In this drama set on Shikina Island, a far-flung island of the Japanese archipelago located more than six hours from the Japanese main islands, the young physician Kensuke Goto arrives at the island and has to deal with the island’s inhabitants, uneager to accept him, at a clinic lacking sufficient medical equipment. Here’s a human drama showing how Dr. Coto values the dignity of human life while unflinchingly facing disease with a serious attitude.

Compared to the city, with its fleeting human relationships, life on an island features strong bonds, so that the inhabitants are said to be one big family. The series closely examines ties between parents and children, husband and wife and between friends. Such timeless themes as illness, life and family are depicted with close human relationships on a distant island in Japan’s southern seas where pristine natural beauty remains. Here’s a human drama on a large scale.