Using the “oral history” methodology, the author has presented a series of papers on TV art based on the testimonies of persons involved. This article focuses on the TV art in From The Northern Country (Kita no Kuni Kara), produced by Fuji TV and aired from 1981 to 2002 as a drama series as well as “drama special” sequels. TV art must have played a magnificent and multidimensional role in the production, for which outdoor sets were built in Hokkaido where the story unfolded. This paper elucidates this point through an interview with Umeda Masanori, Art Producer of this legendary work.
The house the protagonist’s family moved into was also an outdoor set. From what idea was the house created? How did the house evolve into a more and more realistic space for living? Reflecting on this set in chronological order reveals that the production involved immense ingenuity and various hardships. Umeda says that although a drama is a lie, the basic principle of TV art is to portray it as a real thing. Once aspired to become a prop man for movies, respecting the art in Kurosawa’s films as a textbook, Umeda wanted to present TV art that can vie with cinematic art for this drama. Undoubtedly, his uncompromising attitude towards art inspired the staff and cast to be more committed to the production and contributed to making From The Northern Country a drama that goes down in the history of television.