TV series
A tranquil tale about two boys from very different upbringings. On one hand you have Kai, born as the son of a prostitute, who's been playing the abandoned piano in the forest near his home ever since he was young. And on the other you have Syuhei, practically breast-fed by the piano as the son of a family of prestigious pianists. Yet it is their common bond with the piano that eventually intertwines their paths in life.
Availability
Checked Jul 22, 2026
The Piano Forest premiered April 9, 2018. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
A tranquil tale about two boys from very different upbringings. On one hand you have Kai, born as the son of a prostitute, who's been playing the abandoned piano in the forest near his home ever since he was young. And on the other you have Syuhei, practically breast-fed by the piano as the son of a family of prestigious pianists. Yet it is their common bond with the piano that eventually intertwines their paths in life.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
Shuhei Amamiya transfers into Kai Ichinose's elementary school. As an aspiring pianist, he's shocked that Kai has no teacher after hearing him play.
Directed by Ryutaro Suzuki, Choi Jong-ki, Ko Seong-unWritten by Mika AbeGuest stars Soma Saito, Junichi Suwabe, Ryoko Shiraishi, You Taichi, Maaya Sakamoto, Marie Miyake, Motoko Kumai, Kimiko Saito
Episode 2
To Ajino, who hurt his musical abilities in a car accident, meeting Kai seems like fate. But Kai just wants to be able to play a certain Chopin piece.
Directed by Choi Jong-ki, Satoru Kiyomaru, Ko Seong-unWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Junichi Suwabe, Ryoko Shiraishi, You Taichi, Maaya Sakamoto, Marie Miyake
Episode 3
Ajino sets a Mozart piece as Kai's entry for the contest, but Kai worries that he hasn't found his own style of playing. Shuhei is favored to win.
Directed by Choi Jong-ki, Ko Seong-unWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Junichi Suwabe, Ryoko Shiraishi, You Taichi, Aoi Yuuki, Koji Yusa, Maaya Sakamoto, Hideyuki Tanaka, Marie Miyake
Episode 4
After Takako's performance, it's time for Kai to take the stage. With his mother, Ajino and Shuhei's father watching, it's time to show his skills.
Directed by Masashi OmuraWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Junichi Suwabe, Ryoko Shiraishi, You Taichi, Aoi Yuuki, Koji Yusa, Hiroshi Yanaka, Maaya Sakamoto, Hideyuki Tanaka
Episode 5
After the contest, Shuhei transfers back to Tokyo and Kai finds that the piano in the woods is broken. Takako vows to win for Kai's sake.
Directed by Tooru YoshidaWritten by Mika AbeGuest stars Junichi Suwabe, Ryoko Shiraishi, You Taichi, Aoi Yuuki, Koji Yusa, Hiroshi Yanaka, Maaya Sakamoto, Hideyuki Tanaka
Episode 6
The piano in the forest goes up in flames, but Ajino tells Kai that it can live on within him. His mother tells him to concentrate on his music.
Directed by Choi Bu-gyeongWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Junichi Suwabe, Ryoko Shiraishi, You Taichi, Maaya Sakamoto, Marie Miyake, Yuki Ono, Ryo Hirohashi, Kimiko Saito
Episode 7
Five years later, Shuhei returns to Japan determined to see Kai again. After some searching, he finds his friend in a very unexpected place.
Directed by Ryutaro SuzukiWritten by Mika AbeGuest stars Soma Saito, Natsuki Hanae, Junichi Suwabe, Koji Yusa, Hideyuki Tanaka, Marie Miyake, Yuki Ono, Ryo Hirohashi
Episode 8
An injured Takako travels to Tokyo with her teacher Shiba, who first noticed her at the competition five years before. There, she meets Kai again.
Directed by An Tae-kunWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Soma Saito, Natsuki Hanae, Junichi Suwabe, Aoi Yuuki, Koji Yusa, Hiroshi Yanaka, Hideyuki Tanaka, Bin Shimada
Episode 9
At the Chopin competition preliminaries in Poland, Kai nearly has a meltdown, but Shuhei performs as usual. Shuhei is frustrated when they meet again.
Directed by Tooru YoshidaWritten by Mika AbeGuest stars Soma Saito, Natsuki Hanae, Junichi Suwabe, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Ryoko Shiraishi, Maaya Sakamoto, Hideyuki Tanaka, Kimiko Saito
Episode 10
The first contestants take the stage for the Chopin competition. Kai is shocked that a Chinese pianist's playing sounds just like Ajino's.
Directed by An Tae-kun, Park Dae-yeolWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Soma Saito, Natsuki Hanae, Junichi Suwabe, Yuichi Nakamura, Mariya Ise, Katsuyuki Konishi, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Koji Yusa
Episode 11
Shuhei takes the stage at the competition, impressing everyone. Taking a walk to calm his nerves, Kai meets Polish pianist Lech.
Directed by Choi Bu-gyeong, An Tae-kunWritten by Mika AbeGuest stars Soma Saito, Natsuki Hanae, KENN, Katsuyuki Konishi, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, You Taichi, Koji Yusa, Hideyuki Tanaka
Episode 12
It’s finally Kai’s turn to play. His playing transports the audience to the forest as Shuhei, Takako and Ajino reflect on their friend’s journey.
Directed by Gaku NakataniWritten by Aki ItamiGuest stars Soma Saito, Natsuki Hanae, Junichi Suwabe, Yuichi Nakamura, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Ryoko Shiraishi, Aoi Yuuki, Koji Yusa
Episode information updated Jul 23, 2026
Available now in United States
These shows are available now and closely match The Piano Forest.
Soma SaitoKai Ichinose (voice)
Natsuki HanaeShuhei Amamiya (voice)
Junichi SuwabeSosuke Ajino (voice)
Yuichi NakamuraWei Pang (voice)
KENNLech Szymanowski (voice)
Katsuyuki KonishiKarol Adamski (voice)
Toshiyuki ToyonagaKosei Hirata (voice)
Ryoko ShiraishiKai Ichinose as an Elementary School Boy (voice)
NHK GJapan
NHKJapan
GAINAXJapan
GainaJapan
