Inochi no Utsuwa

Inochi no Utsuwa
いのちの器
Manga
Written byKimiko Uehara
Published byAkita Shoten
ImprintAkita Lady's Comics DX
MagazineFor Mrs.
Original run1991 – present
Volumes98 (as of November 2025)
Television drama
Original networkFuji TV
Original run 5 October 1998 (1998-10-05) 28 December 1998 (1998-12-28)
Episodes59

Inochi no Utsuwa (Japanese: いのちの器; lit. "Vessel of Life") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kimiko Uehara. The story follows the life of Kyoko, an obstetrician and gynecologist practicing in a small town in Nagano, Japan. Inochi no Utsuwa has been serialized in Akita Shoten's josei manga magazine For Mrs. since 1991 and collected in 98 tankōbon volumes as of November 2025. It was adapted into a live-action Japanese television drama series that aired for 59 episodes on Fuji TV in 1998.