Sosuke Natsukawa’s medical drama explores elderly care and mortality

The medical drama ‘Wasurenagusa no Saku Machi de: Azumino Shinryoki’, based on the novel by physician Sosuke Natsukawa, explores the complexities of elderly care and the reality of death in modern Japanese society.

In an interview regarding the work, Natsukawa discusses how contemporary society often isolates death and illness within hospitals and facilities, causing people to avoid confronting mortality. He notes that his writing aims to highlight the hidden aspects of community medicine and the importance of preparing for the end of life to prevent medical and familial complications.

The television adaptation, starring Riko Fukumoto and Shinju Sugo, concludes its run by depicting characters making difficult decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment and the growth of medical professionals facing the realities of life and death.