NHK – Prensario Zone

NHK Enterprises prepares major showcase for Series Mania Forum 2026

NHK Enterprises (NEP), the international distribution arm of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, arrives at European market events with a diverse content slate that highlights high-concept science fiction, historical drama, and factual programming exploring Japan’s anime industry. The company is preparing an important showcase for its participation at Series Mania Forum 2026.

Listing

Innovators of Japan Anime

Factual: Arts & Culture, 1 x 59 min. (TBD),Produced by NHK

Rare access to animation filmmaker Oshiyama Kiyotaka (Look Back) allows cameras to follow as he dives into creating his latest film. Having honed his skills under legendary titans Miyazaki Hayao and Anno Hideaki, Oshiyama’s process astonishes. It is one where he wears many, many hats. Also, interviews with the creators of the Academy Award-winning Magic Candies, as well as A-list directors from the world-renowned production house MAPPA reveal the current state and concerns for the future of the anime industry.

Queen of Mars

Drama: Sci-Fi / Fantasy, 3 x 89 min. / 6 x 49 min.,Produced by NHK

It is the year 2125. Four decades have passed since human habitation began on Mars. Here, «stability» is a foreign concept. Under authoritarian rule by ISDA (the Inter-planetary Space Development Agency), discontent is brewing. Mars is silently in turmoil. In this atmosphere, «it» suddenly appears. And with it comes inexplicable supernatural phenomena. Who created it? Why is it here? And what does it mean for humankind? Hope? Catastrophe?
Lili E1102 is visually impaired. Born and raised on Mars, she endured grueling training to board the spaceship bound for Earth. She is determined to meet someone: Shiraishi Aoto, the young Earthling ISDA scientist. The two have a secret pact no one knows about. But on the day of departure, Lili is struck by disaster. And this triggers accelerated machinations on both Earth and Mars… And all is connected to «it»…

Quantum Entanglement: Einstein’s Final Mystery

Factual: Science & Technology, 1 x 50 min.,Produced by NHK

Albert Einstein called it a «spooky action at a distance.» In 2022, pioneers in the field were awarded the Nobel Prize. Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon that might hint at a manifestation of «teleportation.» It could also pave the way for a completely new mode of cryptographic communication and computing. What is it? With the help of numerous geniuses, the program gives a visual explanation of the counterintuitive and complex phenomenon that occurs on a subatomic scale. It is also a century-long story of knowledge that was not gained easily.

The Ghost Writer’s Wife

Drama: NHK Morning Series, 125 x 15 min.,Produced by NHK

A story based on the life of Koizumi Setsu, wife of the author of Kwaidan (1904), Lafcadio Hearn.
Toki loves ghost stories, which people see as being odd. She also finds the world unfair. This is the Meiji era at the turn of the 20th century—Japan is careening towards industrialization, Westernization, and becoming a «first rate» nation on par with the other players on the international stage. Once proud samurais suddenly find themselves out of employment. Many struggle to adjust, and Toki’s «upper class» samurai clan is no exception. It is Toki who must work to feed the family after her father’s business fails. But Toki’s life takes a turn when she accepts a job as a live-in maid to the new English teacher in town, who is also a foreigner. Discovering their mutual love for ghost stories, the two embark on a road to find a place where they belong. Filled with muted humor and loving attention to a culture and way of life being erased by modern technology, a quirky story of love—especially for ghost stories.

Hirayasumi

Drama: Slice of Life, 20 x 15 min.,Produced by NHK. Based on the original graphic novel HIRAYASUMI by Keigo Shinzo, published by Shogakukan Inc.

A global hit manga sold over a million copies—now on screen!
Ikuta Hiroto, 29. He has no full-time job, no partner, no plan for the future—and he couldn’t be happier. He’s just fine, unfettered and carefree. One day, Hiroto ends up inheriting a «hiraya» (one-story house) from an elderly neighbor whom he befriended purely by his personable nature. His 18-year-old cousin Kobayashi Natsumi, who arrives in Tokyo from the northern countryside, moves in with him. So unfolds a quiet, ordinary hiraya life that seems to attract troubled souls who need a break («yasumi»). Based on an internationally acclaimed manga, a life-affirming story that doesn’t ask anyone to have grand goals or brilliant lives.

The Perfect Homecoming

Drama: Suspense / Thriller, 4 x 44 min. 30 sec., Produced by NHK / TV MAN UNION

Mother, who are (were) you? Matsunaga Toru returns home for the first time in four decades. His vague memory leads him to the house. His mother welcomes him with a warm smile. A nostalgic house, comforting food, and a mother who happily fusses over you—Toru feels truly at home. Strangely, though, he cannot remember his mother’s name… Meanwhile, Koga Natsuo also embarks on a long-postponed homecoming. Waiting for her is the same house, the same «mother.» Murota Seiichi, recently widowed, likewise heads for the same «hometown» and «mother…»
Who is their «mother,» really? And what sort of life did she have? None of her «kids» know. When the truth is revealed, emotions swell. A story about family, love, and belonging—and how there is a core of truth, even in make-believe.

NHK-NEP

NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan’s sole public service media organization. Funded by receiving fees from Japanese households, it has a reputation for impartial, high-quality programs including news, documentaries, children’s and educational programs, music, entertainment, culture, animation, and drama. Known as the pioneer of HD broadcast, NHK now actively produces programs in 4K and 8K.

NHK Enterprises, Inc. (NEP) is the international distribution/production affiliate of NHK. We represent innovative, high-quality content that range from animation/anime, drama, documentaries, children’s & education, factual entertainment to non-scripted/scripted formats, and are committed to bring compelling storytelling as NHK spearheads technological advancements in 4K/8K and beyond.