Apr 06 (Kyodo) - Sugako Hashida, a scriptwriter known for the internationally acclaimed television drama series "Oshin" in the 1980s, died Sunday of lymphoma at her home in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, her foundation said Monday. She was 95.
The series, which originally aired from 1983, depicted the life of a woman who was born in a poor farming village and became the successful founder of a supermarket chain. It was broadcast in dozens of countries and regions including China, Iran, Thailand and the United States.
Former Chinese President Hu Jintao told a group of Japanese reporters in 2008 that he was "deeply impressed" by the series.
Taiwan media reported the passing of Hashida in breaking news.
The scriptwriter had the status of a "national treasure in Japan's cultural field," a China Times report said. The newspaper also said the drama series was being rebroadcast in Taiwan.
Source: ANNnewsCH
