Mr. Kinpachi in Class 3B
Plot Summary
A legendary television series and cultural asset, Mr. Kinpachi in Class 3B is famous for putting many social issues on the front burner of the public conscious over its long run, as filtered through the emotionally volatile lives of third year middle school students. The heartfelt relations between a devoted schoolteacher, Kinpachi Sakamoto, and his unique students have won the show high praise for several decades. Whether due to the pressures of exams, family relations, teachers and friends, graduating middle school students navigate a turbulent hormonal sea of “hope” and “frustration”, constantly shaped by the social environment of the times. Standing as a beacon in the storm and emitting messages of hope for each generation is one Japanese teacher, Kinpachi Sakamoto, who has come to be adored and admired by a nation through the adventures of Class 3B.
Cast & Characters
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Seasons (9)
Season 1
23 episodes
Aired: 1979
Stars popular actor Takeda Tetsuya as an inspirational teacher put in charge of an unruly class of 9th graders. This highly-rated series reveals a rarely-seen side of Japan's educational system.
Season 2
25 episodes
Aired: 1980
This drama offers an enlightening portrayal of the problems faced by junior high students in today's society, from juvenile delinquency and sex to a general crisis of spirit. The series is divided into three major story lines.
Season 3
12 episodes
Aired: 1988
Kinpachi Sensei 1997
23 episodes
Aired: 1995
Kinpachi Sensei, stars popular actor Takeda Tetsuya as an inspirational teacher put in charge of an unruly class of 9th graders. This highly-rated series reveals a rarely-seen side of Japan's educational system.
Kinpachi Sensei 2000
23 episodes
Aired: 1999
After an absence of four years Kinpachi Sensei, everyone's favorite teacher, returns to the television screen in a new series. When the series first went into production in 1979, delinquency and on-campus violence were big social problems. Over the years, the pressing problems became truancy and bullying, and more recently, disorderly conduct in classrooms and children with explosive tempers. Kinpachi Sensei returns to the classroom to help teenagers caught between childhood and adulthood, who suffer many social and emotional strains.
Kinpachi Sensei 2002
23 episodes
Aired: 2001
Tetsuya Takeda is back for his sixth season as Japan's most dedicated middle school teacher. Sakura Middle School becomes the first school to introduce the new student-guidance standards set to be instituted by the education ministry next April. Two transfer students also will join the 3B class and, in a historic first, the school will have a non-Japanese teacher on staff.
Season 7
22 episodes
Aired: 2004
Sakamoto was in heated disagreement with Principal Chida over teaching methods. So much so that he was ordered off the Board of Education. But he is back teaching at Sakura Middle School. Recently there has been a spate of young crime. Even Sakura has to deal with new problems like drugs and sexually transmitted diseases. Kinpachi returns to a school system in tumult. What problems will he confront and what message will he have for us? Keep and eye on class 3B over the next six months.
Season 8
22 episodes
Aired: 2007
The long awaited 8th season of the "Mr. Kinpachi in Class 3B" series is coming back this fall. The original series began airing in 1979, and has conveyed various messages to viewers and society in every series. The environment surrounding senior students in junior high school have drastically changed throughout the years. This includes facing college entrance examinations and higher education, worrying about relationships between their parents, teachers and friends, and dealing with expectations and disappointments. The series will once again depict the passion of Kinpachi Sakamoto, the teacher who shares the joys and sorrows with his 25 students, and the students who, in turn, also grow with him. The drama is scheduled to air until March 2008.