is a Japanese TV drama series that aired on Fuji Television from 1981 to 2002. After an initial full season of 24 episodes that ran from 9 October 1981 to 26 March 1982, it was followed by eight further special episodes. Sō Kuramoto wrote its screenplay.
Premise Goro Kuroita and his children Jun and Hotaru move from Tokyo to the town of Furano in Hokkaido after a divorce to start a new life. The family moves to Goro's childhood home, in a desolate location.
Cast Kunie Tanaka as Goro Kuroita Hidetaka Yoshioka as Jun Kuroita Tomoko Nakajima as Hotaru Kuroita Ayumi Ishida as Reiko Kuroita Keiko Takeshita as Yukiko Miyamae Mieko Harada as Ryoko Kitani Koichi Iwaki as Sota Kitamura Miyuki Matsuda as Tsurara Yoshimoto Takeo Chii as Kazuo Nakahata Hideji Ōtaki as Seikichi Kitamura Ryūtarō Ōtomo as Kineji Kasamatsu
Actors who joined in the later specials Megumi Yokoyama as Rei Osato (1987, 1989, 1992, 1995) Nae Yūki as Tamako Matsuda (1992) Rie Miyazawa as Shu Konuma (1995, 1998, 2002) Yuki Uchida as Yui Takamura (2002) Naoto Ogata as Yuji Wakui (1989, 1992, 1995) Chishū Ryū as Matsukichi Sawada (1983) Bunta Sugawara as Tamako's uncle (1992)
Production Kuramoto moved from Tokyo to Furano in 1977 and his experience there influenced the series. At the time, Furano was desolate and had nothing.「クマが悪者扱いされているのが悲しい」『北の国から』倉本聰氏（91）が富良野で語った現代社会への“違和感”「バブル期以降、ドラマはつまらなくなった」, Bunshun Online, 6 August 2026, retrieved 29 September 2026
Fuji Television provided assistance from Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, its local affiliate.
Fuji TV presented a deficit of several million yen, but earned profits worth over 2 billion yen from video sales and other sources.Shichiro Murakami, ロングラン マスコミ漂流50年の軌跡, Fusosha, June 2005. ISBN 978-4594049478. After the initial 24 episodes, Fuji TV produced and aired eight irregular specials from 1983 to 2002.
TV schedule EpisodeTitleDirected byOriginal airdateRating1Takuji Tominaga16.4%211.2%39.3%4Shigemichi Sugita11.1%510.3%6Yoshiaki Yamada13.5%7Takuji Tominaga13.2%8Yoshiaki Yamada14.3%9Takuji Tominaga13.5%10Shigemichi Sugita16.0%1113.8%12Takuji Tominaga13.2%1313.5%14UFOShigemichi Sugita 13.2%15Yoshiaki Yamada15.1%16Takuji Tominaga14.4%1718.6%1816.2%19Shigemichi Sugita17.0%2017.5%21Yoshiaki Yamada15.7%22Shigemichi Sugita17.8%23Yoshiaki Yamada19.6%24Takuji Tominaga21.0%Average rating 14.8% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).
Specials EpisodeTitleDirected byOriginal airdateRating1Shigemichi Sugita26.4%224.3%320.5%4 33.3%532.2%31.7%630.8%725.9%24.8%838.4%33.6%
Legacy Long after the end of the drama, some of its filming shots remain as they were, this time as tourist attractions.Naoto Kamata, Deep ties with “From the Northern Country” and the President’s Office, retrieved 29 September 2026
References