Natsuko no Sake

Natsuko's Sake
First tankōbon volume cover
夏子の酒 (Natsuko no Sake)
Manga
Written by	Akira Oze
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Weekly Morning
Original run	1988 – 1991
Volumes	12
Television drama
Original network	Fuji Television
Original run	January 12, 1994 – March 23, 1994
Episodes	11

Natsuko no Sake (Japanese: 夏子の酒; lit. 'Natsuko's Sake') is a Japanese manga series by Akira Oze. It was adapted into a live-action television series in 1994.

The story centers around Natsuko Saeki, a young woman trying to break into sake making, a business that is traditionally carried out by men.

A prequel to the story by the same author, Natsu no Kura, tells the story of Natsuko's grandmother, Natsu.

Plot

Natsuko Saeki, a young woman working for an advertising company in Tokyo, returns to her family's home in the countryside. There she finds her brother, Yasuo, searching for a "phantom" rice seed called tatsunishiki, rumored to create a new form of sake. He finds a few seeds, but after he passes away suddenly, Natsuko quits her job and begins working at the sake brewery to realize Yasuo's dream of making the best sake in Japan.

Characters

Natsuko Saeki

Portrayed by: Emi Wakui

Wataru Kusakabe

Portrayed by: Masato Hagiwara

Saeko Hashimoto

Portrayed by: Yuki Matsushita

Kazuko Saeki

Portrayed by: Mayumi Wakamura

Gen

Portrayed by: Hatsuo Yamaya

Araki

Portrayed by: Ken Ishiguro

Shizue Tanaka

Portrayed by: Mayumi Hasegawa

Yasuo Saeki

Portrayed by: Kiichi Nakai

External links

• Natsuko no Sake at Anime News Network's encyclopedia