The goal of this study is to investigate Oshin, the main character of the NHK morning drama Oshin, and analyze her personality such that we may understand how women lived during the Meiji era. This drama was on air from 1983-1984 and recorded the highest rating ever in NHK morning drama history, 62.9%. In fields regarding women and media, there is an abundance of research done regarding Oshin, but comparatively, there are few studies in the field of literature. For the sake of tightening this gap, this paper will focus on researching Oshin. To understand what kind of person Oshin is, her personality will be examined using the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) based on Carl G. Jung’s theory of psychological type. The MBTI aims to find universal features among all humans and to also identify the differences. Therefore, it could be considered as a proper method for this study.
In this study, we will analyze Oshin and three other characters who exerted large influences on her life. The MBTI will be used to estimate the personality type of each character. These personality types will be looked at in conjunction with the personalities of each character in the drama itself to see if there are correlations.
The results show that the features estimated from the MBTI and the features of each character in the drama were nearly identical. Using the analysis process, it was possible to look at the conflicting factors in personal relationships, the way people live, and even the author’s intentions.