The man behind Japan's Artistic Explosion and his fight for beauty and freedom

An epic biopic unveiling the chronicles of a man unbound by his low status or social conventions who became a pivotal force behind the cultural renaissance of 18th-century Japan by discovering the talents of Sharaku, Utamaro and Hokusai—ukiyo-e artists that continue to be cherished by the world to this day.

Born in 1750, Tsutaya Juzaburo, or Tsutaju for short, was put up for adoption at a young age and grew up with a family running a tea house in the red-light district of Edo. It was a time Edoーnow known as Tokyoーwas experiencing unprecedented growth. With more than a million residents, the city had become one of the largest metropolises in the world. Amid Edo's economic and cultural boom, Tsutaju first made his name by starting a book-lending service.

But his ambition knew no bounds. He teamed up with some of Japan’s best writers and artists and began his own publishing business. His keen eye for young talent led to the discovery of ukiyo-e artists Utamaro and Hokusai, two artists who would later come to leave a lasting imprint on Western art through Japonism. Adorned with plates beautifully illustrated by such creators, book after book would fly off the shelves.

Yet his success came with a price, as his satirical publications began drawing ire from the shogunate. Despite the relentless persecution by the government, he maintained a rebellious stance throughout his entire career and continued to entertain the masses by pursuing true beauty through his publications. Left tattered after having half his fortune confiscated by the shogunate, he takes one last gamble with a grand project featuring a previously unknown artist named Sharaku.

Unbound is a drama series featuring Yokohama Ryusei, winner of a Japan Academy Film Prize and Seoul International Drama Awards, as the main protagonist Tsutaju; with a supporting role from Tony Awards winner and Academy Awards nominee Ken Watanabe as Tanuma Okitsugu, a senior counselor of the shogunate who helped Edo's cultural renaissance blossom; and screenplay by hit screenwriter Morishita Yoshiko, who has written for Jin, Naotora: The Lady Warlord and more.