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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.
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.
