The fourth season of Fuji TV's drama series "Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji" opened on Tuesday night. Starring Yosuke Eguchi and Nanako Matsushima, the popular show averaged about 20% ratings for its first three seasons, and this one appears to be on track for another strong performance.

For Tuesday's premiere, ratings in the Kanto region achieved an average of 20.3%. This is weaker than the past season openers (24.0%, 21.5%, and 21.4%), but compared to the other drama series that have been airing this summer, it is still exceptionally high. In fact, it is the first show of this season to break the 20% mark, despite starting a month late due to Eguchi's injury in a motorcycle accident in June.

To fill in the gap caused by the show's delay, Fuji TV aired four special episodes that revolved around Matsushima's character. Ratings for those episodes ranged between 12.5% and 15.0%.