The Ghost Writer's Wife
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| The Ghost Writer's Wife | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Mitsuhiko Fujiki |
| Directed by | Naoki Murahashi and others |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Eriko Watanabe Miho Kimura |
| Opening theme | "Warattari Korondari" by Humbert Humbert |
| Composer | Kensuke Ushio |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 125 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Production company | NHK |
| Original release | |
| Network | NHK General TV |
| Release | September 29, 2025 – March 27, 2026 |
The Ghost Writer's Wife (ばけばけ, Bakebake)[1] is a Japanese television drama series and the 113th Asadora series,[2] following Anpan. This is a work of fiction modeled after the life of Setsu Koizumi, wife of the Greek-Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn, known for works such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things.[3]
Toki Matsuno is born into a prestigious samurai family, but the Meiji Restoration brings an end to the age of the samurai. Her father's new business ventures fail, and the family is forced into poverty. She finds a job as a maid to a foreign English teacher named Heavin. Though there are barriers of language and culture between them, they grow close through their shared interest in kaidan (Japanese ghost stories).
Cast
Principal
- Akari Takaishi as Toki Matsuno
- Miharu Fukuchi as young Toki
- Tommy Bastow as Lefkada Heavin, Toki's husband
Matsuno family
- Takashi Okabe as Tsukasanosuke Matsuno, Toki's adoptive father
- Chizuru Ikewaki as Fumi Matsuno, Toki's adoptive mother
- Fumiyo Kohinata as Kan'emon Matsuno, Toki's adoptive grandfather
Ushimizu family
- Shinichi Tsutsumi as Den Ushimizu, Toki's birth father
- Keiko Kitagawa as Tae Ushimizu, Toki's birth mother
- Rihito Itagaki as Sannojo Ushimizu
Others
- Ryo Yoshizawa as Yūichi Nishikōri
- Rairu Sugita as Joe Nishikōri
- Kanichiro as Ginjiro Yamane
- Wan Marui as Sawa Nozu
- Honami Sato as Nami
- Shirō Sano as Yasumune Etō, the Governor of Shimane Prefecture
- Kana Kita as Riyo Etō, Yasumune's daughter
- Anna Kurasawa as Chiyo
- Kono Adachi as Sen
- Kenji Iwaya as Zentaro Moriyama, debt collector
- Mizuki Maehara as Zenitaro Moriyama, Zentaro's son
- Katsuhisa Namase as Heita Hanada
- Nobue Iketani as Tsuru Hanada
- Maru Nouchi as Ume
- Udai Iwasaki as Goro Kajitani
- Mayumi Asaka as Tatsu Ueno
- Taisei Sakai as Morimichi Nakamura
- Tokio Emoto as Saiji Yamahashi
- Yukito Hodaka as Seiichi Masaki
- Kyohei Shimokawa as Haruo Kotani
- Charlotte Kate Fox as Eliza Belsland
- Shogo Hama[a] as Takichi Shoda
- Hosaki Tanaka as Hatsuemon Kanenari
- Meisha Brooks as Martha, Lefkada Heavin's first wife
Voice cast
- Eriko Watanabe as the Snake
- Miho Kimura as the Frog
Production
Akari Takaishi was chosen for the lead role of Toki Matsuno from among 2892 auditionees.[4]The role of Toki's husband, Lefkada Heavin, was also filled through an audition rather than a direct offer. The casting call was announced in Japan, as well as in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, attracting 1767 participants. Ultimately, British actor Tommy Bastow was selected for the part.[5] He heard about the audition from his co-star on the American TV series Shōgun, Moeka Hoshi.[6]
TV schedule
| Week | Episodes | Title | Directed by | Original airdate | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–5 | "Bushi-musume, Urameshi." (ブシムスメ、ウラメシ。) | Naoki Murahashi | September 29–October 3, 2025 | 15.5% |
| 2 | 6–10 | "Muko, Morau, Muzukashi." (ムコ、モラウ、ムズカシ。) | October 6–10, 2025 | 14.8% | |
| 3 | 11–15 | "Yōkoso, Matsuno-ke e." (ヨーコソ、マツノケヘ。) | Takamasa Izunami | October 13–17, 2025 | 14.7% |
| 4 | 16–20 | "Futari, Kurasu, Shimasuka?" (フタリ、クラス、シマスカ?) | Hitofumi Matsuoka | October 20–24, 2025 | 15.2% |
| 5 | 21–25 | "Watashi, Heaven. Matsue, mo, Heaven." (ワタシ、ヘブン。マツエ、モ、ヘブン。) | Naoki Murahashi | October 27–31, 2025 | 15.4% |
| 6 | 26–30 | "Doko, mo, Jigoku." (ドコ、モ、ジゴク。) | Takamasa Izunami | November 3–7, 2025 | 14.9% |
| 7 | 31–35 | "Otoki-san, Jochuu, OK?" (オトキサン、ジョチュウ、OK?) | Naoki Murahashi | November 10–14, 2025 | 15.7% |
| 8 | 36–40 | "Kubi no, Kawa, Ichimai." (クビノ、カワ、イチマイ。) | Hitofumi Matsuoka | November 17–21, 2025 | 15.9% |
| 9 | 41–45 | "Sukippu, to, Uguisu." (スキップ、ト、ウグイス。) | Takamasa Izunami | November 24–28, 2025 | 15.7% |
| 10 | 46–50 | "Toori, Sugari." (トオリ、スガリ。) | Hitofumi Matsuoka | December 1–5, 2025 | 15.8% |
| 11 | 51–55 | "Ganbare, Ojou-sama." (ガンバレ、オジョウサマ。) | Toyo Kojima | December 8–12, 2025 | 15.7% |
| 12 | 56–60 | "Kaidan, Negaimasu." (カイダン、ネガイマス。) | Takamasa Izunami | December 15–19, 2025 | 15.8% |
| 13 | 61–65 | "Sanpo, Shimashouka." (サンポ、シマショウカ。) | Naoki Murahashi | December 22–26, 2025 | |
| 14 | 66–70 | "Kazoku, Naru, īdesuka?" (カゾク、ナル、イイデスカ？) | Naoki Murahashi | January 5–9, 2026 | 15.6% |
| 15 | 71–75 | "Matsunoke, yarikata" (マツノケ、ヤリカタ。) | Takamasa Izunami | January 12–16, 2026 | 15.3% |
| 16 | 76–80 | "Kawa, no, mukō" (カワ、ノ、ムコウ。) | Hitofumi Matsuoka | January 19–23, 2026 | 15.5% |
| 17 | 81–85 | "Nanto, iuka" (ナント、イウカ。) | Naoki Kobayashi | January 26–30, 2026 | 15.4% |
| 18 | 86–90 | "Matsue, subarashi." (マツエ、スバラシ。) | Takamasa Izunami | February 2–6, 2026 | 14.2% |
| 19 | 91–95 | "Wakareru, shimasu." (ワカレル、シマス。) | Naoki Murahashi | February 9–13, 2026 | 15.0% |
| 20 | 96–100 | "Anta, gata, dokosa." (アンタ、ガタ、ドコサ。) | Naoki Kobayashi | February 16–20, 2026 | 15.2% |
| 21 | 101–105 | "Kaku, no, hito." (カク、ノ、ヒト。) | Toyo Kojima | February 23–27, 2026 | 14.4% |
| 22 | 106–110 | "Atarashi, no, jinsei." (アタラシ、ノ、ジンセイ。) | Naoki Kobayashi | March 2–6, 2026 | 14.7% |
| 23 | 111–115 | "Gobusata, nishikoori-san." (ゴブサタ、ニシコオリサン。) | Naoki Murahashi | March 9–13, 2026 | 14.7% |
| 24 | 116–120 | "Kaidan, Kaku, shimasu." (カイダン、カク、シマス。) | Takamasa Izunami | March 16–20, 2026 | 14.8% |
| 25 | 121–125 | "Urameshi, kedo, subarashi." (ウラメシ、ケド、スバラシ。) | Naoki Murahashi | March 23–27, 2026 |