Rei met other girls also working in the restaurant, Hirono, Ryoko and Maki, all in pursuit of their own dreams, and became good friends with all of them.
Cast
- Rei Iwatsuki - Ai OtsukaAi Otsukais a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and actress from Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo," which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.A piano...
- Ryuuji Shintani - EitaEitais a Japanese actor from Tokyo, Japan. His birth name is . He has appeared in many Japanese television dramas and movies; most notable is the TV series Water Boys...
- Hirono Hayama - Rio MatsumotoRio MatsumotoRio Matsumoto is a Japanese actress, model and singer. She has had a prolific career in television drama series since the mid 1990s and since 2003 has also been in several films...
- Kazuo Sasakawa - Masanobu Katsumura
- Ryoko Fujiki - Yōko MakiYoko Maki (actress)Yōko Maki is a Japanese actress signed to .Maki has appeared in several films including 2003 film Infection and the 2004 American remake The Grudge.-Biography:...
- Maki Abiko - Mao KobayashiMao Kobayashi (actress)is a Japanese actress and newscaster. She was one of Fuji TV's weathercasters. On November 19, 2009, it was announced Kobayashi and kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa planned to get formally engaged sometime in December 2009....
- Kenichi Satomi - Ryuta Sato
- Hidetoshi Tanaka - Yuuta Hiraoka
- Kohashi - Kuranosuke Sasaki
- Akemi - Mari HoshinoMari HoshinoMari Hoshino is a Japanese actress and singer. She graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. Most well known for her lead role as Otome Sakamoto in T.B.S. drama, Kinpachi-sensei, Hoshino has starred in several dramas in recent years...
- Wataru Iwatsuki - Kei Tanaka
- Keitaro Sasakawa - Kazuki KitamuraKazuki Kitamurais a Japanese film and television actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 14th Yokohama Film Festival for Minazuki, Kyohansha and Kanzen-naru shiiku.-Movies:...
- Hajime Okayama
- Kazuyuki Asano
- Shirakawa - Yutaka MatsushigeYutaka Matsushigeis a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival for Dear Doctor.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
- Mitsuo Nagase - Shunta Nakamura
- Oku-chan - Takashi ItoTakashi ItoTakashi Itō is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Yamaki Gym in Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the owner of kickboxing gym "TARGET", and a manager of promotion company "R.I.S.E." of kickboxing events. He won the world title of WMAF at Junior middleweight. He is Christian.-Early...
- Yoshie Sasakawa - Yuu Misaki
- Wada - Arata FurutaArata Furutais a Japanese theatre and film character actor.-Biography:Furata has a broad range that goes from playing serious salary men, to bushi in period drama roles, and even women....