The Island Teacher

Massan is based on the lives of Masataka Taketsuru and his wife Jessie Roberta "Rita" Cowan, a Scotswoman Taketsuru met while studying abroad.

Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.

Following the death of his wife from a plane crash, tax inspector Haruma is convinced that the tragedy was a premeditated crime. A number of clues connect him to a tax evader Murakumo, who is about to perform an evasion scheme of US$ 7 billion.

Jun is an 18-year-old high school student. He hides the fact that he is gay from his mother and other people. Miura-san is a classmate of Jun. She likes reading books about BL (genre depicting homoerotic stories). Jun tells Miura-san that BL is just fantasy and that gayness in real life is dirty. Miura-san tells Jun that his remark is offensive to gay people. Nevertheless, Jun and Miura-san become close. Jun becomes interested in Miura-san, and Miura-san begins to have feelings for Jun. One day, Miura-san tells Jun that she likes him.

A story about a masked samurai who takes sides with the good and wipes out the evil. In the late Edo period in Kyoto, samurai are killing each other because of the differences of their beliefs in the Tokugawa shogunate, and commoners are struck with terror. Kurama Tengu, a masked samurai, appears on the scene and helps innocent people from trouble.

There is a young man who called himself the "Rokujouma no Piano Man" performed Piano Man, the masterpiece by Billy Joel and uploaded it onto a video sharing site. Four people with different stories happened to watch the performance and received encouragement without themselves realizing it.