Nanako Matsushima Online

The Story of One Century (Hyakunen no Monogtari) depicts the lives of three women in three different Japanese eras - Taisho (1912 - 1926), Showa (1926 - 1988) and Heisei (1988 to present).

In the Taisho era - Tempest of Love & Hate - the story tells of Aya, the daughter of a big land owner who was educated and full of dreams. Aya had a mind of her own, and yearned to lead a life of her choice. Unfortunately, she was born in an era where views on women were conservative and options for them were limited. While she liked a poor farmer's son, she had to marry a rich man whom she has never met in order to save her families' fortune. Aya could not find happiness after marriage as she was snubbed by her husband and manipulated by her mother-in-law. She felt trapped in the situation as she was unable to leave her husband for her family's sake. Although she later tried running away, she had to eventually return to her husband because he threatened to report her for adultery. Events took a dramatic turn when Aya was jailed for a year after having aborted her baby illegally. Following her release, her husband finally agreed to divorce her because he had lost all his fortunes and could no longer provide for her. He even encouraged her to follow the poor farmer's son who was now an accomplished businessman. She realized that her husband actually loved her, but was unable to express himself. It was then that she decided that she must choose her own destiny based upon what she wants.

In the Showa era - Love Surpasses Sorrow - the drama tells the story of Junko who was Aya's daughter. Junko and her younger brother were both raised in war-times. Their parents died during the World War II and Junko was determined not to lose anymore of her loved ones to the battlefield. Although the war was over, Junko and her brother had to struggle with their daily existence. Her brother was also causing her a lot of trouble. Everything looked bleak for her till she met and fell in love with a Japanese who was an American soldier. Life seemed more hopeful, and Junko was looking forward to the future. Unfortunately, her boyfriend died while being sent away to the Korean battlefield. Junko was alone again, but this time she was pregnant with a child.

In the Heisei era - Only Love - the story tells of Jishiro, the grand daughter of Junko. Jishiro was a modern woman in a high flying job as editor of a woman's magazine. She was capable, decisive but aloof. She was unable to love and that was because her mother abandoned her when she was four years old. Her moment of truth came when her mother called her one morning wanting to meet her again. As a result, Jishiro traveled to the US with an ex-boxer who was to pretend as her husband to meet her mother. Jishiro was both apprehensive and curious about meeting her mother who has disappeared for 24 years. She wanted to know the reason her mother left her. She later found out that her mother had actually loved her all these years, and she was the guiding force behind every choice her mother has made. As a result of that knowledge, Jishiro changed her outlook and realized that being able to love someone was a wonderful thing.

Through the three stories in the different eras, The Story of One Century is able to capture the changes that impact women over the years - from a conservative society with limited choice, to one that has more freedom. But one thing remains static. Love remains the guiding force behind every choice women made.

This drama is actually part of Japan's TBS's 21st Century Project to produce mega TV programs to commemorate the turn of the century. In many ways, The Story of One Century is similar to Oshin. Both have the same scriptwriter, both tell the stories of woman and her struggles in the different eras. The pace of The Story of One Century is however much quicker. In fact, the drama received an average rating of 29.6% during its telecast. Nanako Matsushima has also proven to be an excellent actress, being able to juggle the different emotions while projecting as the three women