1. Provide a chronological and factual examination of the life of Kasagi Shizuko, the subject of a fictionalized NHK Asadora (Morning Drama) in the Fall of 2023 2. Explain the historical and contemporary role of the long-running Asadora series in post-war Japanese popular culture. 3. Situate, explore and analyze the interactions of Kasagi Shizuko with two of the most important musical figures in 20th Century Japanese musical entertainment history; composer Hattori Ryōichi (her mentor, supporter and collaborator) and singer Misora Hibari (her sometime rival). 4. Identify the key moments in Kasagi’s life as a symbolic figure and separate it from the ups and downs of her personal life that will be a feature of the TV drama. 5. Elevate Kasagi to her rightful place as a key figure in the emotional recovery of the post-war Japan and its traumatized population, especially the female half.