Hometown Stories - Episode Guide

The "Matsuage" fire festival in Kyoto was admired by essayist Masako Shirasu. In her travelogue titled "Kakure-zato", she described it as "the most touching festival scene that I've ever observed". In this program, actress Mayu Tsuruta visits the festival and reports very expressively on "the dance of flames" that moved Masako Shirasu so deeply.

This program describes a simple, rustic event called "The Mountain God Piggyback" that has been handed down since time immemorial in a snowy mountain village in Yamagata Prefecture. Carrying the local shrine's object of worship on their shoulders, children make house-to-house visits in the area, so that the local people can offer up their prayers to the deity.

This program shows how ancient religious practices survive on the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, regarded as the home of the Buddha, and long known as a site for ascetic mountain training. Last year, during a "Mineiri" religious austerity being practiced for the first time in a decade, around 20 ascetics dressed in white made a pilgrimage that included crossing ten mountain ridges.

In ancient times, "kagura" was a form of dance dedicated to the gods. But in modern times, as its original meaning weakened and it took on the color of a local performing art, young people found it rustic and lost interest in it. Today, however, many kagura groups are attracting them and seeking to create original dances while preserving traditions. This program investigates the reasons for kagura's current popularity with the young.

The aim of the 'eco-paddy fields' project is to grow rice without using agrochemicals and chemical fertilizers in rice fields full of wildlife created by cutting open uncultivated cedar forests and restoring terraced paddy fields. 30 parents and children from 9 families, chosen from viewer applications, participated in the project for a whole year. At last, the rice that has grown all through the summer with the support of various creatures has fully matured. The harvesting and threshing is carried out manually in the traditional way. How do the participants feel when they taste the rice and who do they want to convey their feelings to? The program presents the thoughts of each family to show what the participants gained from the project.

77-year-old volunteer probation officer Chikako Nakamoto was affectionately known as 'The little old lady of Motomachi' by the juvenile delinquents she took care of for 30 years in the Motomachi district of Hiroshima. She opened up her home to them, served her hand-made cooking, listened to their stories, and helped many of them to reform their ways. Last November, however, Nakamoto reached the year of retirement for volunteer probation officers. She often says, "Support from the local community is essential for the rehabilitation of offenders". The program closely describes her daily life as she strives to entrust her role to the community.

Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture is a southern island with a population of 5,600 surrounded by beautiful coral reef and white sand beaches. In the island's unusual ritual called 'Senkotsu', the skeletal remains of family members are dug up from three to five years after burial, cleaned and then returned to their graves. The program introduces the small island's traditional form of family bonding by following members of the Takeshita family as they carry out the ritual and also includes the history of the island's funerary practices.

This special drama is set in Kurogimachi, a mountain village in southern Fukuoka Prefecture, with a beautiful river and tea fields as far as you can see. The heroine is Hikari, a young temporary teacher who has been transferred to Kasahara Elementary school located deeper in the mountains in the second term of the school year. She is put in charge of the 6th grade class. One of the pupils, an exchange student called Aya, has been at the school for several months but has not been able to adjust to either the school or her host family and won't open up to Hikari. Hikari discovers that Aya has a problem with her mother who works in Hakata. Hikari herself lost her mother before she was able to resolve her ill feelings towards her, so she tries hard to bring a smile back to Aya's face. In the meantime, the day of the school's traditional puppet show is approaching. Hikari decides to help Aya and her mother by working on the show that depicts the affection between a mother and a daughter whose ways somehow or other never cross.

A picturesque town with a slumping economy was torn by the lure of nuclear energy. Should the people accept the construction of a nuclear power plant, in the hope it will help fund their future? Or continue to struggle in bountiful nature, free of the risks of radiation? We get a close look at their 40-year dilemma.

What is the best way to frame the issue of nuclear power? In the end, maybe a great deal hinges on how people define "quality of life".

Questioning Nuclear Power The program presents the thoughts of the residents of Ashihama who have been directly concerned with the pros and cons of the nuclear power issue ever since a plant was first proposed there in 1963.

At the end of each summer, for a brief period, part of this mountain becomes a "forest of light" from mysterious lights emitted by mushrooms, fallen leaves, and tree trunks. Last summer, a team of scientists stepped into the forest to uncover its luminous mysteries.

A veteran watchmaker on an island in Hiroshima Prefecture repairs virtually any old watch or clock, even those that no one else can fix. People take their treasured timepieces to the mechanical magician - whether they're anniversary gifts, keepsakes from father, or antiques from ancestors. He resurrects not only clocks, but priceless memories as well.

What can junior high school students do in the face of a tsunami that destroys their home village? Seventeen junior high schoolers from Tanabe address this question by visiting Kamaishi, which was decimated by a tsunami in March 2011. They find that their peers in Kamaishi saved lives by helping elderly people and small children get to high ground. During their 3-day study tour, they wrestle with questions such as how to help the elderly evacuate, and how to rescue people without self-endangerment.

The tiny village of Kanedani lies in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture. With ongoing depopulation, the community has dwindled to just three women in their 70s and 80s. The village boasts 400 cherry trees that were planted 25 years ago in hopes of attracting tourists. People come from all around to view the flowers every spring at the day-long Cherry Blossom Festival. This year, the three remaining residents invite ex-villagers to gather one more time, while they still can. Many memories of village life are depicted beneath blossoming cherry trees.

Facing steady decline through aging and depopulation, one Japanese island community chose to tackle the risk of disappearance by reopening its only school. We follow the progress over the project's first year, and see children return fun and purpose to the lives of the island's elderly residents. Changes in the community as a whole are mirrored by the fortunes of one young family striving to make a success of their move from the mainland and embrace the charms of island living.

Southeast of Osaka Airport runs a river embankment where airplanes swoop less than 100 meters overhead. Sleek, thundering jets that pass with a rush of wind make for a heart-pounding sight. Regulars come every day to this spot: a man fighting cancer; a woman who lost custody of her children as she suffered depression; people with complex troubles. As they look up at the sky together watching the planes, they form a community that gives them the courage to move forward in their lives.

In Hiroshima 70 years after the atomic bomb, many survivors' belongings have been inherited: items they wore the day of the bomb, diaries and more. Some families are coming to terms with this legacy for the first time, and want to pass it on. This year Arei Shirakami, age 41, read the diary of her grandfather, who died 17 years ago, for the first time. It shows a side of him she never knew. Feeling regret that she long ignored his story, she makes an emotional journey into her family's past.

Hashikami Junior High School's class of 2011 graduated just after the devastating 3.11 earthquake and tsunami, in a school gym housing refugees. There should have been 57 students, but 3 fell victim to the disaster. The survivors are now 20 years old, right on the cusp of adulthood. How have they come to terms with the loss of friends and family at the age of just 15? And how has this changed their plans for adulthood? This program reviews 5 years lived in the shadow of the tsunami.

The All Japan High School Cultural Festival is like a national arts championship. We follow the efforts of Osaka's Akutagawa High School taiko team, which includes every junior and senior, to win the top prize in taiko drumming. More drummers add impact, but it's hard to keep everyone in sync. The program spends 2 months with typical Japanese teenagers who sometimes struggle to speak up and address problems openly. We'll watch their personal growth as the competition looms.

Nestled in Ise-Shima, a scenic coastal area of central Japan, is Toba, a city famous for its cultured pearls. Here on the 30th of each month a ceremony called a "pearl wedding" is held. Inspired by the parallel between a marriage and a pearl - an object of beauty built up painstakingly, layer by layer, over many years - the pearl wedding ceremony draws husbands and wives from all around Japan to mark their 30th wedding anniversaries. As locals help them celebrate the special day, participating couples walk up the aisle of a wedding chapel to renew their vows of lifelong partnership. This is the story of 2 couples looking to open a new chapter in their marriages by taking part in Ise-Shima's pearl wedding.

Recently in Japan, more and more young people who were raised in the city are choosing to go back to the land as they relocate to the rural areas their grandparents call home. In early 2015, Chiemi, a nurse from Osaka, moved to Tokushima Prefecture, where her grandmother was living alone. With the guidance of her elderly relative, she gradually absorbs the rural wisdom of farming and cooking, and, due to the family connection to the area, is warmly accepted by locals. But there are struggles too: the generation gap means Chiemi and her grandmother see things differently; and old age also brings its challenges. What does the future hold? Follow Chiemi's return to her roots.

On the JR Obama Line, a local railway that links Fukui Prefecture with Kyoto, stands Kato Station. Although unstaffed since 1973, the sleepy station building still contains a small barber's shop. The owners are Hisao Tsukamoto (72) and his wife Asako (68). Seeing the station as an important spot for local people to get together, in between haircuts this industrious couple not only sells tickets, but also makes the time to clean the building and its surroundings. We follow this duo as they come to grips with old age and illness while striving to maintain their barber's shop in an empty station.

The idyllic landscape of Murayama in Yamagata Prefecture is home to a rather unique family-run farm that welcomes visitors from all over the world. It is operated by the Sakai family, whose 9 members exist by the motto: "live life to the full every day". For many of the guests who lend a hand with the heavy farm duties, and share conversation over simple meals around the family table, sampling this lifestyle is a chance to rediscover the joy of human relationships. Follow everyday life on this farm, and be reminded of how to live each day to the full.

Elderly people in need of care lost their homes in the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami. At a care facility called Sumi-chan's Home, they're part of a new family, which includes staff members who have suffered similar losses. Located in Higashi-Matsushima, a city in Miyagi Prefecture, the home's slogan is: "Relax and have fun together!" Each resident is respected as an individual within the facility's domestic atmosphere. Although the home was badly damaged in the tsunami 5 years ago, it quickly reopened, accepting elderly residents who had nowhere to go. The disaster has scarred local families and the local landscape, but the people of Sumi-chan's Home are forging new relationships while also protecting older ones. Discover the everyday moments of this found family.

Uminchu, literally "people of the sea", is the name for the fishermen of beautiful Kumejima in Okinawa Prefecture. Filled with coral, tropical fish, and the tuna varieties that swim the Kuroshio Current, the sea around Kumejima has a rich diversity of life. Many locals make their living fishing, and use traditional skin-diving skills and pole-fishing techniques that have been passed down for generations. Get to know the young people training to become uminchu, and the older fishermen who are mentoring them, eager to share advice. This is an island journey to meet people who have truly embraced the sea.

A community deep in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture is home to Japan's only circus school. The school's director is Nadezhda Tyshenko, a former acrobatic gymnast from Ukraine. In the circus, as in life, her motto is: "Hang in there", born from a teaching philosophy is based on a saying from her homeland: "Work hard and hang in there, and things will work out". In the spring of 2016 she welcomes a new student. In an era when many young people eschew hard work in favor of escapism, this is the story of a young woman who comes to understand the value of perseverance.

In the city of Sapporo stands a barber shop where many young bicyclists pedaling their way across Japan's northern island of Hokkaido make a stop. Any rider who is making a complete circuit of Japan receives a free haircut from the owner, Yutaka Oyamada, who decades ago did a circuit of Japan himself. He offers this advice to young people bearing burdens of struggle and strife as they ride: "Keep moving forward". Oyamada sends them on their way with encouragement to ride on through storms and scarce funds, to ride on believing that somewhere on the open road, they will find what they are really looking for: themselves. Our cameras follow youthful journeys of self-discovery in the open spaces of Hokkaido.

Mt. Daisen, a peak in central Japan, is celebrating its 80th anniversary as a national park. 5th and 6th graders at the Daisen Elementary School took recording devices and video cameras into the park to make a music video about the mountain. Leading them is Shinya Kiyokawa, a cutting-edge musician who makes music out of natural sounds. He won a Gold Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. We followed Kiyokawa and the children for 4 months: from initial meeting to the unveiling of the video. Discover the children's thoughts on Daisen and their hometown, their feelings about what they record, and how they choose to share their work.

Every spring, large numbers of tourists come to the Gongendo Park in the city of Satte, Saitama Prefecture to view the 1,000 cherry blossoms, stretching to a length of 1 kilometer. The trees, originally planted in the early 20th century was cut down and used for fuel during and after World War II. Since those times, the cherry trees have been replanted and tended with great care by Satte's residents. One tree in particular, brought from a town in Fukushima Prefecture, has taken on a special meaning for Fukushima natives displaced to Satte after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

At the southern end of the Kujukurihama coastline in Chiba Prefecture is Ichinomiya, one of Japan's top surfing spots, and home to many surf devotees. Here, local teenagers take to the waves each day to hone their skills in the build-up to a competition. A young man who put the stress and strain of life in Tokyo behind him now makes a living as a farmer, close to the waves that drew him to the area. And a surf competition organized by a local restaurant marks its 20th anniversary. In Ichinomiya, we meet people whose lives are shaped by their shared love of the ocean.

In Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture is a little diner that opened shortly after World War II. 70 years on, it's still going strong, 24 hours a day. The owner, 91-year-old Misako Mizoguchi, handles the night shift by herself, catering to a loyal clientele. They include office workers and women from local bars and clubs. Misako serves up comfort for their troubles through homemade meals and words of encouragement. She has helped sustain a community, from postwar reconstruction to the present day.

More than 5 years after the tsunami caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake swept away thousands of homes, physical evidence of the communities that existed before the disaster is fading as reconstruction progresses. For those who lost homes and loved ones, rebuilding is erasing places linked with memories of happier times. Now, a group of architects has launched an initiative to draw up the floorplans of lost homes. From these floorplans, nostalgic scenes spring to life, offering tsunami survivors who long to look back the courage to move on.

In Japan, where calligraphy is mainly a girls' pastime, a group of students at an all-boys school belongs to a calligraphy club. Classmates call them nerds, and have labeled them "gloomy characters". To turn things around, their leader comes up with an idea: Become the first all-male team to enter a competition for "performance calligraphy", a mix of brush writing, dance and pop music. We follow the boys' quest to break out of their shells and take on a new challenge.

Takahiro Endo is a 28-year-old architect working in Ishinomaki in northeast Japan. As the city takes shape again following the 2011 tsunami and earthquake, Endo dismantles, designs, and renovates interiors in vacant houses to provide cheap yet chic spaces for young people. The positive, forward-looking energy in Ishinomaki following the disaster drew him to the city. But now that things there are beginning to settle down again, Endo has concerns about his professional limitations. We follow his everyday life as he revaluates his options.

In the years before and after World War II, some 400,000 people emigrated from Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan, including a man who moved to Bolivia. His descendants include a 13-year-old grandson named Makoto, who struggles with feeling like an outsider in the country where he was born. Then, granddad and grandson get a chance to visit Okinawa together. The trip not only deepens their bonds, but also helps Makoto discover his family's roots - and another place he can call "home".

Gaku Sato opened his own shoeshine shop at age 22. With his sharp fashion sense and a chic shop decor, he is exploring a new, stylish image for the shoeshine trade. Sato believes that making people's dress shoes gleam actually lift their spirits. This is the story of a young man polishing his professional skills.

How do you revitalize a hamlet with only 3 grannies? By hand-made cookies! This is a story of how 3 hard working grannies all over 86 take on a challenge of coming up with a new product in their lineup of sweets and crackers. Through trial and error, the grannies pursue the perfect cookie, not only for income, but also for their community, and for their own purpose of life.

Before and during World War II, 270,000 Japanese relocated to Manchuria in China, which was controlled by Japan. After the war, the Japanese government created settlements, where returning families could develop farms and help boost the nation's food supply. But many settlers wound up in remote, mountainous areas where life was harsh and crops didn't thrive. As Japan's economy grew, their lives were again thrown into turmoil. We explore a forgotten chapter of Japan's postwar history.

This time we meet a member of staff working behind the scenes for a women's pro-wrestling promotion in Sendai, northeast Japan. Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling or "Senjo", as it is known consists of 5 female wrestlers, plus one man: Hiroyuki Endo the athletic trainer, who's still getting used to the job. But he's found that so far, his work is mostly sales and office work, and no actual training. "Senjo" is gearing up for a major event to mark the promotion's 10th anniversary. Everyone is busy, including Endo, who now has to juggle his first actual training work with ticket sales and pitching sponsors. We meet a young man grappling with the gap between his expectations and reality in his first job.

In graying Japan, a growing number of elderly people living alone require nursing care at home. Yukiko Senpuku, 81, is a sought-after homecare helper in Osaka who brightens the lives of such people through attentive care and companionship. She says supporting them lifts her spirits, too. She goes the extra mile, learning sign language and polishing her professional skills, to connect with the people she serves. A senior caring for seniors who's a model of fulfillment in old age.

They say giving opens doors. And one grandma knows that well. 80-year-old Hiroko Sogo makes picture cards with simple, warm illustrations and thoughtful messages. When people find a card they like, she gives it away, bringing smiles to their faces and cheering herself up. Her creations have touched the hearts of people in her town and across Japan. It's the story of authentic exchanges between a gentle grandma and people inspired by her illustrations and words.

From ancient times, Japan's imperial court and shogunate have supported and protected Kasuga Taisha in Nara Prefecture as a means of praying for national peace and security. Known affectionately and reverently as "Kasuga-san", the shrine is deeply rooted in the lives of Nara locals who support the traditional rites and provide continuous donations. Some of the shrine supporters introduced in this program include a farmer who, for more than 60 years, has grown specially cultivated rice for offerings; pilgrims who venture deep within the sacred forest surrounding the shrine to offer prayers; and a man who hosts one of the shrine deities in his home in order to bring blessings to the community. The program thus provides an intimate portrait of the close bonds that have developed between the shrine and the local community over the centuries.

The remote island of Nasake is a sanctuary for children forced to live away from their parents because of poverty, abuse, and other problems. But this spring, their foster home was moved to the mainland, forcing all the children to relocate. They leave behind their temporary home and the island's elderly residents, who have become like their substitute parents. Although they are sad and anxious, these kids slowly start to face their new reality. This documentary looks at their close ties to Nasake and captures their emotional farewell.

Katsunobu Yoshida is a 28-year-old graphic designer who makes leaflets, posters and logos by hand, avoiding computers whenever he can. He draws inspiration from elderly locals who themselves make brooms and ropes by hand. Yoshida incorporates what he learns from them in items that he makes from natural materials.

In May 2016, Barack Obama made a memorable visit to Hiroshima -- the first sitting US president to do so. That year, a record number of foreign tourists came to the city, the largest group being from the US. The program follows 2 Americans. A baseball lover on his first visit to Hiroshima deepens his knowledge of the 1945 bombing. An English teacher, who lives there with his Japanese wife and 2 children, remarks on the changes during his 19-year stay. We find out what they discovered.

Yuki Sakaguchi, 28 years old, once led a busy city life working for an international company, but this left him feeling exhausted and ill. He made up his mind to go back home to Tottori Prefecture in western Japan. There he had his first exposure to huge natural-edge slabs of wood, cut from trees more than 100 years old. He fell in love with these items, which were the handiwork of Taichiro Sawa, a veteran wood expert. The 2 men became firm friends, and their common desire to have more people appreciate such impressive pieces of wood led to a decision to set up a company to sell them, but not everything goes smoothly. One proposal that Sakaguchi makes to Sawa is not well received, but together they keep seeking ways to move their business forward.

A construction boom in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is changing the face of Japan's capital. The unsung heroes of this transformation are the skyscraper construction workers who ply their trades at the top floors of these towering buildings. Many young people seeking opportunity flock to Tokyo to work at these dangerous sites. But what drives them? What really makes them leave their families and hometowns? We go to the dizzying heights of these sites to see how these young people are building their futures as they reshape the Japanese capital.

Takahiro Inagawa, 29 years old, heads a start-up company that is developing low-cost rockets. He and a staff of 13 are creating small rockets to carry miniaturized satellites into space. Their plan is to provide the rockets at a fraction of the conventional cost, and this has drawn a great deal of attention. Although Inagawa wasn't able to land a job with Japan's space agency or an aerospace firm, he's now just a step away from achieving his dream of launching a rocket into space. We observe his progress on this challenging journey.

Rumoi in northern Japan was once a flourishing town, but economic stagnation and a shrinking population have taken their toll. 7 years ago, Rumoi even lost its last bookstore. But a group of residents, determined not to let their town wither away, came together and managed to get a new shop opened. Locals cherish the chance to discover new books and hold them in their hands. The bookstore nurtures people's hearts and minds, and brings the community together.

For years, the Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble has been spreading the magic of Japanese "taiko" drumming to the world. It's a small group made up of 30 members. This spring, 9 young men and women joined the Kodo Apprentice Center, each hoping to become a professional taiko performer. During 2 years of communal living, they will learn the importance of joining their hearts together, a concept that is absolutely crucial to creating harmony. However, only a handful can become official members of the group, so creating "one heart" and "one sound" is not such an easy task. Will the young aspiring drummers come together to beat as one?

Susumu Hidaka, 29 years old, is a fisherman in training. He is learning the trade from a well experienced master in a fishing port in Cape Sada on the western tip of Shikoku Island, Japan. After spending 10 years in Tokyo living a carefree life, Hidaka came to this town because he heard he could become an independent commercial fisherman in just 3 years. Things don't go as planned, though, and Hidaka finds the life of a fisherman harder than he imagined. His skills of operating a boat are still a bit clumsy. Despite this, Hidaka enjoys his new world and is excited about where his life is headed

Back when flower nurseries covered its slopes, Shishijima in western Japan was known as "flower island". Today it's home to only about 20 people, including 82-year-old Takako Takashima. She and her husband, Nagao, supported their family for half a century by raising flowers in a field they created together. He died 3 years ago, but she still climbs a steep slope every day to tend to their field. The work is tiring, but she lovingly nurtures the blooms, while cherishing fond memories.

Takashi Aramoto has been selling his cakes by bicycle for 30 years in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The 62-year-old has no problem riding well over 20 kilometers a day to bring the baked goods to his customers. Rain or shine, brutal winter or scorching summer, Takashi is hard at work. As a result, he's built up a faithful clientele who love his cakes and respect his work ethic. In return, he's loyal to them, including those who lost everything in the disastrous Kumamoto earthquakes in 2016. We'll head out to discover the source of his power and motivation.

Tomohiko Yukihashi, 28 years old, is a clothing designer based in Beppu city in southwest Japan. For more than 3 years he'd been driving about the country, calling himself the "traveling tailor". He now lives in a building set aside exclusively for young artists. We follow Yukihashi who decided to settle down and take on a new challenge.

Recently, a growing number of foreign investors have been opening inns and hotels in a two-century old hot spring resort town in Japan. They've been successful largely due to the fact that they offer services that accommodate the needs of overseas visitors. But some Japanese hotel owners, who have been in the business for years, are concerned because a few foreign entrepreneurs who aren't familiar with local rules are causing problems. This program follows the efforts of both parties to communicate and boost tourism together.

Tetsuyo Ishii, 97, is the oldest person in Minogo, a mountain town in western Japan. Her secret to staying alert and active is to remain "rust-free", like her trusty garden hoe. She lives alone, but finds joy in being self-sufficient. She raises chickens and even grows her own vegetables. She also founded a social club for her elderly neighbors. Through her gregarious and positive personality, Tetsuyo makes the most of life and enriches the lives of others.

Ayumu Shimokuni, better known as Muyua, is a shop assistant and a star in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district. The 19-year-old works at a used-clothing store popular with teenage girls. As most Harajuku shop attendants' popularity wanes in their early 20's, Muyua's colleagues have already started planning their next move. But Muyua himself isn't thinking about the future – he prefers to enjoy the moment. Then, the store's owner, who is worried about Muyua's future, entrusts him with organizing a special event to mark the store's 2nd anniversary. Will Muyua seize this chance to create a new future for himself?

On Japan's Amami-oshima island, 29-year-old Hitoshi Ijuin runs a small lunch box shop. Many of his customers are elderly and live alone. The village has no supermarket or convenience store, making it hard for older people to have proper meals. Every day, Hitoshi and his mother prepare home-cooked lunches, adjust them to individual needs, and then he delivers them to customers' doors. For Hitoshi, supporting local seniors with nourishing, heartfelt meals is a way to give back to the community.

This program follows people who, facing difficult times, have flocked to a World Heritage Site in Japan to try to turn their lives around. The setting is the Omine Okugakemichi, a route that connects the mountains of Wakayama and Nara Prefectures, central Japan. The treacherous, 100-kilometer mountain path is known as the birthplace of ascetic training. It was used for that purpose for more than 1,000 years, but today it's accessible to all, attracting visitors from across the country. Among them, a young woman who's determined to confront her weaknesses and a middle-aged man whose family has fallen apart. They and others take on the challenge of hiking the ancient route in the hope that the physically intense training brings about change in their lives.

Until he retired in 2016, Kentaro Yoshioka was a professional snowboarder and Japan's national champion. Now, he manages a small-scale daycare center in Sapporo, Hokkaido, that looks after children between 0 and 3 years old. Since making this dramatic career change, Yoshioka has been aiming for the top in childcare as well. In the 10 months since the facility opened, he has done whatever he can to make his daycare center the best in Japan. One activity he has organized uses his background as a professional athlete to help the children develop their athletic abilities. However, his tendency to leap straight into action when he gets an idea sometimes causes headaches for other staff members.

At 51, Mayumi Yamada, a single mother with 2 adult children, was diagnosed with early onset dementia. Now, daily tasks such as dressing are getting harder. At first, Mayumi couldn't accept her diagnosis and retreated into solitude. But she learned that if she reached out, people would gladly offer help. With support from her kids and others around her, she has formed new bonds and is helping others with dementia. Her disease is progressing, but Mayumi is living life to the fullest, with a smile.

Kozue Eda runs a company in Oita City in southwestern Japan that specializes in sorting through the possessions of the deceased, but it is more than mementos and personal treasures that she uncovers. The 29-year-old carefully checks every nook and cranny as she searches for cherished items to pass on to the bereaved family. When she was a high school student, Eda had to care for her ill mother, which derailed her efforts to get into a university of her choice and find full-time work. After hopping between several part-time jobs, Eda stumbled on her current career. Sorting through the belongings of people who have passed away has helped Eda come to terms with her own life. In this episode, we follow Eda as she goes through the possessions of a deceased 94-year-old woman and makes some unexpected discoveries.

In July 2017, residents of a community in southwestern Japan were getting ready for a big day – the opening of a café they'd built inside a kominka, or traditional house. But then came torrential rains and a landslide that left everyone fearing for its fate. Miraculously, the old house survived. As they wrestled with uncertainties in their own lives, the residents had to make a choice: Should they give up on the café, or open it to bring people together and give the community a ray of hope?

The shock of the first diagnosis. Fear of death. Anxiety and concern about friends and family. Cancer patients experience a range of complex emotions. Now, a Japanese hospital is helping them transform their feelings into senryu, a Japanese form of short poetry. A man expresses a lifetime of gratitude toward his wife. A woman uses humor to fight back against a serious illness. In this program, cancer patients find solace in just 17 syllables.

Ever since that day in March 2011, Yuta Naganuma had tried to distance himself from what happened. His younger brother was among 84 students and teachers who died when a massive tsunami hit Okawa Elementary School in northeastern Japan. All told, 418 residents of the district were killed, and his hometown was destroyed. For a long time, Yuta struggled to accept his brother's death and the loss of his beloved hometown. But, finally, he finds the strength to move on, through a journey of reconciliation and remembrance

In March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake changed the life of Wakana Yokoyama. The tsunami following the disaster took away her grandparents and her hometown. She's tried to block out her sorrow by performing her hometown's traditional dance. However, the dance has gradually prevented her from moving forward and making a fresh start. Now, 7 years later, she's beginning to confront her feelings directly and deal with her loss.

In 2017, a high-school drama club in a disaster-hit area in Northern Japan chooses the 2011 earthquake and tsunami as the theme for a play to be performed at a national competition. Most of the students in the play didn't experience the tsunami firsthand and have avoided talking about it at school. But they take on the challenge of facing the disaster and learning about the sufferings of survivors. They hope their play will keep alive and spread the memories of what happened in their hometown.

Shohei Kireto is a 26-year-old manga artist with aspirations of making a career in this competitive industry. About 1 year ago, he moved to a village in the mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan to live with 6 fellow artists chasing the same dream. Kireto had lived alone before taking this bold step, hoping to give his career a boost. Despite the generous support of local residents, Kireto has frustratingly been unable to make a breakthrough. When a fellow manga artist makes his professional debut and has his work published as a comic book, Kireto's confidence starts to waver. Is it time for Kireto to give up his dream?

Mao Higashi runs a grocery truck service in Mie Prefecture in central Japan, delivering fresh produce, ready-made meals, and some friendly chit-chat to elderly residents in her town. During her university days, she saw a TV program about how hard it can be for older people to buy groceries – an echo of her own grandmother's difficulties. Thinking there may be many others needing easier access to food, Higashi set up her grocery truck business. 5 years later and now 27, Higashi opens up a brick-and-mortar supermarket in order to boost her sales. But shortly after the opening, she receives very worrying news.

Yu Kikuchi left an engineering job in the big city to pursue his dream of making things with his own hands. Now 32, he's training to be a blacksmith in Shimanto, a rural town in western Japan. His teacher is 79-year-old Kosaku Matsumura, a master blacksmith who's nearing the end of his career. Turning his apprentice into a full-fledged blacksmith will be his final job. Passing on the traditional skills for crafting hand-forged tools presents challenges – and rewards – for both men.

Kasumi Takebayashi is a novice teacher in charge of a classroom full of energetic and mischievous 2nd graders. Yurika Oishi has been teaching for 5 years, and still struggles to find time to get to know her students better. The two have a common source of inspiration – a model teacher portrayed in a classic movie. This documentary follows these two young women as they overcome numerous challenges and strive to become ideal educators in the spirit of their role model.

Misato Kurogawa opened a guesthouse in a small mountain settlement in southwestern Japan. She had quit her job and moved to Imari, where she rolled up her sleeves and renovated the 70-year-old home where her grandmother had lived. She hoped that her stylish guesthouse would attract young women seeking a place to unwind from hectic city life. However, the first guests to arrive are a middle-aged French couple visiting Japan – something Kurogawa had not prepared for or expected. How will she handle this surprising development?

Zao in northeastern Japan is one of Japan's top ski resorts. Along with excellent powder, Zao's mountains are known for their stunning natural scenery. On this program, we focus on people dedicated to sharing the wonders of Zao's harsh yet beautiful winters with others. One is a 91-year-old ski instructor who teaches other seniors. There's also a photographer who has spent decades photographing the area's fantastic snow-covered trees.

Iwami Kagura is a traditional Japanese performing art that features dynamic dancing. A group won praise for its exceptional skills and secured an invite to an art festival in France. The performers were people with intellectual disabilities. Daisuke Oka plays a key role in the climax. He can express himself proudly in Kagura, but in daily life he finds it difficult to communicate with others. He wants to make his first overseas performance a turning point to break out of his shell. We follow his endeavor.

Kana Sugamoto brings dreams to life by helping people raise funds through crowdfunding. In her teens, she had suffered from an eating disorder and recovered with support from her family and friends. It's now her turn to encourage and support others as they try to realize their dreams using crowdfunding. From young fishermen in a remote island to students at an agricultural high school, Sugamoto travels all over the country to help with projects that promote the appeal of rural Japan.

A cake shop run by a couple in Shizuoka Prefecture draws a steady stream of customers with low-carbohydrate cheesecakes. Many people who come have to watch what they eat because of illness. Daisuke Hatayama initially started baking the cakes for his wife Kyoko, a diabetic since she was 23. The recipes contain no flour or sugar, yet are made rich and satisfying with different kinds of cheese. With their cakes, the couple is lifting spirits and helping people rediscover the sweet taste of hope.

Retired civil servant, grandfather and nursery school teacher: Mitsutoshi Arasawa decided to get involved in childcare in his late 60's. Every day is full of surprises, but dealing with energetic and sometimes mischievous children isn't always easy. 18 months on, "Mr. Grandpa" is still struggling to adapt, but he won't give up. Why did he choose this type of work? And what keeps him motivated? Watch and find out.

Ayako Masunaga is a passionate teacher, working at an elementary school in Fukuoka Prefecture for a three-year term. She was working up the corporate ladder at a major real estate company before but changed jobs looking for something more. She now burns with ambition, hoping to help her 3rd graders achieve their goals, however new challenges are around every corner. With the school-wide long rope jumping contest coming up, can she keep the children focused and motivated?

Hakone is a town near Tokyo on the shores of Lake Ashinoko, 723 meters above sea level. The surrounding broadleaf forest turns red and gold in the autumn, a sight reflected in the serene lake -- many people come to gaze upon this beautiful spectacle. Meet a pastel artist with a lakeside studio, a traditional woodworking artisan, and a young fisherman catching wakasagi (Japanese smelt) in the waters of Lake Ashinoko. Join us as we take in the beauties of Hakone in autumn.

The city of Matsudo used to be an inn town where travelers could stop and rest. Residents developed a welcoming nature and accepted visitors with open arms. It's a tradition that has endured for generations. These days, Matsudo is opening its doors to young artists, encouraging them to set up studios in some of the community's old houses. And at the heart of the city's hospitable atmosphere is the local tourist information center, which connects visitors to Matsudo's places and people.

In March 2018, a Japan Railway line linking Shimane and Hiroshima Prefectures in western Japan stopped operating, ending its 88-year history. The Sanko Line once thrived as an indispensable means of transportation. But the number of passengers gradually fell as more people started using cars, and the local population declined. As train buffs gather to bid farewell, a group of residents starts exploring ways to turn the parts of the railway into a tourist attraction, and revitalize their hometown.

A barbecue near a babbling stream and a relaxing soak in a hot spring – what a blissful way to spend the day. Saki Mizushina and Tao Toyoshima run a hot spring facility offering guests such a getaway in a small settlement deep in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture. Mizushina is a hot spring fanatic-turned-owner, and Toyoshima quit his job to help her operate the place. The couple stylishly renovated a hot spring that closed down and have spent a year making their "ideal hot spring" a reality. While their business has attracted a growing number of visitors, running it by themselves during the busy summer months has been utterly exhausting. Is it time to rethink their strategy?

In the decades since the end of World War Ⅱ, the Noren Central Market has been an essential part of Okinawa Prefecture's main city, Naha. Many women, now senior citizens, have spent much of their lives working here, standing shoulder-to-shoulder through good times and bad. Ever since it opened, the market has reflected Okinawa's post-war appearance and energy. But now it's being demolished and relocated. This program takes a closer look at the women during their final days at this historic market and their new beginnings.

Children in snowy Yamagata Prefecture flock to an old-fashioned candy store to get sweets, snacks and something more. The owner, Akiko, has been running the business for 50 years, selling cheap confectionery and treats to kids of all ages. She also offers her young clientele a place to study, play games and even get advice. Her shop is like a second home for the children, whose family situations she knows well. And in her well-intentioned way, Akiko sometimes shares her wisdom with the kids as she sees them grow.

Genki Takahashi is a tea farmer in Sera, Hiroshima Prefecture. After university, as he worked at an established tea company from Kyoto, he became interested in making tea himself. He eventually quit his job to learn how to do just that at a tea plantation. A few years later, he decided to grow his own tea in Sera, once a famous tea production area. He now grows, processes and sells tea while helping revive abandoned tea farms, all in an effort to create a uniquely Sera tea.

Deep indigo blue is a traditional Japanese color. It's an indigo dye that has been made using time-honored techniques passed down from generation to generation. See how dedicated craftsmen create the raw material for the dye from the fermented leaves of the Awa indigo plant, and how master dyers make deeply textured indigo color without using any chemicals. We follow the year-long process to produce this cherished dye, the culmination of centuries of craftsmanship.

After the 2011 tsunami, Yasuhiro Koike, a Buddhist priest in Higashi-Matsushima City in northeastern Japan, helped lay victims to rest. He also began searching for a way to support their families, and to ease their sorrow. He began carving statues of the Buddha and giving them to bereaved survivors. The statues make recipients feel as if the spirits of their loved ones are nearby. Over 7 years, Koike has carved more than 1,000 statues, giving people solace and the strength to go on.

Chihiro Tada is the only woman in a forestry training program in Niyodogawa, but the 25-year-old is firmly resolved to follow in her father's footsteps. Tada's father was the third-generation president of the family's forestry company, but he closed the 80-year-old firm in 2016 because there was no one to succeed him. Driven by the desire to rebuild the family business and one day fell trees together with her father, Tada moved out on her own to start a forestry training program in Kochi Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Can she overcome the challenges awaiting her in this unfamiliar industry?

People from across Japan have been gathering in central Aichi Prefecture for some 2 decades to test themselves physically and mentally. The "100km Walking Challenge" takes participants an entire day and night to finish. Everyone has their own personal reason for signing up. One woman attends the event with her daughter, hoping to improve their relationship. One man decides to do the walk as a prayer for the safety of his estranged daughters. And an 80-year-old is participating because he wants to test his limits. What will they see beyond the finish line? We follow their two-day journey.

Do you have to be a little crazy to be creative? Artist Mitsuhiro Miyazaki, who calls himself "Crazy Mike", thinks so. When he was young he dreamed of becoming a professional artist, but things didn't work out. He ran his own design studio for nearly 20 years until he lost everything following the global financial crisis. But he's back on his feet, living in a small studio and drawing again. Crazy Mike is even hoping to rent gallery space to show his work, convinced that, at age 74, taking risks is the only way to move forward. Watch and find out how he continues to live up to his name.

Masahiro Ono is a traveling udon noodle chef – instead of having his own shop, he lugs his tools around in his van to make noodles at house parties and events all over the country. The 27-year-old began this unique business after training for 3 years at an udon shop in Tokyo, hoping to create a new style of udon-making that would appeal to his generation. His approach allows customers to see a professional chef making noodles up-close, and business is slowly gathering steam. He has even started making udon to the rhythm of live music performances. With income still unstable, Ono has no permanent address and nests on friends' couches, but he's constantly tackling new challenges with bold, out-of-the-box ideas.

Demon-like figures wearing scary masks swing their swords menacingly. It's an ancient performing art called Onikenbai or "demon sword dance." Practitioners are aging, and new blood is needed to carry on the tradition. A group of high school students in Iwate Prefecture are determined to keep the tradition alive, but teaching it to younger generations proves to be a more difficult challenge than expected.

In the city of Osaka, there is a place where new and expectant mothers can receive support for their physical and emotional wellbeing. Hisako, a former midwife, is the person who takes care of them. With 11 children of her own and one divorce behind her, Hisako knows firsthand the struggles that come with motherhood. By simply listening to their stories - and sometimes shedding tears along with them - she helps young mothers adjust to their new roles, look toward the future, and start smiling once again.

Despite being only 24 years old, Jun Koike is one of just 400 people in Japan who hold the "sakasho" advanced qualification for sake tasters. This sake expert works as an editor for a website specializing in all things related to the drink. He fell in love with sake's subtle flavors while he was a university student, and just one sip is enough for him to come up with at least 10 descriptive expressions. His flair for describing a sake's taste and his precise reviews of various brands have resulted in him being chosen to become the website's next chief editor. This new position would require Koike to handle face-to-face interviews with industry bigwigs, but he actually gets uncomfortable when speaking one-on-one, a weakness that could cost him his promotion. His boss has given him the chance to interview a legendary sake brewer to gauge his readiness to be chief editor – can he rise to the challenge?

Gion, in the ancient capital of Kyoto, is Japan's largest traditional entertainment district. Every year, girls fresh out of junior high school come here dreaming of becoming maiko, or apprentice geisha. They leave home at 15 and live under the same roof with older maiko and other trainees. For a year, they receive strict training in dancing and other performing arts, and also take care of household chores. This program follows the journey of three girls hoping to debut in Gion as maiko.

An independent night school in Okayama Prefecture, southwestern Japan, offers a place to learn for people who failed to develop necessary academic skills during their school days. Among the students is Takeshi Inoue, who strives hard to improve himself by studying to make his dream come true. Teachers are volunteers from various occupations, from company workers to university students. But the classes face funding shortages, so they are only open twice a month for about 3 hours in the evening. We take a close look at the school's teachers and students as they take on different challenges.

Honami Enya was an ambitious go-getter at a famous architectural firm -- that is, until she overworked herself and fell ill. It was during her leave of absence that she discovered the world of public bathhouses and was healed by them, body and soul. On a whim, she drew one bathhouse and posted it on social media. Her bathhouse illustrations eventually attracted so much interest online that she now has her own magazine column. Her working style is drastically different from before: she works at a bathhouse twice a week and uses her free time to work on new illustrations. She says that she is happy with her slow-paced and peaceful life -- we follow her to see what it's like.

Miki Yakata, a former member of an all-girl Japanese idol group, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 26, and underwent surgery to remove her left breast. In May 2018, she started keeping a video diary to record her daily experiences, and her feelings about things like losing her hair during chemotherapy and her anxiety over juggling work and treatment. Today, breast cancer is common, affecting one in every 11 Japanese women. This is a 6-month record of one woman's life-changing journey.

How can Japanese schools cope with increasing numbers of children of foreign workers? And how can these children overcome the barriers they face? One school, where a fifth of the students have foreign nationalities, has taken proactive steps to help integrate these students. We follow Yuka, a new arrival from Brazil, who knows no Japanese and struggles to break out of her shell so she can join the life of the school.

Imari Inoue is a makeup artist who specializes in a niche group of customers - men who want to try dressing as women. The 28-year-old operates her business from an Osaka Prefecture apartment and provides a wide array of wigs, dresses, and other clothing. Her expert makeup skills complete her customers' transformation, which she then captures on camera. Inoue began wearing makeup as a third-grader and used it to conceal her feelings of insecurity about her appearance. A request by a friend to apply makeup as a joke opened her eyes to a new career. This episode takes a look at Inoue's interactions with the men who come to her as they seek to "free their inner self."

Haruo Obata, 78, gained nationwide fame in summer 2018 when he found a missing 2-year-old boy during a search operation in southwestern Japan. It was the latest effort by this "super volunteer" to come to the aid of people in need. For nearly 30 years, Haruo has helped survivors in disaster-hit areas, including the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2016 quakes in Kumamoto Prefecture. This program follows him as he camps out in a schoolyard in western Japan, while working to clean up homes badly damaged by heavy rains. He opens up about a personal mission shaped by a life of hardship, and reveals what drives him on.

Using an extra fine point pen, the Japanese artist Aju creates stunning drawings of Tokyo landscapes and other big cities. The scenes are so vividly engrained in her mind that she doesn't even make preliminary sketches. Aju was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when she was 22 years old. She didn't feel there was any place for her, at school or home, and she felt she wanted to die. Her art and her talent saved her. Follow this young artist on her journey as she finds new possibilities.

Kichiya Tachibana is a calligrapher specializing in "yose moji," a type of lettering with roots dating back around 150 years. The 27-year-old writes and designs the background for shrine festival signs, good luck charms, and other special orders. As a young child, Tachibana was fond of the big, bold letters he would see at local festivals, and grew to love the art of lettering and traditional Japanese designs. After training for 6 years under his master, Unokichi, he has finally become a calligrapher in his own right, able to take on jobs. His first big project is to design a restaurant sign. But when he shows his draft to Unokichi, his master does not mince his words.

Young survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan have been opening up about their experiences. They're speaking out about the sorrow and conflicted emotions they'd long kept bottled up inside. Their words are helping them to heal, and giving other young people the strength to share their stories.

In Fukushima Prefecture, a simple dish is giving people the power to rebuild from the 2011 disaster. One woman found not just a career, but a new way of relating to those around her. A man in his 80's opened his 7th ramen shop to give local kids a sense of hope. And in his mother's hometown, another man is using his culinary skills to help enliven the local community. Join us as we follow these 3 chefs in their quest to create something wonderful out of an everyday bowl of noodles.

A young man from Fukushima Prefecture took his love of baseball to Nicaragua, where he helped create the country's first female baseball team. An 81-year-old who lives in Fukushima works every day growing vegetables, and helping neighbors with everything from carpentry to plumbing. After the March 2011 nuclear disaster, another man opened a Tokyo restaurant specializing in Fukushima's seafood and other delicacies, to support the prefecture. These are the stories of 3 unsung heroes with ties to Fukushima who have touched many people's lives.

In July 2018, torrential rains in western Japan devastated decades-old mikan groves. Particularly hard hit was a remote hamlet. No one died, but half of the homes were damaged or destroyed. The only road in was torn apart and assistance was delayed. 78-year-old widow Yoshi contemplated leaving to move in with her son. Having lost nearly everything, Shuhei, decided to cut his losses and quit mikan farming. But with the support of the community, Yoshi and Shuhei, along with other farmers, decide to rebuild their lives. Don't miss this remarkable story of perseverance in the face of adversity.

Kikuno has devoted herself to the life of a geisha since the age of 15. She lives in Nara Prefecture's entertainment district, once home to more than 200 geisha performers. The district has steadily declined, and a decade ago Kikuno became Nara's last remaining geisha. Now 45, she is working to keep 150 years of tradition alive by adapting to the times. She has turned her geisha house into a company and began paying the entertainers a salary. In the summer of 2018, she faced her next challenge: preparing a young geisha and an apprentice for a major performance.

Yuko Kuroda dedicated herself to helping disaster victims live healthy, independent lives. She worked hard to understand their individual needs and tailor her support to meet them. She believed in the importance of building a community and keeping people from becoming isolated -- no matter how old or ill they were. Yuko passed away 5 years ago, but people across Japan continue to carry on her mission. We look at their efforts and struggles to follow her path and honor her legacy.

High in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture on Japan's Shikoku Island are small communities known as "sora." The residents enjoy a way of life that values both self-sufficiency and mutual cooperation. Hisayabu is one such place. Located about 600 meters above sea level, it's known as "a village of hydrangeas" for its 6,000 flowering bushes. The 20 or so residents share a close bond nurtured by working together on tasks such as harvesting, securing fresh water, and preparing for their annual hydrangea festival. Hisayabu's natural beauty and lively spirit inspires younger people living elsewhere to come back and help keep the community going.

Videographer Koichi Hozan has terminal cancer, yet he continues filming the landscape of Nara Prefecture in Japan. His collection of works portraying the transition of the seasons is considered awe-inspiring and provokes emotions among those who see the images. This spring, he's set his focus on a weeping cherry tree. As it approaches its final days, the tree is trying to blossom one last time. We follow Hozan as he goes on shooting Nara's scenery while facing his own mortality.

A Japanese New Year's dish someone's mother used to make. Stewed meat and potatoes, full of a grandma's love. Miyuki Munekawa is a chef who helps her clients revisit fond memories by recreating unforgettable dishes from their past. Just a single bite can bring people and places back to life, and prompt tears of gratitude. Miyuki's reputation has spread, and she now gets requests from all over Japan. Her latest assignment is to recreate a unique rice cake a client's grandmother used to make. But capturing it perfectly proves to be a challenge.

Pia Laophakdee is a young para powerlifter who is determined to change perceptions of disabled people in his home country, Laos. Coaching him is 59-year-old Takashi Jo, a seasoned Japanese para athlete who is hoping to crown his career by competing at the highest level in his sport. These 2 strong-willed athletes come together to train and test the limits of their strength as they pursue powerlifting glory.

During World War II, over 120,000 children in Japan were orphaned. Many of them never knew their parents' names or what they looked like. Seventy-three-year-old Honoko spent her early years in an orphanage, then was raised by kind and loving foster parents. But she remained consumed by the desire to learn more about her origins. We follow Honoko as she retraces the steps of her childhood desperately searching for answers.

Ayako spent more than 2 decades in a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with schizophrenia in her mid-20's. At the age of 69, she is finally discharged and sets out to begin a new life on her own, living independently. Ayako is full of hope, dreaming of doing things that most people take for granted like cooking for others, making friends, and falling in love. But she needs to tackle various challenges in order to re-enter society.

Devastating rains hit western Japan in July 2018, nearly wiping out a community's cherished tradition - a children's troupe performing ancient Kagura theater. But their coach quickly raised funds from locals to replace badly damaged props and costumes. To celebrate and thank supporters, the troupe plans a special show. A 12-year-old boy who's a lead performer must prepare 2 sacred dances to foster tranquility. During months of rigorous practice, he and his coach explore Kagura's timeless lessons.

Spring 2019 saw the return of some of the former residents of Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture who had evacuated due to high radiation. Instrumental in this were 6 former town employees, aged 66 on average, known as the "Grandpa Troop." These men spent 6 years maintaining affected areas, believing that residents could someday return. Following the partial lifting of an evacuation order, the troop disbanded this spring. We look at what inspired them to clear a path for the younger generation.

In a remote Japanese village, elderly residents have a common dream: to end their last days in their hometown, surrounded by family and friends. For years, end-of-life care in hospitals far away was their only option. But now, thanks to a dedicated doctor and team of caregivers, people are able to receive such care at home or at a nearby nursing facility, bringing peace of mind to patients and loved ones alike.

There is a café in a residential area of Nagoya City that attracts people of all ages and backgrounds, from children to the elderly. This local hangout brings people from the community together. Kids are always keen to help with the chores as they can get free snacks or meals in return. Local people give support by donating food they have produced themselves or bought. The owner, Keiko Maruyama, keeps it open 6 days a week from morning till evening, welcoming anyone regardless of their circumstances. This is a place where people can come and feel assured that they are not alone.

For more than 4 decades, Fumie Murakami has suffered from a mysterious illness that was finally diagnosed as Minamata disease. Caused by organic mercury poisoning in the sea, the disease has also taken a toll far away, in inland communities. Learning the truth leaves Fumie feeling both relieved and guilty -- she realizes the fish sold at her family's store likely sickened local people. Now in her late 80's, she's fighting to secure government relief for victims as she continues to live life looking forward.

Colorful fruit-shaped soap, handmade near Tokyo by people with disabilities, has become a big seller. The workers vary in their degree of disability, personality, and capabilities, but they each bring their own skills to the task, taking on new challenges, growing as people, and building a thriving business. Company chairman, Kaoru Kambara, says, "People with disabilities are serious about their lives, eager and dedicated to their job." We follow their efforts as they learn what it means to work.

At a small elementary school on Lake Biwa, kayaking is part of the curriculum. The culmination of the students' training comes in late May, when every 5th- and 6th-grader takes part in a two-day kayak trip. Covering 40 kilometers round trip, the "nature study excursion" immerses the children in the lake's rich natural environment, and teaches them important life skills such as perseverance and cooperation. We follow 25 students as they gear up for a journey that will test them, and help them grow.

The Tateyama mountain range in north-eastern Japan is known for its vibrant mountain scenery, drawing nearly a million tourists a year. The people who live at the foot of the mountains worship the sacred peaks and draw emotional sustenance from them. As the seasons unfold, the face of Tateyama changes dramatically. Over the course of a year, we look at both the abundant blessings that nature bestows on Tateyama and the people who live in this harsh but beautiful setting.

As a teen, Shin-ya Narusawa became a reclusive shut-in for 6 years, until a cosmic event rekindled his interest in astronomy. Now, at an observatory in central Japan, he's a top expert on extraterrestrial intelligence. In addition, he leads stargazing tours for visitors more than 100 times a year. His mission to share the wonders of the universe was inspired by the passion of a late colleague. "Each little dot has a personality," says Shin-ya, whose own life has been guided by the stars. "Each one is different. Each one is good."

Paralyzed in his lower legs and hands, Takeshi Kukizaki, 68, grows azaleas and runs an azalea garden in Kagoshima City, southwest Japan. 19 years ago, while working at a company, he was suddenly struck by a serious neurological disorder. Suffering from severe aftereffects, he even contemplated suicide. It was azaleas, flowers he had long cherished, that restored his will to live. After leaving the hospital, Takeshi opened his garden and now uses his flowers to give hope and courage to others.

On weekends, customers flock to this traditional restaurant in Murayama city in northeast Japan for a unique taste of soba noodles served on a wooden board. But in February 2019, after the 3rd-generation chef of the restaurant fell ill, his son, Kohei, suddenly had to fill his shoes. Through trial and error, he struggles to master the milling of buckwheat seeds, previously his father's job. As the new fresh-soba season draws near, the family strives to preserve a taste that goes back 100 years.

Japan's indigenous Ainu people, many of whom live on the northern island of Hokkaido Prefecture, have passed down crafts inspired by nature. Now, a new generation is finding fresh ways to express the Ainu spirit. It's thanks to a collaborative effort linking a trendsetting Japanese retailer with young artisans in Lake Akan. The artisans, who specialize in weaving and jewelry making, are trying to preserve tradition while giving age-old techniques new luster. Creating products with just the right balance puts their skills to the test.

The 2011 tsunami devastated the fishing industry in Sanriku, in northeastern Japan. Like others, seafood processor Kenichiro Yagi and local fishermen are trying to recover and rebuild their business. Using a special freezing technique, they deliver fresh local fish to distant customers year-round. They even learned how to make stingray liver, previously thought useless, appeal to a top Tokyo chef. Yagi also goes to Taiwan to tap Asian markets. We follow them as they explore the future of the local fishing industry.

In the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture lost 30% of its civil servants, the highest proportion for any affected municipality. The local government was blasted for its handling of the crisis, and bereaved families were left with painful questions. For a long time, most employees who lived through that day remained silent. Then, the town publishes a record of the disaster that includes first-hand accounts by surviving workers. For a community struggling to find closure, this could be a turning point.

At altitudes of more than 2,500 meters in the mountains of central Japan, a 72-year-old ornithologist, Nakamura Hiroshi, takes on the challenge of saving rock ptarmigans, known as "divine birds," from extinction. Frequent human incursions have depleted their numbers across Japan. Spending more than 100 days a year in the mountains, he works on an unprecedented breeding project to restore a ptarmigan population to one of its former habitats. We follow Hiroshi in his quest to bring back these birds while questioning how humans can best interact with nature.

For Japan's aging apple farmers, finding someone to succeed them is a struggle. In Hirosaki City, a community in Japan's leading apple-producing prefecture of Aomori, more than 500 growers have called it quits over the past 5 years. Now, one man is on a mission to change things. Takahashi Satoshi is working to help farmers pass on their precious orchards to a new generation. He calls it "connecting" the trees to a successor. Teaching aspiring farmers all the required skills isn't easy. But Satoshi is hopeful that his efforts will bear fruit.

In the northern Japanese town of Oma, seasoned fishermen compete to land prized bluefin tuna. Among them is a 57-year-old novice, who moved there from western Japan 4 years ago. After his daughters were grown, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a tuna fisherman. Having made his own choice about where and how to fish, he aims to catch bluefin weighing over 100kg. While others opt for stable jobs, he has taken the risk of pursuing his dream. We follow his journey as he battles through the rough northern waters.

A man bedridden by a genetic disorder. Another paralyzed by a fall. For such people with severe disabilities, avatar robots are opening new doors. They're controlled remotely over the internet, and speak in the voices of their human operators. Their creator was once a social recluse who's working to give the homebound new opportunities. His efforts include a pop-up café where disabled people serve customers, using the avatars. See how humans and robots are working together toward a brighter future.

A hospital near Tokyo gets many patients from abroad, including tourists, local workers and even people in Japan illegally. Dr. Asaka Tomomi is responsible for them. Her overseas experience as a surgeon led to her appointment as head of a new department for foreign patients. Instead of using her scalpel to treat patients as she once did, she now translates, negotiates medical fees and deals with embassies. Though frustrated at the gulf between her ideals and reality, she continues to help alleviate the suffering of people far from home.

A father and son team of strawberry farmers in northeastern Japan faces tough times after the March 2011 tsunami devastates their hometown. To survive, the son decides he and his family must take a chance on farming far away, in Hokkaido Prefecture. 2 generations embark on separate paths, each full of challenges. As the son struggles to adapt to a new environment and to meet buyers' demands, his father works to revive the destroyed fields back home. This program follows their journey, both bitter and sweet, for 9 years.

Onagawa town in northeast Japan was devastated by the 2011 tsunami. The town's only supermarket, which goes back 100 years, has now reopened after a 9-year closure. The relaunch was led by Sato Hiroki, the fifth-generation owner of the family-run store. As he tried to keep alive the wishes of his mother, older sister and grandparents, who died in the tsunami, he was also raising an adolescent nephew, his late sister's only son. The program follows the relationship of the uncle and nephew over the 9 years following the tsunami.

On the small Japanese island of Tokunoshima, 18-year-old Nao Suzuna has dedicated herself to Japanese bullfighting, or "togyu." Every day, she cares for and trains her beloved Chibi Bull. Suzuna was shy from a young age, but her life changed when her father agreed to let her have her own bull. She immersed herself in "togyu," learning about responsibility and the rewards of hard work. Now, in the final months of high school, she's aiming to clinch the island-wide championship. And she has another dream - becoming a hairstylist like her aunt. But to get trained, she must leave her home, and Chibi Bull.

Right after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945, Japanese Red Cross Society nurses, mainly in their late teens and 20's, were sent there from across Japan to care for survivors. Later, some wrote about their experiences in a book titled "In the Shadow of the Flash." Out of about 500 nurses who attended survivors, only 50 contributed accounts for the book. The rest have never spoken of the horrors they witnessed. The program visits some of those nurses to find out about their hidden thoughts and their lives after the war.

Glittering flames swirling up into the sky. The unforgettable eyes of a girl trapped by fire. An abandoned corpse on the road. The feelings stirred by a corpse on the road. Such searing images are based on the eyewitness accounts of survivors of the August 6, 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing. For over a decade, the survivors, or "hibakusha," have been working with local high school students to capture their memories on canvas. The 137 "A-bomb paintings" completed to date are a precious visual record of the physical and emotional toll exacted by the bomb. The paintings have helped some hibakusha face deep emotional scars. And they are an accessible resource for passing on the truth of that fateful day.

For nearly a century, Yawatahama Shimbun reported local news in the small town of Yawatahama in southern Japan. The paper was produced by a husband-and-wife team, who worked as reporter and layout designer. Residents of the town loved its richly informative articles, considering them an essential part of their lives. But the couple eventually decided to bring the paper's long history to an end. The program follows their one-month journey to the final day of the small newspaper company, which they had lovingly kept alive over many years.

In October 2019, Mitsuishi Takae and her husband, Kazumasa, worry that torrential rain from a powerful typhoon could cause a river near their home to flood. Kazumasa heads out to retrieve sandbags -- and never returns. Waiting and worrying, Takae begins sending text messages to her husband. He had forgotten his cellphone at home. Yet Takae continues, hoping to somehow reach him. Her messages are filled with feelings and thoughts she can share only with her beloved husband of more than 40 years. Filmed over 8 months, this program follows Takae as she confronts her sudden loss and tries to move forward.

Businesses in Izumo City have welcomed scores of Brazilian workers in recent years. But due to US-China trade tensions, they're cutting production -- and jobs. For Brazilians out of work, the COVID-19 pandemic is making matters worse. But there's someone to lean on. Known as Paizão, or "big daddy," he's a Japanese-Brazilian who's been in Japan for nearly 30 years. In addition to running a Brazilian restaurant and a nonprofit, he devotes his days to supporting his Brazilian friends. Follow one man's tireless efforts to build lasting bridges between Brazil and Japan.

Yakata Miki, a former pop idol, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. After surgery to remove her left breast, Miki kept a video diary to record her treatment and daily thoughts, even touching on delicate themes such as breast reconstruction and pregnancy. Her self-portrait has evoked a massive response among cancer patients nationwide. Miki's diary records 2 years in her life as she started training to become a voice actor, her lifelong dream, while continuing with the treatment to prevent a recurrence of the cancer.

A charter bus company had lost its major source of income - international tourists - in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CEO spends his days seeking emergency loans, but it's not enough to avert significant salary and job cuts. For the remaining staff, things are tough. With their incomes plummeting, some resort to part-time work. One driver ventures into sales in a bid to drum up business. Meet the members of a small but scrappy company fighting to survive amid the pandemic.

Toyama Bay, in central Japan, is known as a source of abundant seafood such as firefly squid and Beni-zuwai crab - specialties from Toyama Prefecture known across the nation. Behind these local delicacies lies a history of ceaseless efforts by local people to improve fishing gear and methods as well as to come up with ways to eat the catches fresh. There is also an unknown story to the view of the Tateyama Mountain Range across the sea, which is now a popular tourist attraction. This program focuses on the beauty and the bounty of Toyama Bay.

In 2020, an annual manga comic championship for high schoolers goes online for the first time due to COVID-19. The virtual format disappoints students who are eager to meet their peers from around Japan. There are other challenges. The leader at one school's manga club struggles to make new members feel like part of the team. And a student who faced bullying in the past wrestles with self-doubt and anxiety. Yet as they tackle the contest's theme -- life's "new normal" -- the young artists are pushed to reflect, and to grow in new ways.

Aoki Mariko, from northeast Japan, shot to fame after winning one of Japan's prestigious gardening contests in 2018 while still in her 20's. Her gardens have soothed the hearts of many people stressed from the coronavirus pandemic. Plants in her gardens grow without the need for elaborate human maintenance and create beautiful seasonal vistas. She is often late to work, shuts herself away in winter, and works only in spring and autumn. How can she make such beautiful gardens while living just as she pleases? We follow her over a year to find out the answer.

A newcomer to a small mountain hamlet called Kurata turns heads, because nearly everywhere she goes, she runs. Her name is Yuki, and she has come to help revitalize the aging community. Young and energetic, she's full of ideas for doing this. But her plans lack one key element -- getting residents involved. Figuring out how to do this forces Yuki to rethink her approach. As she struggles to find a way, she runs.

Minami Shintaro is a young man with a special knack of attracting people. He runs a guest house in Seto City in central Japan, renowned as a major producer of ceramics. But the Covid-19 pandemic led to a sharp decline in guests. Also, an annual ceramics festival, the town's biggest tourist attraction, was canceled. But he never gives up. He launched a project called "Seto People-Tour" to revitalize the community by connecting people while avoiding close-contact settings. Life during the pandemic calls for distance between people, yet he is trying to connect them. We wanted to know why.

Yamazaki Takashi runs Bethesda, a support center in Hokkaido Prefecture for people in need. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed a trend -- more people in white-collar jobs are in dire straits. Bethesda's late founder, Manabe Chikako, began the nonprofit in 2009 to save as many lives as possible. Takashi continues that mission, providing a safe haven with 3 free meals a day, so people can make a fresh start. We follow Takashi for 5 months as he works to help residents, and receives shocking news about the founder's son.

Nagano Haruki and Okuda Sho, 17-year-old high-school boys in central Japan, have been writing to each other about once every 2 weeks since 2017. It started when Haruki developed a hard-to-cure eye condition and transferred to a school for visually impaired students. Separated from his best friend, Sho wrote a letter to Haruki so they could stay connected. Now, they both have smartphones, and send text messages to their other friends, but the 2 boys communicate exclusively by letter. We wanted to know why.

When people leave a town behind, what happens to its memories? The coast of Okuma Town is home to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which melted down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Residents were forced to evacuate but not all of them have been able to return. As long abandoned structures are demolished, a dedicated team is working to salvage and preserve the everyday objects that capture the community's long, rich history.

Yasui Hiroyuki is a junior-high school teacher and rugby coach in western Japan. With his motto "One Team," he encourages students to unite to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. His school was closed the day after the entrance ceremony. Forced to stay at home, new first-year students couldn't get to know each other. When the school reopens in May, Hiroyuki suggests an interclass competition as a way for students to bond, getting them to suggest events and ways to practice. Here is a selfie-style video diary of a passionate teacher and his students.

Throughout his long career in business - and now as the head of a Japanese university - Deguchi Haruaki has faced setbacks and challenges. As a result, he's developed a unique perspective on dealing with adversity and focusing on the here and now. Many younger people turn to him for advice, which he offers through books and magazine articles as well as social media. Now, a young director is also seeking help with her own questions about handling life's uncertainties.

Hirosaki Park in northern Japan is one of the country's finest cherry blossom sites. Nowhere in the world do cherry trees bloom so fully and close together. The overwhelming density of the striking pink flowers is a result of the region's distinctive pruning techniques. Showers of petals in the wind and the blanket of fallen blossoms that covers the park's moats, are astonishing to see. Using drones as well as high-speed and time-lapse filming techniques, the program is shot with high-definition cameras capturing the beautiful, shifting life cycle of the flowers.

Galapagos is a welfare facility in Saga Prefecture that provides after-school services for special-needs children. It even accepts children with problematic behaviors who have been refused by other facilities. The founder Koyanagi Yukari is determined that no child will ever be turned away. The program spends a month looking at the challenges and joys faced by the children and their parents.

Ostomates are people who, owing to illness or disability, need a bag attached to their abdomen to collect bodily waste. Currently, there are around 210,000 ostomates in Japan, but not many people know about them. Emma Otsuji Pickles is determined to change that. She has posed for photos in a swimsuit and has negotiated an agreement with a pouch maker to be their ostomate model. This program follows her efforts to give ostomates encouragement and create a better environment for them by becoming an open "cool" figure herself.

For 25 years, Murabayashi Shingo has been a legend in the kitchen of a high school cooking class. An outstanding teacher and harsh taskmaster, he's helped generations of young cooks gain the skills they need to thrive in the high-pressure kitchens of the finest restaurants. As he nears retirement, his students get one more chance to learn from him, creating perfect Osechi, the traditional New Year's feast. With blood, sweat and a few tears, his last class learns what it takes to succeed.

At any age, a fresh hairstyle can connect us with our inner radiance. A team of hairdressers in Toyama Prefecture visits elderly people who are physically incapable of going to a salon. They create the styles that their customers want and brighten their spirits. Many of the hairdressers are working moms. Some had abandoned their careers to raise their kids, but this job allows them to balance work and family. We look how the right hairstyle helps bring a spark of joy into people's lives.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020, Kyoto Prefecture's 1,000-year-old Gion Festival, held annually around Yasaka Shrine, was facing cancellation. But Kitamura Norio, a devoted parishioner who runs a nearby sushi restaurant, called for part of the festival to go ahead somehow, saying at times like these, people need their deities. Amid the self-isolation caused by COVID, the shrine and the local parishioner group decided to revive a contingency plan for the festival originally conceived after a civil war ended in the 15th century. This program is a record of people behind the 2020 Gion Festival and their efforts to maintain their tradition.

Since long ago, the indigenous Ainu people had lived in harmony with nature, following their own unique culture. But when Japanese settlers began to arrive in their ancestral homeland - now known as Hokkaido - the Ainu had to adapt to the Japanese way of life and began losing their unique culture. Now, a new generation of Ainu brings to light their difficult history and reclaims their language and customs.

Since long ago, the indigenous Ainu people had lived in harmony with nature, following their own unique culture. But when Japanese settlers began to arrive in their ancestral homeland - now known as Hokkaido - the Ainu had to adapt to the Japanese way of life and began losing their unique culture. Now, a new generation of Ainu brings to light their difficult history and reclaims their language and customs.

At age 89, Morita Kazuo, a legendary sushi chef in Kanazawa, central Japan, still attracts customers. With over 70 years of experience, he is deft with his knife and precise in squeezing out measures of rice. His customers can enjoy the delectable combination of fluffy rice topped with fresh fish and seafood. What he cherishes most is heartfelt hospitality. Serving sushi on his palm, he is equally attentive to every customer. The source of this hospitality is a humble desire to give his customers the best possible service. The program looks at the secrets of his craft and the conviction he brings to it.

A group of engineering college students in Japan had a challenging assignment: to build a robot that makes people happy for a prestigious national competition. The COVID-19 pandemic threw many obstacles in their way, including tight schedules and limits on group work. Under these difficult conditions, they began to grow apart. How will they tackle the theme and work as one? What does happiness mean to each of them? This program takes a behind-the-scenes look at a robot contest unlike any other.

Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is home to a rare sight in this country - 2 baseball teams that bring together children with developmental disorders. Often, these children have a hard time controlling their impulses or their overwhelming emotions. They are considered to have difficulties interacting with others and learning, but, in these teams, they are fully immersed in baseball, a sport they love. The program follows the kids as, through playing baseball, they learn to face up to their challenges with the support of their families and other adults.

This program brings you the stories of 2 dedicated individuals and their everyday struggles and triumphs. Kumehara Keitaro, champion of the Japanese card game Karuta, has a highly unusual style that's taken him to the very top. But he falls into a slump right before a key championship match. Will he succeed and keep his title? Organic farmer Ishigooka Daisuke is an agriculturalist by day and a drag queen by night. We take a look at the way he balances these roles, switching with ease between high heels and rubber boots.

The Kuzuryu River is a symbol of Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. Local people know it as "the raging river" for its repeated flooding, but they also appreciate the profusion of its gifts. We filmed along a 5-km stretch in the middle part of the river, which rises in Mount Haku and flows 116km into the Sea of Japan. There, crystal-clear spring water bubbles up from the riverbed, home to a variety of creatures despite being so close to a town. The camera captures the beauty of the river and its environs, including Sweetfish risking their lives to lay their eggs, the elusive Cherry salmon, and willows releasing their fluffy seeds into the wind.

People with severe mental and physical challenges often live in isolation from the world around them, at home or in medical facilities. A unique living arrangement in Fukuoka City is trying to change that. The 4 residents live in a shared house called Hatake no Ie or "House of Fields." Caregivers and others come to help them, and are captivated by their smiles. This is a story of a small house where a variety of people interact and cultivate important insights and relationships.

Identifying as LGBT+, Fujiya Ami doesn't want to be categorized as either male or female and has no romantic feelings for others. After working in Tokyo as a "woman," Fujiya couldn't go on pretending and moved to a small community in western Japan. Faced with a shrinking population, the community welcomed Fujiya as a new young addition, but many were surprised that Fujiya has no desire to marry. Preferring to deal with others on the basis of personality rather than gender, Fujiya finds the own way to live in a rural area where traditional gender identity remains strong.

The population of Kuma Village was already shrinking before disaster struck in 2020. Torrential rains and flooding made the village uninhabitable, forcing residents to evacuate. As the community struggles to rebuild, it faces some key questions: Will reconstruction happen quickly enough? And with the region and the world experiencing record amounts of rain, will residents ever feel safe there again? We follow one village's efforts to cope with a difficult and potentially life-changing dilemma.

The Toyosu Market plays a key role in Japan's rich food culture. Through its doors pass vast quantities of fish and seafood, some of which are bought by Tokyo's most renowned restaurants. But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of those establishments to close, and left wholesalers struggling. We follow the efforts of one 4th-generation tuna merchant to keep his business afloat, while meeting the needs of his employees and their families.

Matsuzaki Atsuko, 94, a former professor of culinary science in southwestern Japan, is a regional culinary specialist known for her pressed mackerel sushi and other dishes normally enjoyed by a large group of family and friends. Her dishes are based not on intuition but on culinary and nutritional research. Her philosophy is: "Food is life. It warms the heart, unites the family." But advancing age and the coronavirus pandemic have made it hard for her to do what she hopes to do. The program follows her as she continues to take on challenges such as writing about her memories of eating together and videotaping her recipes to pass down to the next generation.

In March 2021, the Akita Rinkai Railway Line made its last run and a familiar sight disappeared from the streets of Akita Prefecture. The freight line was only 5.4 kilometers long and operated just 3 days a week. After supporting local industry for 50 years, it couldn't adapt to the times. We look at the railroad's final days, interviewing the workers who kept it running safely, and the residents for whom the train and its familiar whistle were important features of everyday life.

Kuroi Akio had always hated his father. Keijiro was physically strong, but a shell of a man who needed help with everyday tasks. At the age of 20, Keijiro faced the horrors of war. Photos taken just after he joined the army show him full of energy. What changed him? What did he experience on the battlefield? Three decades after his death, Akio set out on a journey to retrace his father's footsteps. We focus on one man's efforts to heal the scars it left behind.

A little workshop in Minokamo City, central Japan receives countless requests from across Japan to repair damaged clothes. Kaketsugi, or invisible mending, is a technique for repairing holes or tears in fabric. The shop is run by a father-and-daughter team: Kataoka Tesshu, with 40 years of experience as a craftsman, and his daughter Goto Yoshiko. The pair research weaving patterns in fabrics and are able to use a needle to accurately weave threads into gaps as small as 0.1 millimeter. The program follows them as they restore the cherished garments they receive.

Sake from Fukushima Prefecture has swept up gold medals in a nationwide contest for new brews. A researcher who's played a key role in improving the local sake is Suzuki Kenji, known as the "god of sake." He's introduced scientific data to local master brewers, who once relied on experience and intuition. Now, he's developing a new style in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We follow Suzuki as he makes the rounds of local breweries during the frigid Fukushima winter.

Hoboku, a non-profit organization in southwestern Japan, has provided support for homeless people and others in need for over 30 years. Okuda Tomoshi, a pastor, leads the group. Its many efforts to help those left behind by society include running a soup kitchen and visiting people on the streets at night. Working for Hoboku, many of the NPO's employees in their 20s and 30s have found their life's purpose, along with help and guidance from the people they encounter. We look at the deep bonds that have developed between the homeless and these young people.

Sorachi is an energetic three-year-old boy who lives in Hokkaido Prefecture with his father and mother. Sorachi's conversations at home are a little different from those of other families. He communicates through spoken words as well as sign language because both his parents are deaf. However, Sorachi still doesn't understand what it means to be unable to hear. This is the heartwarming story of a loving father and mother who do their best to communicate with their son and build strong bonds together.

Washio Tomoyuki is an artist based in the City of Nagoya, central Japan. He created a massive mural for the entrance of a new hotel at the city's landmark TV tower. Because he works in many different styles, he is known as an artist with no genre boundaries. Washio started working on a new piece in January 2021, but he says he is not making it as a commission or for an exhibition. A young NHK director, in his second year with the broadcaster, explores what drives Washio to keep creating his art works.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many eldercare facilities to restrict visits between residents and their families. The loss of direct contact with loved ones has caused many residents to become emotionally unstable. One family struggles to find the right words to cheer their mother up, while another wants to make the most of their last time with their mother who's in the final stages of life. This program follows families who are trying to maintain hope in spite of everything.

Ryuji is a rapper who, like many others, including his family, was forced to flee his hometown of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture after the 2011 accident at the nuclear power plant. He shares his feelings about his birthplace in his songs. Ryuji's newest composition is a rap for his father. Unlike his son, Tomeo can't move on and longs to once again nurture the rice fields he inherited from his ancestors. How will Ryuji's song affect his father? And how will they build a future together?

Kosuge Village in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, has a population of about 700. Although small and without many residents, the village is always lively and up for new challenges. It runs many unique projects, such as building tiny houses to attract young people and drones that deliver food and daily necessities to residents. Its efforts are now drawing nationwide attention. At the forefront is village mayor, Funaki Naoyoshi. We follow this small community as they come up with various new ideas for revitalization.

With a single thrust, harpoon fishers can catch a swordfish weighing more than 100kg. 21-year-old Konno Misaki is a fisher like his father before him. When Misaki's hometown was hit by the tsunami following the 2011 earthquake, his family lost their home and boat. Yet, his father overcame these hardships. Now, warmer water temperatures have reduced the number of fish and his father's health is deteriorating. The program depicts a young man's struggle to make it on his own.

At a daycare center for senior citizens in western Japan, staff interview elderly people and write down their memories of long ago. Many who come to the center have dementia. They may not remember recent events but can vividly recall things from bygone days. The memories of a hometown now at the bottom of a lake, harsh experiences on the battlefield, and other precious stories can serve as valuable documents for future generations. An unexpected benefit of the activity is helping activate the brain and slowing the progress of dementia.

"I am the vine, and you are the branches." That cherished biblical quote guides a group of young people who, for reasons ranging from abuse to financial hardship, were separated from their birth parents and brought to live under the same roof in foster care. Even in adulthood, their strong connection continues. This is the story of foster children who are earnestly trying to branch out into the broader society.

76 years after the end of World War II, work to dispose of unexploded munitions is still an everyday sight in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan. It will probably take 70 years to remove all of them. Renowned expert Sunagawa Masahiro has dedicated more than 40 years to finding dud explosives that still lie buried and has so far located thousands of them. He has now taken up a new challenge: developing an AI probe to discover buried explosives. He is also dedicated to training his successors, aiming to pass on not just his skills but also the spirit of Okinawa to the next generation. The program follows his challenge.

Minamiaso once welcomed 6 million visitors a year. Then the tourism industry suffered catastrophic damage in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. At 1 inn, a pair of guests were killed, another took 5 years to rebuild, while another reopened just as the COVID-19 pandemic struck and faced a string of cancellations. Will the innkeepers of Minamiaso ever recover, financially or emotionally? Several years after the earthquake, we look at the people working to rebuild their businesses – and their lives.

Mori Tetsuya, a third-generation fisher in Akkeshi town, northern Japan, supports his family with income from catching sea urchin and other marine products. In 2021, a red tide hit the town for the first time, killing 80% of the sea urchins in the area. Over 60 years, local fishers have established a unique farming method for these creatures. To protect them from the fast current and cold seawater, young urchins are released on the seabed by a specially trained diver in a suit weighing 60kg. Tetsuya is responsible for this dangerous mission. The program follows him for 2 months as he struggles in the face of the unprecedented damage.

Thirty years ago, a child was denied admission to a swimming school because of his disability. But 1 courageous coach reached out to help. What started with these 2 people has now grown into a school with more than 300 students, and produced a Paralympic medalist. Through it all, the coach has been there for children who had nowhere else to go, and for their anguished parents. We trace a journey of passionate dedication.

Kids in Osaka Prefecture rarely call Tanahara Yasuko by her real name. Instead, they affectionately refer to her as simply, Auntie. For decades, this 82-year-old baseball coach has used tough love to get the best out of her young players both on and off the field. She's a local legend, and her 140-member team is a powerhouse in Japan's Little Leagues. Auntie is a moral compass for the children she mentors – especially those who must navigate sport and school while growing up in single-parent households.

With their great food and casual atmosphere, food stalls - or Yatai - are symbols of Fukuoka City. At the age of 20, Takada Yoshimasa endured an incredibly competitive selection process to become the city's youngest Yatai owner. His cheerful character made the business a huge success. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of customers declined sharply. How will he overcome this crisis and forge ahead? We look at his passion for Yatai and his desire to preserve the legacy.

The 2021 mayoral election in Suttsu town, northern Japan, hinged mainly on 1 contentious point between the 2 candidates - whether to continue with the first step in being selected as a long-term storage site for nuclear waste. The incumbent mayor, Kataoka Haruo, who is actively promoting the process, won the race. The result showed that locals' interest in getting government subsidies that will revitalize the local economy outweighs their concerns about safety. But Kataoka's victory was narrower than expected, and the town remains divided.

Arai Yoshinori, a Japanese teacher at a junior high school just north of Tokyo, was about to retire in March 2022. At age 34, he lost his sight in both eyes. For a while, he lost the will to live. But he realized there were things only he could teach and decided to return to work. He nurtured his own teaching style and earned his students' trust. His heartfelt reading of a famous classic poem by Miyazawa Kenji, using Braille, became popular in the classroom. This program follows Yoshinori's final days as he approached retirement and found out what he wanted to convey to his graduating students.

Zenkoji Temple in Nagano Prefecture is a special place for local people. This spring, it held a major celebration, welcoming back the Gokaicho Festival which had been postponed due to COVID-19. Master builder Murai Kazuo has supported this traditional event for nearly 40 years. Due to failing health, he has decided to step down. His successor, Hanaoka Hirotaka, has limited experience. Will he be able to tackle his heavy responsibility and fulfill his key role in this historic festival?

After 2 decades on the mainland, a young doctor returns to his birthplace, a remote island in far northern Japan. He's left a surgical career on the forefront of medicine to take over a local hospital which his father has managed for 36 years. In that role, he gets to know the most intimate details of his patients' lives. We follow this dedicated physician on his daily rounds as he helps his patients receive the best care possible and live life to the fullest.

In western Japan, a group of women were practicing "wadaiko" Japanese drums for their first performance in three-and-a-half years since the COVID outbreak. They are all mothers who have children with hard-to-cure illnesses. They include one who is trying to inspire her son through the sound of drums, and another dedicating her performance to her late daughter. Another is trying to take a step forward after her daughter suddenly came down with an illness. We look into the thoughts behind their smiles as they devote themselves to drumming.

The Nakanomata Kagura, an ancient ritual from a community deep in Japan's mountains, has been in danger of dying out due to population decline. But recently young people from outside the community are revitalizing it. They'd experienced kagura as students visiting the area, and are now members of a group that aims to be a force for preserving the tradition. This documentary follows these young people over a five-month period as they open up new possibilities for the transmission of culture.

After Shimosaka Atsushi was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 46, he felt that his life was over. But as he started to communicate with elderly people with the same disease and rekindling his passion for photography, his perspective began to change. Follow his journey as he shares glimpses of his life and feelings through social media, and discovers that one's most important memories will always remain.

An American hamburger chain opened its first outlet in Okinawa Prefecture in 1963, before the US returned Okinawa to Japan. Initially, the shop targeted US service personnel stationed there, but gradually, its offerings have taken root and become soul food for local residents. The shop has a varied clientele including workers grabbing a quick bite, families having dinner, and young people meeting up with friends. With the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, a sluggish economy and worries about the future, people have a lot on their mind as they tuck into their favorite food.

In a hot springs resort town in Ishikawa Prefecture, a unique library debuted during the Covid pandemic. At Mikan, the books are owned by members of the community who display them on shelves that they rent. Each shelf reflects the tastes of the books' owners, including rare volumes, books filled with memories, even original works of art. All the books can be borrowed. We look at this remarkable library and the way it is helping to forge new connections between people.

In a mountainous area in Wakayama Prefecture, a group of young people wanted to renovate a thatched-roof house to help attract visitors. With no experience or money, they relied on a local custom called yui that promotes mutual assistance. They recruited friends, local residents and professionals. One young team member even moved to the area to help make the project a reality. This is the story of how yui helped them overcome numerous challenges and create a lasting asset for the community.

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Okinawa Prefecture's return to Japan from US control. Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, is home to many residents with roots in this southwestern prefecture. They support each other in their new home while taking great pride in their Okinawan culture. We follow a group that performs the traditional Okinawan dance called "Eisa" as they prepare for their first show in 3 years amid the COVID pandemic. The untold story of people who began to emigrate to Japan's mainland more than 100 years ago is now coming to light.

Ukaji Shizue once worked to improve the lives of Japan's indigenous Ainu people. An Ainu herself, she had moved to Tokyo to escape discrimination and eventually became involved in uniting the Ainu people. After some setbacks, she returned to her home, Hokkaido Prefecture, to talk to her fellow Ainu about the difficulties they face and to seek answers through dialogue. Now, at 89 years old, she is starting a new journey.

In summer 2022, the renowned Kanto Festival in Akita Prefecture was back after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The traditional lantern festival is a key part of life for Kishi Toshiki, who leads a local kanto association and has taken part in the festival since he was 2 years old. Guided by the example of his late mentor, he is devoted to ensuring that children are part of this ancient event. This is a story of people struggling to carry on a tradition in the face of formidable obstacles.

Watakano Island in central Japan was once an entertainment hub, but its economy has declined in recent years. The local government sends 31-year-old Toge Hiroyuki there to revive the community. After a setback in the big city, Hiroyuki plans to make a fresh start on this small island. Islander Hayashi Kazuhiro anxiously watches over him in his role as adviser. Summer sees the return of the island's traditional festival after a three-year hiatus. We follow this young man and the islanders as they try to get their lives back on track.

Over a century ago, residents of a port district in southeastern Japan established a cooperative that hires fishers as employees, offering stable jobs that pay a salary. The system has helped preserve a local tradition, in which teams of fishers work together to haul in their catch. New workers are recruited from throughout Japan. But faced with the harsh realities of life on the water, many soon leave. What must this cooperative do to survive?

The Nebuta Festival, which features illuminated floats, is a tradition in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. But it wasn't held for 3 years during covid. Kitamura Shunichi creates nebuta floats, just like his father and uncle. Shunichi has taken a different path: while floats have traditionally featured male characters, his now include women as well. Providing inspiration is his wife, Toshie, who works along with him. We look behind the scenes as the couple struggles to complete their creations on time.

Yambaru in the north of Okinawa Island was registered as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in July 2021. Its forests are home to numerous indigenous species such as the Okinawa rail, a flightless bird, and the Okinawa Ishikawa's frog, arguably the most beautiful frog in Japan. Since ancient times, the forest has supported people's lives and they've protected the forest in return. Now that the forest has natural heritage site status, tourist numbers are likely to rise. We'll find out how Yambaru's forest with its rare ecosystem and vast diversity can be preserved and passed down to future generations.

A small community in Niigata Prefecture is surrounded by beautiful, abundant rice fields, but its population is shrinking as younger people leave in search of opportunity. To reverse this trend, a local NPO decided to launch a women's soccer team to attract new residents. It pays team members, who are also farm workers, to play soccer. In its seventh year, the team has become a source of community pride and passion. And older residents are among its most enthusiastic fans.

In spring 2021, Shinji High School in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, set up the first class in the prefecture solely for students with foreign roots. As well as regular subjects, they get special support in an extra one titled "Understanding Japanese." The area's foreign population has surged in recent years. While elementary and junior high schools offer language support, there is hardly any at high schools, so several students have had to give up on studying or pursuing their ambitions. We follow four Japanese Brazilian students at the school as they take a step toward their dreams.

An aerospace project in Kyushu has brought together more than 20 local factories. Their grand plan is to launch 36 satellites. It is the first foray into space for the team at the small factory in Kurume City tasked with assembling the satellites, who are engaging in a process of trial and error despite misgivings by some of the members. But the long-awaited launch unexpectedly failed. What will happen to people in the local community and their passion for space?

Yabusame is a traditional Japanese form of archery in which archers shoot arrows at targets while galloping on horseback. In northern Japan, 20-year-old Fuse Aoi is creating a buzz as one of Japan's top horseback archers. She has been riding her beloved horse, Spade, since she was 8 years old, and has clinched 5 high-level back-to-back victories at a large-scale local event which takes place in spring. Smilingly, Aoi says there is no better man than Spade. We follow this skilled and dashing young woman as she prepares for an autumn competition along with her beloved horse.

A workshop in Iwate Prefecture has been making traditional Nambu ironware kettles for decades. After taking over the business from his master-craftsman father, Tayama Takahiro decided to rethink the work environment. To attract younger applicants, he replaced grueling schedules and long apprenticeships with 5-day workweeks and paid time off. And he designed a simple kettle that can be produced by less-experienced artisans. But there are bumps along the way and Takahiro must learn to adapt.

Omori Town in western Japan is located at the foot of the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, a UN World Heritage Site. It was once losing its population, but the number of children is now growing thanks to the town's initiatives focused on a tranquil lifestyle and interpersonal connections. More and more young families are moving there hoping to raise their children in a beautiful natural setting, and helping to nurture the community in the process.

Across Japan, climate change is causing torrential rains and flooding. In response, the government is pursuing sweeping measures to protect communities and save lives, including a large flood-control reservoir in rural Kumamoto Prefecture. But the proposed location is currently occupied by the riverside village of Okaki, home to 58 households that would be displaced. As the reservoir project moves forward, a divide begins to form in a community faced with tough decisions about its future.

In a small community at the foot of the famous Mt. Gassan in the northern prefecture of Yamagata, four women in their 80s work together in a popular soba-noodle restaurant. Many people come a long way to enjoy the grannies' soba. Each has her own role - making dough, cutting it into strips, frying tempura, and making side dishes using seasonal vegetables. They enjoy working, chatting, and laughing together, and they have developed a special bond. We follow the women, from the beautiful season of buckwheat flowers blooming to the deep snows of winter.

The waters off Sadamisaki Peninsula, at the westernmost tip of Shikoku, are rich with large abalone and sea urchins. Amashi, or freediving fishers, descend 20 meters or more to harvest them. The tradition dates back hundreds of years, but today only about 30 amashi remain. A young man left his job as a civil servant to enter this community. At first, he faced a series of hurdles, but is being gradually drawn into this fascinating world. Will the amashi come to accept him as one of their own?

Mariia, 12, fled the devastation of the war in Ukraine and now lives in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, with her mother and younger brother. She used to be positive and popular, but now in Japan she struggles to deal with the language barrier and to settle into her class. Mariia's classmates are doing their best to support her. Mikoto and Hanna especially want to become her friends. The three girls are finally able to overcome their language differences and build a deep relationship.

An ice bridge rises up from Lake Suwa, connecting its opposite shores. Local people have documented this omiwatari or "the God's Crossing," for hundreds of years. But changing weather patterns have taken their toll. The chief priest and parishioners from Yatsurugi Shrine came to the lake in winter to pray for its appearance and to add to a centuries-old record. This film focuses on the people who are struggling to carry on a 580-year-old ritual and others who are learning from their knowledge.

In the woods of northeastern Japan stands the "Drifting Mailbox." This unique mailbox receives letters from family members to loved ones who died in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Its custodian, Akagawa Yuji, recently started thinking about closing the mailbox. But some bereaved relatives still continue to send letters. Yuji decided to meet with some of them to explain his thinking. Twelve years on, Yuji and the bereaved family members share their thoughts for the first time.

Kintsugi is a technique used to repair objects using lacquer and gold. In the mountain village of Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, a kintsugi workshop is inundated with repair requests from all over the country. The items include a teacup bought on a honeymoon and a mug used for 40 years. All are imbued with special meaning. For some clients, the golden tracings on the objects hold memories of lost loved ones. We look at the emotional bonds that kintsugi can help to create.

Each year, aspiring barbers and beauticians from all over Japan display their skills in a national competition. Students from a reputable hairdressing school in Kochi have often won the top prize. The school's strength lies in its unique method of having students teach each other. The students are often reluctant to reveal their secrets. But as the big day nears, they become more willing to share what they know. We follow the students as they grow while helping others to grow as well.

"The Car of Hope" is a volunteer project that helps terminally ill patients visit one last place that is special to them in their final days. A terminal cancer patient in his 70s wants to take his wife to a flower garden once more. A husband wants to take his severely ill wife to an aquarium, so she can forget her illness for a while. A nurse who accompanies them on the trip says it's a journey of hope that allows patients to live out their life as they used to do. We follow them on their final journey.

Nishiokada Haruki (82) and his wife Setsuko (75) live in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture where they've farmed a steeply sloped plot of land for more than 50 years, doing all the work by hand. The elderly couple work together to harvest their buckwheat crop and make their special buckwheat rice, finding joy in the small details. Meanwhile, their community is shrinking as their aging neighbors pass away. The film tells the story of a couple's ups and downs on a sloping farm.

Eleven years after the 2011 nuclear disaster, Honda Toru, a doctor, moved to Iitate village, a disaster-hit area in Fukushima, determined to live out his life there. After the accident, villagers had been forced to evacuate, but 6 years ago, the order was lifted for much of the village. Since 2022, Toru has been taking care of the residents who have come back to their homes hoping to reclaim their lives and a sense of purpose that the disaster snatched from them. Amid a doctor shortage in the area, Toru is working hard to help villagers live as they want to.

The residents of Tomioka had to evacuate after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident. As people gradually return and rebuild, the elementary school asked composer Otomo Yoshihide to write a new school song. Students and alumni were invited to write the lyrics. But Otomo learned that the two groups had very different ideas about what made the place special. How could they create a piece that would offer a positive vision for a place that had undergone such drastic change?

The people of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, had to flee their homes after their town was destroyed in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Only about 10% of them have returned, including Suzuki Daisuke, the fifth-generation owner of a local sake brewery. He now makes sake using local water and rice, and hopes to win a gold medal in a national competition. We follow his quest to reestablish his business and bring a sense of pride to his community as well.

Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Awa washi paper was sent to Ukraine from Tokushima, western Japan, to help repair historical documents at the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Lviv. Ukraine was struggling to obtain suitable paper, which hampered repair work at the Archives. The makers of Awa washi offered support, hoping the paper, with its centuries of tradition, would help preserve Ukrainian culture. The program depicts the warm bonds that developed between the Japanese artisans and the staff at the Archives through their mutual appreciation of the paper.

Avian flu and the rising cost of feed have created problems for the egg industry. At a farm in Aichi Prefecture, a father and son clash over methods. The father wants to continue raising chickens in cages, but the son wants to raise birds cage free, which is a costlier approach. Through this film, the son hopes to spark a dialogue between them. What feelings have they not been able to express to each other? This is a story of a family divided over eggs. Can they reach a resolution?

Fourteen years ago, Motoyama Saho left the big city and bought an abandoned farm. She built a house using scrap wood and has been trying to become self-sufficient. Fate brought her and her husband Kiyoshi together and they now have three children. Together, they harvest wild vegetables in the morning dew and eat fresh eggs from their chickens. They even make their own slippers using wool from their sheep. We follow this family in early spring as they seek joy in everyday tasks.

There's an unattended vegetable stand in the middle of Tokyo that draws more than 100 customers a day, supporting young people who want to save money. On the wall of the stand, there is a message from the owner to young customers saying, "Tomo is here for you, so don't worry about your future." She grows vegetables and brings them there herself. She says she opened the stand because of her own experience as a teenager moving to Tokyo from the countryside. We follow the story behind this unusual stand and find out why it is so heart-warming.

Ten years ago, a young student offered to help a man with limited vision ride the bus. Other youngsters have continued the tradition. Now, a book inspired by these acts is gaining fans across Japan.

On the Noto Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, winter winds buffet a tiny community protected by bamboo fences. We meet a woman in her 80s who embraces the bounty of earth and sea with her bare hands.

Ise katagami is the art of crafting stencils for kimono patterns. Now, the artisans practicing it are aging and their numbers shrinking. We look at the people devoted to preserving this tradition.

There's a Korean restaurant in Northeastern Japan run by a woman from South Korea. She moved to the area over 30 years ago to marry a Japanese man. We follow her as she connects with local people.

A shuttered elementary school reopened for just one family that moved back to their beloved hometown. We look at their joys and struggles, and local efforts to enliven a small fishing settlement.

There is a mosque in western Japan where local Muslims gather to pray and seek help when they are troubled. For them, the mosque is like a second home that provides happiness and emotional support.

During World War II, a radio children's choir brought joy to its members and listeners alike. We uncovered the story of the teacher who led it, working to promote the cause of peace through music.

A one-legged climber, who uses forearm crutches, aims to conquer two rugged peaks in central Japan at the same time. We find out what spurs him to take up the challenge and what views await him.

Nepalese students who are studying in Japan are finding community at a local store selling Nepalese goods. What challenges do they face as they pursue their dreams so far from home?

Twelve years after a massive quake and tsunami in northeast Japan, we followed taxi drivers in Kesennuma, one of the affected towns, to experience people's memories and hopes through their eyes.

A small high school canoeing club trains hard every day. While persevering and improving their skills, they learn valuable life lessons in the clear waters of the Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture.

A popular hiking guide in northern Japan brings smiles to the faces of all her clients. What events from her past brought her to where she is today? And what is her secret for spreading happiness?

In Nagasaki, a group of men practice for a traditional performance so tough that some have to drop out with injuries. Under their motto of "Smile," will they succeed and pass on the custom?

An improper diagnosis in early childhood led Shibasaki Akane to spend nearly half her life in a world without words. We follow her as she expands her horizons and moves toward an independent future.