‘Kita no Kuni kara’ screenwriter So Kuramoto dies at 91

So Kuramoto, who wrote scripts for many popular Japanese television dramas including the “Kita no Kuni Kara” series, died of multiple organ failure on Sept. 18 at his home in Furano, Hokkaido. He was 91.

Born in Tokyo, Kuramoto, whose real name was Kaoru Yamaya, graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1959 and joined Nippon Broadcasting System. After leaving the company in 1963, he became a freelance screenwriter.

In fiscal 1976, he won the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts for “Zenryaku Ofukuro-sama,” a youth drama set in a Japanese-style restaurant in downtown Tokyo.

In 1977, he moved to Furano, where “Kita no Kuni Kara” was set. Depicting a family living in harmony with nature, the drama series was broadcast between 1981 and 1982 and was highly acclaimed. Eight special sequel dramas were produced later to continue the popular series until 2002.

From 1984, Kuramoto ran “Furano Juku,” a training school for screenwriters and actors, at his own expense. After the school closed in 2010, he focused on nurturing young talent by teaching “Furano Group,” a theater company primarily composed of graduates from the school.

Kuramoto also wrote scripts for films such as “Station,” directed by Yasuo Furuhata. He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2000 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, in 2010.