Taiga drama

Black and white. Bakumatsu period.

Only footage fragments of episodes 1 and 38 still exist.

Black and white. Also the most viewed taiga drama in its early history. Set during the Edo period.

A scene from episode 7 and full footage of episode 47 still exist.

Black and white. Set in the Sengoku period.

Only episode 42 still exists.

Black and white. Set during the Genpei War at the end of the Heian period.

Only episodes 1, 33, and 52 still exist.

Black and white. Set at the end of the Edo period into Meiji Restoration. It was chosen to commemorate the 100th year since the Meiji Restoration.

Only episode 19 still exists.

Black and white. Bakumatsu period. Along with previous year's Taiga drama, this was also chosen as part of the 100th year celebration since the Meiji Restoration.

Only episode 16 still exists.

Sengoku period. Only episode 50 and a fragment of episode 2 still exist.

Colour. Future broadcasts are in colour.

About the Date Disturbance during the Edo period. Although there were no battles, viewers commented that it was dark in tone.

It was once thought to be entirely lost, but episode 29 in full color was discovered to still exist. It was then revealed in February 2011 that video tapes of  51 episodes out of 52 were recovered, albeit in black and white due to the limitations of the recording technology at the time.

Set during late Sengoku period to early Edo period.

No footage in full color still exist. Only the final episode still remains in black and white.

Set during the late Heian era.

Episodes 46 and 52 still exist in black and white.

Sengoku period.

All footage of the regular broadcast is lost. In 2015, videotape recordings of episodes 37 and 38 were recovered.

Set during Bakumatsu at the end of the Edo period.

Only episodes 6, 7, 32, 35, 37, 38, 39, and 44 have been discovered to still exist.

Set during the Edo period.

Episodes 2, 3, 7, and 18 still exist in its original broadcast form. As of 2016, a recording of episode 9 was recovered, as well as 41 videotaped episodes in 2019.

Heian period.

It is the oldest NHK Taiga drama to date where all 52 episodes have been preserved.

Bakumatsu period.

Only episodes 19, 24, 34, 39, and 52 (with 6 minutes missing) have been recovered.

Depicts daily life of merchants and traders in Sakai during the Sengoku period.

Starting from this Taiga drama onward, all episodes of each work still exist.

Set during the Genpei War into the start of the Kamakura period. The story is told from the female main character's perspective.

All episodes still exist, however, 18 out of 51 episodes have distorted images and sound, as well as missing fragments.

Set during the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration periods.

Main leads are two fictional characters from rural Japan with commoner roots. It depicts their struggles to survive the chaotic, dark period.

Set during the Sengoku and early Edo periods.

Based on the novel Taikōki (which formed the basis of the 3rd Taiga Drama of the same title), with the story told from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife's perspective.

Edo period.

This is the second depiction of the 47 Rōnin, which focused on different themes and an alternative insight into the Ako Incident.

Set during the Sengoku and early Edo periods.

First (and so far only) Taiga drama set in the Shōwa period of World War II

Set in the Meiji and Taishō eras.

About the life of a former Japanese geisha who became Japan's first actress.

Shōwa era. First taiga drama set in postwar Japan. First taiga drama to be officially broadcast with English subtitles.

Fictional female lead.

Late Sengoku to early Edo period.

Sengoku period.

Last taiga drama to fully air during the Shōwa period.

Late Sengoku to early Edo periods. Focuses on the early reign of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Earliest premiere for a Taiga drama in 22 years since 1967's "Three Sisters"; the last taiga drama to air during the Shōwa period by only the first episode, and the second episode was delayed; first Taiga drama to be shown during the Heisei period.

Set during the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration periods centering around two of the last samurai. It is the first taiga drama to be firmly split into two parts.

Kamakura period, going into the Nanboku-chō period during early Muromachi period.

Sengoku period.

This is the second depiction of Oda Nobunaga in the main character role and the first full depiction as the sole lead.

Depicts the Ryūkyū peoples during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods. It features a fictional character as the lead.

First part of a 3-part series.

Set during the Genpei War during the late Heian period, it focuses on the Northern Fujiwara Dynasty from its founding to its fall.

Second part of a 3-part series. Also had the latest premiere for a Taiga drama at 35 episodes split into three parts in itself.

Muromachi to early Sengoku periods, focuses around the Ōnin War.

Conclusion of the 3-part series.

Edo period.

About the Eighth Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune, known as the "Father of Shogunate Reforms".

Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods.

The second depiction of Hideyoshi in 31 years since 1965's Taikōki.

Sengoku period.

This work was made to commemorate the 500th anniversary since Motonari's birth.

Bakumatsu period.

It covers the life of the last Tokugawa shōgun.

Edo period.

Third depiction of the 47 Rōnin and the Ako Incident.

Azuchi-Momoyama to early Edo periods. It depicts the events of the first three Tokugawa shōguns; this is the second depiction of Tokugawa Ieyasu where he's a main character.

First series to be fully filmed in high definition (HD).^[7] Future series are also broadcast in HD.

Kamakura period.

Sengoku and early Edo periods.

Edo period.

Bakumatsu period.

Depicts the Genpei War during late Heian period.

Second depiction of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in Taiga dramas.

Sengoku to early Edo periods.

It depicts a minor samurai and his wife as dual main characters

Sengoku period.

It depicts the life of one of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals.

Bakumatsu period.

Sengoku to early Edo periods.

Depicts the life of one of the Uesugi clan's long-serving vassals.

Bakumatsu period.

Second depiction of Sakamoto Ryōma as the main role in Taiga dramas.

Late Sengoku to early Edo periods.

Late Heian period's Genpei War.

The second Taiga drama to depict Taira no Kiyomori as its main character.

Bakumatsu to Meiji periods.

Sengoku to early Edo periods.

Bakumatsu to Meiji periods.

Sengoku to early Edo periods.

Depicts the life of the "Last Sengoku Hero".

Sengoku to Azuchi-Momoyama periods.

The second work to depict Saigō Takamori as its main lead in Taiga dramas.

Last taiga drama to air in its entirety during the Heisei period.

Set during Meiji and Shōwa eras.

Last taiga drama to premiere during the Heisei period and the first Taiga drama to be shown during the Reiwa period.

Sengoku period.

First Taiga drama to premiere in the Reiwa period.

Meiji Restoration period to Shōwa era.

Late Heian period's Genpei War to Kamakura period.

Sengoku to early Edo periods.

This work is the third depiction of where Tokugawa Ieyasu appears as the Taiga drama's starring character.

Set during mid-Heian period depicting the life of one of Japanese's first novel authors, who penned The Tale of Genji.

Set during mid-Edo period, which depicts the life of publishing illustrated books and ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods.