“RICH MAN, POOR WOMAN,” a drama produced and broadcast in 2012 by Fuji Television will be aired on SLRC (Sri Lanka Rupavahini (TV) Corporation), Sri Lanka’s National Television Network from February next year. It’s a romantic comedy depicting a love affair between an IT company CEO (Shun Oguri), who has many character flaws but has become a billionaire published in “Forbes” by chance and luck, and a Tokyo University student (Satomi Ishihara), who to stave off a future full of hardship, has been studying diligently and acquiring qualifications, and yet she is still unsuccessful with finding a job.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. With the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951 after the World War II, it was none other than J.R. Jayewardene of Ceylon (he then became the President of Sri Lanka) who waived claims and appealed to the world that Japan should become part of the international society. After 70 years from then, numerous commemorative events are now being held in Sri Lanka. Based on this backdrop, with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka and organizations such as the Global Skills Development Academy, a company that has become a sponsor for the program, it was selected as the drama commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. With all the translation and dubbing preparations, “RICH MAN, POOR WOMAN” will be delivered to Sri Lankan audiences by February.
■Toru Ota, Executive Vice President, Fuji Television Network, Inc. comments: “I feel so honored that our hit series “RICH MAN, POOR WOMAN” has been selected as a commemorative drama to celebrate the major milestone between Japan and Sri Lanka, and that it will be aired for the first time on Sri Lanka’s National Television Network. I also heard that Sri Lanka has decided to include Japanese as one of the languages taught in compulsory education, so I hope more and more Japanese dramas will be broadcast there in the future.”
■W.B.Ganegala, Chairman, Sri Lanka Rupavahini (TV) Corporation comments: “I am pleased to send these comments to Fuji Television Network on the occasion of their programme to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Sri Lanka at a time Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year 2022. I would like to thank the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka and Fuji Television Network for providing the tele-drama “RICH MAN, POOR WOMAN” to Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. I am sure this tele-series will be popular among the Sri Lankan TV audience. We look forward to working closely with the Embassy of Japan and the Fuji Television Network in future as well.”
■Hideaki Mizukoshi, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka comments: “I am very pleased to join you in celebrating the telecasting of a very popular Japanese TV drama series “RICH MAN, POOR WOMAN” in Sri Lanka. I would like to appreciate Fuji Television for its generous gesture of making it available to Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and commend SLRC for making a bold step in bringing this modern Japanese drama to the Sri Lankan viewers. I myself enjoyed all the episodes of this drama. This drama brilliantly depicts the current state of the Japanese youth generation through a love story between a young CEO of a cutting-edge IT company and a female university student who is struggling to find a job. In Sri Lanka, which is currently experiencing a severe economic crisis, young people are showing great interest in learning Japanese, studying and finding employment in Japan, especially in the IT industry. Against this backdrop, Sri Lankan viewers will sure be attracted toward Japan and get inspired to study Japanese in Sri Lanka. I would like to express my gratitude again for this wonderful decision made on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Sri Lanka.”