Akiko Aitsuki

Seven stories centered around marriage.

Iku (Nana Eikura) joined the Library Defense Force after a member from that team retrieved an important book that was targeted for censorship. She is assigned to work under Atsushi’s (Junichi Okada) team. She endures Atsushi's harsh treatment and looks for the member who retrieved her book. She also finds herself becoming attracted to Atsushi. Iku meets female high school student Marie (Tao Tsuchiya) at the library. Maries has a hearing disability. She is also a childhood friend of Mikihisa (Kei Tanaka). Iku senses Marie’s strong feelings for Mikihisa. Asako (Chiaki Kuriyama) works as a clerk for the Library Task Force. She has frequent meetings with curator Shuji (Aoi Nakamura). This creates complicated feelings for Hikaru (Sota Fukushi). One day, Mikihisa is arrested because of a book he recommended to Marie. Official reason given is because the book is unsuitable for disabled people. The members of the Library Task Force are angered by Mikihisa's arrest.

Etsuko, a female college student, tries to beat the con artists at their own game after she gets scammed one after another.

A jewelry broker is killed and a large amount of money is stolen. A female detective from the Metropolitan Police Department transforms into a geisha to catch the criminal.

Story of the struggling chorus group "Yamada Osamu and the Hello Nights", who gain an unexpected new member in the young Ai, who pursues her dream of becoming a singer.

Ito, daughter of a clan official, encounters Magoshiro Eguchi. Magoshiro is a low ranking samurai sparks an attraction with Ito. Ito challenges Magoshiro to a sword match using bamboo sticks. Mahoshiro accepts. The pair's duel causes sparks to fly an attraction from both sides. Meanwhile, Ito faces an arranged marriage with Saisuke Katagiri and Magoshiro is with Kayo...

Haruo returns to his hometown for his mother’s second marriage, where he happens to meet his first love Miyuki for the first time in eight years. Miyuki is back in town with her daughter Chiharu, after leaving a failed marriage.

One day a puppy comes to the house of Akari, who has just turned twelve, and was trying hard to act strong after her mother suddenly fell ill. She immediately falls in love with the puppy and names it "Socks" after the paws which looked like they had white socks on. Akari was together with Socks day and night. However, as Akari grows up, her feelings and interest moves away from Socks. Year by year, their distance grows, which also leads to her physical distance as she moves to a far off city, and must leave Socks behind to a childhood friend.One day Akari remembers the 10 promises that she had made with Socks and her deceased mother...

Naruse Uta is a "unique" 13 year old child. She possessed the talent to read sheet music even before she could speak, but has now come to the point where she hates playing the piano. Her father was also a piano virtuoso, but mysteriously disappeared from her life at a young age. Because of her father's disappearance Uta's mother had to move out of their posh home and into a far modest working class neighborhood. In this working class neighborhood there is a local grocer. The grocer's son Kikuna Oto happens to be a budding musician, but lacks the drive to truly succeed. That is until Uta Naruse comes into his life...

Somebody’s brain is living inside of me. Medical thriller based on the novel by Keigo Higashino which has sold over 1,250,000 copies.

Seiji Hirokawa works as a university professor. One day, his sick wife dies. Several days later, the intercom bell rings at his home and he sees a strange woman's face on the intercom screen. The woman asks "Is your wife at home?" Seiji Hirokawa opens the front door, but nobody is there. The president of the university where Seiji Hirokawa works suddenly dies. An election to select his replacement takes place. The election even involves the students and Seiji Hirokawa also participates. The professors are cautious with each other and a mysterious document spreads across the university. Meanwhile, Seiji Hirokawa carries guilt over his past behavior. Before his wife passed away, he had an affair with his sister-in-law Rei Mizushima. She works as an instructor at the same university. An unidentified body is found nearby at a garbage dump

Tokiko’s mother died 20 years ago and her father Tetsuya is now in his 70's. Her father has a free spirit and is cute. Tokiko is in her mid 40's and still single. She has a strong personality. In their past, Tokiko and Tetsuya did not have a good relationship. It got so bad that they almost ended their relationship, but now they occasionally meet. They go out to eat together and have conversations. Tokiko decides to publish an essay about her father Tetsuya. To collect information for her essay, she meets Tetsuya and listens to various stories, but it's not just pleasant memories.

Two detectives communicate through a walkie-talkie to solve a cold case. One detective exists in the present day, and the other detective exists 15 years in the past.

Ryōsuke Sagara is an ordinary salaryman and he works for a mid-size shipping company. He is a good-natured person. His family consists of his wife Maho, high school student daughter and elementary school student son. Maho works part-time at a supermarket. They are a happy family, but Maho and their two children suddenly disappear. There are no clues about their disappearance. Ryōsuke gets the attention of the media and public. He tries to find the truth behind his family's disappearance with the help of his subordinate Mizuho Ninomiya at work.

Inami and Tamaru work at the Public Security Mobile Investigation Unit Special Investigation Team, a team made up of specialists with different expertise. Inami tackles criminals with showy maneuvers, while Tamaru corners criminals with cool calculation. Together, the team tackles terrorists, new religious cults, military spies, secret narcotics organisations and complicit politicians.

太宰治短編小説集