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Private Notes
A young boy carries on his back the lifeless body of his younger brother, in the devastated city of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb. An American military photographer, Joe O'Donnell, took a picture of him standing stoically near a cremation pit. No one knows the boy's name, but the photo has become an iconic image of the human tragedy of nuclear war. This program follows the continuing efforts to deepen understanding of the photograph, while exploring the fate of thousands of "atomic-bomb orphans" and their struggles to survive the aftermath of World War II.
Uesugi Kenshin—Japan's fiercest warrior—fought not for glory, but to restore order. We learn from the wisdom of this supremely successful commander.
In this episode, we take a look at the single-eyed Hitotsumekozo, which is feared in Kanagawa Prefecture as a Yokai that appears once a year to punish those who have committed bad deeds.
Matsuyama Castle with its main keep, which is a designated National Cultural Asset, turrets, stone walls and gates tells us much about strong defenses and the daily life of the lord and his vassals.
Osaka Castle is one of Japan's largest, covering over 100ha. The 30m stone walls and 90m moat are impressive. Why was such a huge castle needed? Learn about the powerful daimyo who moved history.
Sanada Yukimura remains a folk hero to this day. His clan used information and ingenuity to take on powerful foes, even the shogun Ieyasu himself.
The chonmage is the distinctive hairstyle of the samurai. Yet much about it remains unknown. Through interviews and experiments, we set out to discover the truth about when and how it came into being.
Japan's iconic ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai left an indelible mark on the art world. We trace the development of "The Great Wave" and the location that inspired "Rainstorm beneath the Summit."
Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are an iconic symbol of Japan. Yet many mysteries continue to swirl around them. For one, it turns out that "Someiyoshino," the variety most widely seen in Japan, didn't exist until the Edo period. Are "Someiyoshino" all clones? Was the culture of cherry blossom viewing popularized by an Edo period shogun? And how was a new species discovered by investigating ones said to bloom twice? We meet with experts in their fields to get to the truth about these much-loved blossoms.
