Sō Kuramoto, beloved screenwriter behind 'From the North Country', dies at 91

Sō Kuramoto, the screenwriter behind some of Japan’s most beloved television dramas, has died at the age of 91. The death, on the evening of Sept 18 at his home, was announced on Monday on his official website.

According to TV Asahi, Kuramoto died of multiple organ failure. Nippon Television and TBS carried the same announcement, reporting that he was 91. The funeral has already been held privately with only close relatives in attendance, in accordance with the family’s wishes, and a public memorial service is scheduled for Nov 3 in Furano.

Born in Tokyo in 1935, Kuramoto created many of Japan’s most enduring dramas, including “Kita no Kuni kara” (“From the North Country”), “Yasuragi no Sato” (“Village of Tranquility”) and “Yasashii Jikan” (“Gentle Time”). In 1977 he moved to Furano, Hokkaido, where he founded the “Furano Juku”, a school for training actors and screenwriters, and where he would live for nearly 50 years.

In recent years he had also been active in nature conservation work, including the “Nature Return Project”. After the announcement, fans began gathering in Rokugo, Furano’s district that served as the setting of “From the North Country”, to bid him farewell.

Sources

• TV Asahi NEWS (via YouTube): “Screenwriter Sō Kuramoto (91) dies of multiple organ failure on Sept 18” (28 Sept 2026)
• NTV NEWS NNN (via YouTube): “From the North Country screenwriter dies at 91” (28 Sept 2026)
• TBS NEWS DIG (via YouTube): “Screenwriter Sō Kuramoto dies at 91” (28 Sept 2026)