ドラマ「北の国から」の脚本家・倉本聰さんが明かす制作秘話と“変わってほしくない”富良野への思い―再放送が照らす観光と環境の葛藤

More than 40 years have passed since the original broadcast. The drama "From a Northern Country" is returning in the Reiwa era. Ahead of the rebroadcast starting on October 6th, we spoke with the drama's screenwriter, So Kuramoto, about the thoughts he put into the work. The drama "From a Northern Country." The story follows Kuroita Goro, played by Tanaka Kunie, his son Jun, and daughter Hotaru, as they move from Tokyo to Furano, Hokkaido, and survive in the great outdoors. First aired in 1981, and by 2002, eight episodes had been produced. "Today's guest is So Kuramoto" (UHB program from 1986) Five years after the show first aired, the drama's screenwriter, So Kuramoto, spoke about his feelings for Hokkaido on a UHB program. "Hokkaido is a place where I feel at ease. Even when I go to Tokyo these days, I want to come back as soon as possible." (Kuramoto So, 1986) Goro's Stone House, used in the drama, remains in Furano City. The house was built by Goro Kurobane using stones from the fields. Fans still make "pilgrimages" to the site. "I'm so moved. I could cry any second now. I'm walking around and reminiscing. I've forgotten, so I'm always thinking, 'Which episode was it?' It makes me want to watch it again." "I'm the same age as Jun, and I grew up watching 'From the North Country,' too. 'The kids are still eating, aren't they?'" (Both fans from Kanagawa Prefecture) As the story progresses, the number of tourists increases. In 2002, when the final series, "Testament," aired, the highest number of viewers ever recorded, 2.49 million. Popular spots like lavender fields also emerged, and Furano has since become a tourist destination attracting nearly 2 million visitors each year. "For me, Hokkaido = Furano, and Furano = 'From the North Country.' I got most of my information about Hokkaido from 'From the North Country.'" (A fan from Kanagawa Prefecture) "Without 'From the North Country,' tourism in Furano would have been somewhat difficult." "Since it's a building, it will age and inevitably require repairs. We aim to make repairs that need repair every year and maintain it properly." (Both comments by Ken Minemawari, Executive Director of the Furano Tourism Association) Why Furano? It all began about 50 years ago, when Kuramoto, who was active in Tokyo, moved to Furano, captivated by its majestic forests. "I couldn't have written it anywhere else, realistically. You can't even tell the temperature. Back then, it was about 10 degrees cooler than it is now." "I wrote it from my own experience. There was plenty of material for the drama." (Kuramoto) He wanted to convey his message by relating it to a family who moved from a big city. "What does it mean to 'live' and 'live'? I wanted to reexamine this in this civilized age. I chose city-raised children as the main characters, not adults, and suddenly put them in nature. How would they react? I wanted to see that chemistry." (Kuramoto) However, it wasn't easy getting the cast and crew to understand life in Hokkaido. "It was difficult. We didn't understand. Everyone thought of the countryside." "For example, labor. You work hard and endure the hardships of labor. If you work that hard, you won't be able to keep working. You have to take it easy." (Kuramoto) Nakasekko Yoshio lent out his land and company for the drama's filming. "When Kuramoto-sensei began filming 'From the North Country' in Rokugo and finished the script, he said, 'This drama might just bring a flood of tourists, like the Shiretoko boom.'" (Nakaseko-san) "From the North Country" garnered a huge response, and Kuramoto-san's hunch proved correct. "It's getting pretty bad. There's traffic jams in Rokugo. So is it okay? They're making so much mess. They're throwing trash, and tourists are the problem." (Kuramoto-san) Even at the time of the show's broadcast, Kuramoto-san had been conflicted. "I want tourists to come and see it, but I don't want them to make a mess" (Kuramoto-san, 1998) Even now, Furano faces the problem of overtourism. "I'm sure there are a lot of tourists and money coming in and out..." (Furano resident) "When humans live too much in nature, it inevitably gets polluted." "I don't want to advertise my hometown too much, but at the same time, I want everyone to see its beauty." "It's a balance between the two." "My biggest wish is that it doesn't change too much." (Kuramoto) 44 years since the original broadcast. Reruns of "From the North Country" will begin on October 6th. "I think viewers will feel even more keenly that there were no smartphones in the days of 'From the North Country.' They'll wonder what happened back then." "I think it'll be interesting for viewers now to discover things they've forgotten." (Kuramoto)