Stairway to Power: The Road to Prime Minister

Magazine journalist Renji Himura is suspicious of the corrupt nature of Japanese politics and has uncovered a number of parliamentary scandals in his quest to clean up the political scene. His feud with his father, Tetsuya Himura, a member of the House of Representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Japan, reinforces Renji's aversion to political power struggles. Tetsuya is a member of the party's largest faction, the Teikankai, along with his ally Yuichi Tanigawa, who was elected in the same year, but becomes increasingly dissatisfied with the methods of faction chairman and former Prime Minister Shiro Oda. In order to regain the prime minister's office, Oda has brought in Kojiro Suzuki, the current prime minister, and is building a puppet government. Then, Renji receives a tip-off from a mysterious person.

Directed by Hiroyuki Tsuji, Stairway to Power: The Road to Prime Minister leans on a strong ensemble — Yasukaze Motomiya, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Yudai Ishiyama — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2020.