"A Foreign Country Diary" (Japanese:違国日記; English:Journey with which) is a manga created by Tomoko Yamashita (Japanese:ヤマシタトモコ), with derivative works including a live-action film and anime.
Original Work Introduction
This work was selected for "Kono Manga ga Sugoi!2019" Women's Category,Manga Taisho2019, ranked 4th in Ore Manga 2019, a Jury Recommended Work in the Manga Division of the 24th Japan Media Arts Festival, "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2020" Women's Category, and 10th in Manga Taisho 2020.
Synopsis
Takashiro Makio (35 years old), unable to stand by as her orphaned niece Asa (15 years old) was being passed around among relatives at her sister and brother-in-law's funeral, impulsively decided to adopt her.
However, even after bringing her niece home, she reverted to her true self the very next day, succumbing to her innate shyness...! Makio, who must now live with someone else, forgets her own unsuitable personality...?
Asa, who was adopted, curiously yet honestly accepts life with Makio, an "adult who doesn't act like one"—?
Characters
Main Characters
Takashiro Makio(
Actor:Yui Aragaki(Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Miyuki Sawashiro(TV Anime)
- A shy, introverted novelist.
- Adopted her orphaned niece Asa at her sister and brother-in-law's funeral.
Tagumi Asa(
Actor: Kokoro Hayase (Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Fumiko Mori(TV Anime)
- Was adopted by Makio after her parents died in an accident during the winter of her third year of junior high school.
- Has a straightforward personality.
Kasamachi Shingo(
Actor: Koji Seto (Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Junichi Suwabe(TV Anime)
- Makio's friend and ex-boyfriend.
- Still harbors feelings for Makio after their breakup.
Nara Emiri(
Actor: Rizu Komiyama (Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Sumire Morohoshi(TV Anime)
- Asa's classmate and close friend.
- Have attended the same school since elementary school.
Daigo Nana(
Actor: Kaho (Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Eriko Matsui(TV Anime)
- Makio's friend since their student days.
- As Makio's friend, she is concerned about Asa's situation.
Taya Kazunari(
Actor: Shota Sometani (Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Takashi Kondo(TV Anime)
- A lawyer.
- Supervises Makio as Asa's guardian.
Minor(
Actor: Yuko Nakamura (Live-action film)
Voice Actor:Sayaka Ohara(TV Anime)
- Deceased.
- Asa's mother.
- Was strict and demanding towards her younger sister Makio.
Other Characters
- Takashiro Kyoko
- Mother of Takashiro Makio and Minor.
- Ruby
- A character in the novel series written by Takashiro Makio, based on Makio herself.
- Tagumi Hajime
- Father of Tagumi Asa, but was not married to Minor. Died in a car accident with Minor.
- Tagumi Asa has few memories of her father.
- Nara Michiko
- Mother of Nara Emiri.
- As a fellow mother, she empathizes with Minor.
- Mr. Kinoshita
- A novelist, a colleague of Takashiro Makio.
- Shoko
- Nara Emiri's girlfriend, attends the same cram school as her.
- Has alreadycome out.
- A better student than Emiri.
Publication Information
Derivative Works
Live-Action Film
The live-action film adaptation starsYui Aragakiand Ikumi Hayase, and was released on June 7, 2024.
STAFF
- Director, Screenplay, Editing:瀬田なつき
- Original Work:ヤマシタトモコ"A Foreign Country Diary"(Shodensha FEEL COMICS)
- Music: Masakatsu Takagi
- Production: Kazuhiro Ota, Yohei Koyama, Yoshiko Kuwahara, Keiji Okumura
- Producers: Toshikazu Nishitani, Yuki Nishimiya
- Co-producer: Yuko Nishida
- Executive Producers: Nobuhiro Iizuka, Tomoo Fukatsu
- Planning: Takako Hashimoto
- Cinematography: Hidetoshi Shinomiya
- Lighting:永田ひでのり
- Art Direction: Norifumi Ataka, Naozumi Tanaka
- Sound Recording: Shinya Takada
- Costume Design: Haruki Kouketsu
- Hair:新井はるか
- Music Producer: Kyoko Kitahara
- Sound Effects: Akihiko Okase
- Assistant Director: Asahi Kubo
- Production Manager: Manabu Kuwahara
- Planning, Production: Tokyo THEATRES
- Distribution: Tokyo THEATRES, Showgate
- Presented by: Tokyo THEATRES, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures, VAP, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai
- Production Company: DJANGO FILM
- Subsidy: Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Arts Promotion Grant (Film Creation Activity Support Project) Japan Arts Council
CAST
- Makio Takashiro: Yui Aragaki
- Asa Takumi: Ikumi Hayase
- Nana Daigo: Kaho
- Shingo Kasamachi: Koji Seto
- Emiri Nara: Rizu Komiyama
- Misato Takashiro: Yuko Nakamura
- Chise Morimoto: Hina Irei
- Mimori: Erika Takizawa
- Kazunari Tano: Shota Sometani
- Kyoko Takashiro: Ginpachi
Related Music
- Insert Song:あさのうた
- Performed by: Ikumi Hayase
- Composed by: Eriko Hashimoto
- Lyrics by: Eriko Hashimoto
- Inspiration Song:夜明けのあなたへ
- Performed by: Toakira
- Composed by: Toakira
- Arranged by: knoak(Nobuaki Tanaka), Yojiro Noda
- Lyrics by: Toakira
Anime Adaptation
| A Foreign Country Diary | |
 | |
| Original Title | 違国日記 |
| Translated Title | A Foreign Country Diary |
| Original Work | Tomoko Yamashita |
| Region | Japan |
| First Airing | January 4, 2026～ |
| Animation Production | Shuka |
| Director | Miyuki Oshiro |
| Series Composition | Kohei Kiyoyasu |
| Character Design | Kenji Hayama |
| Music | Kensuke Ushio |
| Main Voice Cast | Miyuki Sawashiro Fuko Mori Junichi Suwabe Sumire Morohoshi Eriko Matsui Takashi Kondo Sayaka Ohara |
| Streaming Platforms | Tokyo MX ABC TV TV Asahi AT-X |
| Broadcast Status | Currently Airing |
-
Anime Teaser Visual 1 -
Anime Teaser Visual 2 -
Anime Key Visual
TV anime production was announced on May 3, 2024, and will begin airing on January 4, 2026.
STAFF
- Original Work:ヤマシタトモコ"A Foreign Country Diary"(Shodensha FEEL COMICS)
- Original Work Assistance: Ichiro Yamaguchi(Shodensha), Megumi Kajikawa(シュークリム)
- Director: Miyuki Oshiro
- Composition, Screenplay:Kohei Kiyoyasu
- Character Design, Chief Animation Director: Kenji Hayama
- Sub-character Design:Toshie Kawamura
- Prop Design: Miyako Kano
- Costume Design: Kaede Aizawa
- Art: Eriko Takahashi
- Color Design: Miho Tanaka
- Photography: Satoshi Namiki
- Editing: Kazuhiko Seki
- Sound Director:Takahiro Omori
- Music:Kensuke Ushio
- Music Producer: Shinichi Nakamura
- Music Production:Pony Canyon
- Music Production Assistance: Haruo Anba, Kochi Baba
- Planning: Sadakazu Kikuchi, Yoshifumi Mori, Ryu Takahashi, Takahiro Matsushita, Hiroaki Nishimura
- Producers: Tomoki Ueda, Ailian Cai, Fumi Miura, Hirotaka Kaneko, Yuko Matsui
- Animation Producer: Yumi Sato
- Animation Production:Shuka
- Presented by: The Anime "A Foreign Country Diary" Production Committee
CAST
- Makio Takashiro:Miyuki Sawashiro
- Asa Takumi:Fuko Mori
- Shingo Kasamachi:Junichi Suwabe
- Emiri Nara:Sumire Morohoshi
- Nana Daigo:Eriko Matsui
- Kazunari Tano:Takashi Kondo
- Misato Takashiro:Sayaka Ohara
- Kyoko Takashiro:Mayumi Asano
- Hajime Takumi:Takahiro Yoshino
- Kotoko:Hisako Kanemoto
- Aji:Sanae Kobayashi
- Michiko Nara:Mie Sonozaki
- Chise Morimoto:Ruriko Aoki
- Yuto Togo:Ryunosuke Watanuki
- Yumi Kanda:Satomi Kobashi
- Asuka Sone:Chihiro Kamijo
- Yoshimura:Takao Mitsutomi
- Atsuhiko:Naoya Miyase
- Hattori:Yusuke Kikuchi
- Mochi:Iori Saeki
- Mori:Yonasu Jona
- Ayaka:Moena Ashida
- Sakurai:Rikuya Yasuda
- Yahara:Shoko Arai
- Hitoshi Kinono:Kujira
- Shoko:Kana Hanazawa
Episode Titles
| Chapters | Japanese Title | Chinese Title | Storyboard | Episode Director | Animation Director | Roughly corresponds to original chapters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #01 | Overflow | Miyuki Oshiro | Ena Nishikawa Saeda Tanaka |
01~03 | ||
| #02 | 包む | Wrapped Up | Ryoko Nakano | Toshie Kawamura Miyuki Nakamura |
03~05 | |
| #03 | 捨てる | Discard | Teratani Katsumi | Hisanori Kobayashi | Ena Nishikawa Toshie Kawamura Miyuki Nakamura Miyako Kano Nanako Toyota Naho Otsuki Kaede Aizawa |
06~08 |
| #04 | Fear | Miyuki Oshiro | Miyuki Oshiro Satomi Nakamura |
Miyako Kano Saeda Tanaka Kaede Aizawa |
09~13 | |
| #05 | 選ぶ | Choice | Ryoko Nakano | Kitamura Mitsuki | Naho Otsuki Miyako Kano Miyuki Nakamura Kaede Aizawa Nanako Toyota Toshie Kawamura Saeda Tanaka |
14~16, 17 |
| #06 | Overlap | Kotomi Deai | Tomomi Kawatsuma | Ena Nishikawa Miyuki Nakamura |
16, 18~20 | |
| #07 | 書き残す | Write Down | Shinya Kawazura | Kawamura Toshie Tanaka Orie |
21~23 | |
| #08 | Wandering | Tomomi Kawatsuma | Otsuki Naho Kano Miyako Aizawa Kaede Tanaka Orie Kawazuma Tomomi |
24~25 | ||
| #09 | 交わる | Teratani Katsumi | Omori Takahiro Nishida Daiki |
Kawamura Toshie Toyota Nanako |
26~28 | |
| #10 | Kaori | Ena Nishikawa Miyuki Nakamura |
28~29, 33 | |||
| #10 | 解き放つ | Teratani Katsumi | Omori Takahiro Kitamura Mitsuki Nishida Daiki |
Kano Miyako Kawamura Toshie Aizawa Kaede Otsuki Naho Tanaka Orie Kawazuma Tomomi Hayama Kenji Kawazoe Masakazu (Design Animation Director Cooperation) | ||
Related Music
Opening Theme (OP)
- ソナーレ
- Lyrics, Composition, Vocals: TOMOO, Arrangement: Konishi Ryo
Ending Theme (ED)
- 言伝
- Vocals: Bialystocks
- Lyrics: Kikuchi Tsuyoshi, Hokimoto Sora, Composition: Kikuchi Tsuyoshi
Insert Song (IN)
- Upon You(Episode 5)
- Vocals: Bialystocks
- Lyrics: Kikuchi Tsuyoshi, Hokimoto Sora, Composition: Kikuchi Tsuyoshi, Arrangement: Bialystocks
- growth(Episode 9)
- Composition, Arrangement: Sekimen
- Guitar: Ryo Yamamura Other Tracks: Sekimen
- Tariiq Road(Episode 9)
- Composition, Arrangement: Tsunemi Yuji Anonymous User 7b4fa5: Good transition! Research Cooperation: Tokyo Metropolitan Musashi High School·Attached Middle School
- Oud: Tsunemi Yuji, Violin: Nishida Hiromi, Darbuka & Daf: Tateiwa Junzo, Req & Daf: Yamamiya Hidenori