Mito Kōmon

Overview

Mito Kōmon is a Japanese jidaigeki or period drama that has been on prime-time television since 1969. The title character is the historic Tokugawa Mitsukuni, former vice-shogun and retired second daimyo of the Mito Domain. In the guise of Mitsuemon, a retired crêpe merchant from Echigo, he roams the realm with two samurai retainers, fun-loving Sasaki Sukesaburō and studious Atsumi Kakunoshin. Episodes typically conclude with a brawl in which the unarmed, disguised protagonists better a crowd of samurai and gangsters, culminating with the presentation of the inrō that reveals the hero's identity.