Fuji TV has announced that it is producing a drama special based on the best-selling novel "Bizan" by singer Masashi Sada.

A movie version of "Bizan," starring Nanako Matsushima, opened in theaters in May and has been screened at multiple film festivals. The work is also being turned into a play in December, starring Yuriko Ishida and Nobuko Miyamoto (who also appears in the movie).

The story revolves around a daughter who learns from her dying mother that her father, whom she has never met and she believes to be dead, is still alive. She then sets out on a journey to find him.

While the movie focuses on the daughter's quest, the drama is said to place more emphasis on the mother's past and the love story between the two parents. Fuji TV also said that the story's climax, which takes place at the Awa Odori (a big dance festival) in Tokushima, will differ from the novel and the movie.

Takako Tokiwa will star in a dual role as the daughter and as the young mother, while Sumiko Fuji will play the mother in the present day. Filming begins at the end of the month, but no broadcast date has been announced yet.