The Origin of My History-Loving Son—Taiga Dramas
This article is part of the [Middle School Entrance Exam Series].
Read from the beginning ↓
① Total of 1.2 Million Yen Spent on Middle School Entrance Exams
Extra Edition | The Detour Before My Son Got Hooked on History
When my son was in the third grade and we started thinking about middle school entrance exams, the first thing I bought was the complete set of the Kadokawa Manga Learning Series "Japanese History." There was a campaign offering half-price points, but I only found out about it on the final day. I remember frantically calling around and then biking to a bookstore a bit far away that had the full set in stock.
To be honest, he barely read them. They were left untouched, neatly lined up on the bookshelf. It was my mistake for choosing them based on the assumption that "history manga is a staple."
A Chance Encounter with Taiga Dramas
I wanted to watch old Taiga dramas, so I added an NHK On Demand subscription to my Amazon Prime Video account.
I tried showing him "Gou: Himetachi no Sengoku" to see if he would be interested, and he got hooked.
He started watching during meals, continued after his bath, and just kept watching. Even though he hadn't read a single page of the manga, he couldn't stop watching the drama.
The characters moved, had emotions, and spoke lines. It seemed like the flow of history was entering his mind as a "story," and he naturally became accustomed to the old-fashioned language.
From there, based on my own judgment and bias, I decided to show them to him in chronological order.
The Roles of the 5 Taiga Dramas I Showed Him
① "Gou: Himetachi no Sengoku" (2011)
This was a perfect work for grasping the overall picture of the Sengoku period. Since Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu all appear within the same drama, it naturally helps one understand "who succeeded whom." My son still says this was the most interesting one. Personally, I remember the romantic scene where Chacha accepts Hideyoshi, which brought me to tears.
② "Taira no Kiyomori" (2012)
It's a slightly dark and austere work, but I thought it was necessary for the connection from the Heian period to the Kamakura period. Once you understand the conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans, the subsequent stories become much more three-dimensional. This also became the reason we visited Itsukushima Shrine and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
I was captivated by Shota Matsuda and the beauty of the music.
③ "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" (2022)
With a script by Koki Mitani, it had a strong entertainment vibe, and my son often laughed while watching it. However, the content is a series of power struggles and purges, with quite cruel developments. Seeing my son mutter "Again?" made me feel that his ability to view history from a bird's-eye perspective was gradually growing.
④ "What Would You Do, Ieyasu?" (2023)
I showed him this to supplement the flow from the Battle of Sekigahara to the establishment of the Edo Shogunate. There were many parts that overlapped with the era of "Gou" that we watched in ①, and moments were born where he connected the dots, saying, "That's the Ieyasu who appeared back then." I think this is the most rewarding moment in history learning. We went to see Nagoya Castle.
⑤ "Atsuhime" (2008)
I chose this as a finishing touch for the end of the Edo period. From the arrival of the Black Ships to the dawn of the Meiji Restoration, it is an easy-to-watch drama. My son was more drawn to Ryoma Sakamoto and Saigo Takamori than to Atsuhime.
I just like the depiction of the "Ooku." Haha.
2024's Taiga "Dear Radiance" was a work I personally really wanted to show him. This is because the culture and literature of the Heian period are depicted carefully, and I thought it would lead to learning Japanese language.
However, there were many scenes depicted as a romance drama, and it was a world still incomprehensible to an elementary school boy, so I gave up on it. If it were a girl, it might lead to a richness in vocabulary and emotion.
Currently, we are watching "Toyotomi Brothers!" (2025). The perspective with Hideyoshi's younger brother, Hidenaga, as the protagonist is fresh, and it's interesting to see the Sengoku period from a different angle.
Since each Taiga drama has 45 to 50 episodes, a certain amount of time is required for viewing. I felt it is best to start watching around the third grade when there is more free time.
The reason I'm glad I showed him Taiga dramas is not only that he came to understand history, but also that he was able to empathize with people's feelings, which led to better Japanese language skills.
He also became able to understand old language, dialects, and lifestyles.
I think it's worth trying at the timing when you start thinking about middle school entrance exams.
📌 Summary of our viewing order: ① Gou (Sengoku) → ② Taira no Kiyomori (Late Heian to Early Kamakura) → ③ The 13 Lords of the Shogun (Kamakura) → ④ What Would You Do, Ieyasu? (Azuchi-Momoyama to Early Edo) → ⑤ Atsuhime (Late Edo) → Currently watching "Toyotomi Brothers!"
[Middle School Entrance Exam Series]
① Total of 1.2 Million Yen Spent on Middle School Entrance Exams
② From Hama Gakuen to Shingaku Club | Changing Our Strategy
③ September of 4th Grade, From 20 Weeks Behind to S-Course
④ What I Learned by Taking 'Zukei no Kiwami' at 3 Different Cram Schools
⑤ Is an A3 Printer Necessary?
⑥Do You Use Equations for Middle School Entrance Exams?
⑦Aptitude Test Cram School vs. Shingaku Club: Which One? (Public Integrated Junior High School Prep)
⑧Why Public Integrated Junior High Schools Require 'Top-Tier Private School Level' Academic Ability
⑨Strategy for 6th Grade Without a Cram School ~First Half: Until Summer/Tennozan