NHK drama “Mr. Period” shares what we need to know about menstruation

A special drama “Mr. Period and His Daughter (original title: “Seiri no Ojisan to Sono Musume”) was aired by NHK, a Japanese public broadcaster. This drama is heartwarming yet groundbreaking in terms of making menstruation open to any gender and any age group in Japanese society, where people still see periods as a taboo subject.

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吉田恵里香(@yoshidaerika1121)がシェアした投稿

An intriguing story about Mr. Period, a father, and his children

“Mr. Period and His Daughter” follows Yukio, who works for a media department of a sanitary product manufacturer and accidentally becomes famous as “Mr. Period.” He has two children, Arashi and Hana. Hana is a high school student and is annoyed by her father who knows about menstruation far too well. He perfectly keeps track of the precise details of his daughter’s menstruation cycle, prepares her with the right amount and type of sanitary pads for a day and tells his son to take care of her because she is on her period. One day, Hana stays at her friend’s house to avoid her father and discovers that some men (her friend’s father and a younger brother) still treat menstruation as an impurity.

Although the main theme remains menstruation, the drama portrays how difficult yet important it is to have good communication among family members and to respect children’s independence while protecting them at the same time. As the drama producer commented, “I hope it opens a conversation about menstruation with your family and partner.” The work seems to empathize with people on both sides — those who menstruate and those who don’t.

Both males and females should have accurate knowledge about menstruation

A Japanese firefighter Youtuber posted an interesting video of a simulated experience of periods and it generated 3.8 million views. However, not many men initiate increased awareness of menstruation in Japan, unfortunately. Even if they do, some women are not happy with it because they think men never know how painful a period is.

Through many male characters with very limited knowledge in “Mr. Period,” it becomes clearer that it is crucial to provide everyone – especially men – with accurate and positive knowledge about sex and the human reproductive system. This knowledge not only decreases sexual crimes but also promotes women’s wellness and dignity. And more importantly, men can help and protect their loved ones around them by gaining correct knowledge.

Communication is as important as having knowledge

As long as menstruation continues to be something unknown and shameful, Japanese drugstores will show their “kindness” and continue to put sanitary products in brown paper bags. Girls will continue to hide their sanitary bags when going to the bathroom so that they won’t be noticed by boys, and men won’t realize why their friends or loved ones seem unwell.

There are no correct and accurate answers to this issue. Even Yukio, who knows a lot about menstruation, didn’t know he needed to communicate more with his daughter until they had a fight. “Mr. Period” is a drama that you can watch alone or with your family or partner, and regardless of your circumstances, you can expect to discover something new.