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The Best Episodes of Document 72 Hours Season 14

Every episode of Document 72 Hours Season 14 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Document 72 Hours Season 14!

An unusual documentary series that delves into human dramas through chance encounters with ordinary people at selected spots. Filmed over 72 hours in a single location, the show captures glimpses into people's lives as they

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 1 - Art University Seinen Graffiti
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    #1 - Art University Seinen Graffiti

    S14:E1

    Musashino Art University, a prestigious art university of art. This autumn, the once-a-year "art festival" was held with an audience for the first time in three years. Students devote themselves to creative activities such as paintings, sculptures, and crafts. A group that recruits friends and creates a huge object. A puppet show circle that wants to overcome the crisis of the ruins. Some students are worried about the future, but they are always facing paintings. What are you trying to make so far? Young people who are passionate about art for the three days before the start of the art festival.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 2 - Osaka: In an Apartment Building from the Showa Era
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    #2 - Osaka: In an Apartment Building from the Showa Era

    S14:E2

    Three old apartment buildings lined up near the Port of Osaka. Built in 1965, when the shipbuilding industry was thriving, about 70 households still live in these buildings. The apartments have a hangout where residents gather, and some even drink alcohol in the morning. An elderly woman who lost her husband and moved here a few years ago. A man chooses to live here alone so that his son and his family will not be troubled. There are couples who have lived here for more than 30 years because they feel comfortable here. In the midst of the changing times, we will spend three days looking at the days in the apartment, which continues to remain unchanged.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 3 - At a Small Okonomiyaki Restaurant in Kobe
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    #3 - At a Small Okonomiyaki Restaurant in Kobe

    S14:E3

    Pork and egg okonomiyaki: 430 yen. Beef yakisoba 450 yen. The setting is a small okonomiyaki shop in a shopping street in Kobe. It is well-liked by locals from children to the elderly. People come to eat with friends or buy okonomiyaki for their families. Many people also come to enjoy conversation with the store staff. Nagata Ward was severely damaged in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. This store also collapsed, but was quick to reopen. For three days, we set up our camera here to look at the current state of the community, which has been recovering from the disaster.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 4 - Minami-Boso: At a Quiet Pier
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    #4 - Minami-Boso: At a Quiet Pier

    S14:E4

    On a sandy beach in Minami-Boso, Chiba, there is a rather unusual pier. It juts out 160 meters straight into Tokyo Bay with nothing around it. It was originally built in the Taisho era (1912-1926) for landing fish, but the fishing port was relocated about 50 years ago and the pier's role ended. Now it has become a hidden and popular spot. Some locals come here every day to walk their dogs, and a group of three visited on a farewell trip with a colleague who was leaving his workplace. Some couples have moved to the area because they like it so much. The mysterious pier attracts people. What are they thinking as they gaze out to sea?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 5 - Amami-Oshima: Listening to FM Radio
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    #5 - Amami-Oshima: Listening to FM Radio

    S14:E5

    Ugaminshoran, Hagee" - the language of the island, heard from the radio. The setting for this issue is a small FM radio station on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture. People from the island appear one after another, and many programs are hosted by ordinary people. The program personalities who read out the news in the island language are people in their 70s and 80s. Listen to the radio for three days and observe the daily life of the island.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 6 - Fukushima - At a mountain lodge in the dead of winter
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    #6 - Fukushima - At a mountain lodge in the dead of winter

    S14:E6

    A 60-year-old mountain lodge located 1,350 meters above sea level on Mount Adatara in Fukushima Prefecture. Adatara at 1,350 meters above sea level in Fukushima Prefecture. Climbers aiming for the summit spend time here to rest their bodies and release tension. The lodge has a hot spring and overnight accommodations are available. A group of four climbers prepare their gear after taking a break, and then set out to reach the summit. A man brings in food from the base of the mountain and enjoys cooking for himself. Some groups hold year-end parties here every year. People who dare to climb the severe snow-covered mountains and visit here at the end of 2022. For three days, we will listen to their hearts.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 7 - Fukuoka Express Bus Terminal, Fukuoka, Running through the New Year
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    #7 - Fukuoka Express Bus Terminal, Fukuoka, Running through the New Year

    S14:E7

    Buses running at the end of the year. The setting is an express bus terminal in downtown Fukuoka, where more than 1,000 buses come and go each day. A woman goes to Nagasaki to see her father, saying it is cheaper than taking the train. Early in the morning, she comes to see off her boyfriend who is going home to Miyazaki. A couple who came to Fukuoka to look for a house to make a name for themselves. Others took an overnight bus for 15 hours to Tokyo. People boarded the bus for various reasons. For three days during the year-end and New Year's holidays, we look at the lives of those who come and go at the terminal.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 8 - Winter Stories of Ramen Stalls in Nagoya
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    #8 - Winter Stories of Ramen Stalls in Nagoya

    S14:E8

    Outside in winter. People sipping ramen in the bitter cold. This time, a ramen stall on a street corner in Osu, Nagoya, attracts many people to its four seats for a bowl of ramen for 500 yen. Regular businessmen bring souvenirs from their business trips. Many of them have known the 75-year-old stall owner for a long time. What exactly does eating ramen under the cold weather satisfy?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 9 - Qualification Examination Preparatory School: My Path Forward
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    #9 - Qualification Examination Preparatory School: My Path Forward

    S14:E9

    Judicial scrivener, condominium manager, state civil servant, social insurance worker labor consultant ... Lots of qualification exams. The stage is a major preparatory school where people who aim to pass the pass go. Looking to the future, I am in my 30s who take a course of judicial scrivener while working. A child-rearing woman who is aiming for a career consultant qualification for re-employment. Some people quit their jobs to get out of non-regular employment. In the early days when it was difficult to see the future, how did everyone feel when they went to their desks? Listen to your heart for three days.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 10 - Winter at Hokkaido Village Convenience Store
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    #10 - Winter at Hokkaido Village Convenience Store

    S14:E10

    A small village in a snowstorm. Hatsuyamabetsu Village is located in the northwestern part of Hokkaido with a population of about 1,000. The setting is a convenience store, the only one in the village. The selection of goods is normal, except for a large amount of fresh food. During the snowy season, there is a woman who carries her goods home on a sled, and an octopus fisherman who visits the village three times a day. A hairdresser who knows everyone in the village, a young man who moved to the village to work here, and many other people come to the village. For three days in the depths of snow in the middle of winter, we set up our camera in a convenience store in the village to observe the lifestyle of the community.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 11 - Episode 11
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    #11 - Episode 11

    S14:E11

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 12 - Akihabara Doll Store
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    #12 - Akihabara Doll Store

    S14:E12

    Beautiful eyes so elaborate that they could be mistaken for human eyes. The market for dolls is said to be worth as much as 10 billion yen. In Akihabara, there are several stores specializing in dolls in commercial buildings, and many people visit them. Some office workers are looking for a doll to heal them after a hard day's work, and some women are looking for a doll to do what they cannot do. Some people come all the way from overseas to buy dolls. They are neither people nor things, but mysterious beings. For three days, we will take a peek into the fascinating world of dolls.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 13 - Okayama 24-hour drive-in
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    #13 - Okayama 24-hour drive-in

    S14:E13

    From hormone udon to stamina set meals, pork cutlet bowls, ramen noodles, and yakiniku (grilled meat). The setting is a 24-hour drive-in restaurant in Bizen City, Okayama. Located along Route 2 connecting Osaka and Kitakyushu, it is a favorite stop for drivers passing by. A truck driver on his way back from delivering goods to Hiroshima. A couple of colleagues from the company who came here after working the night shift. For three days, we set up our camera and listened to the voices of the visitors.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 14 - Iwate, at a small newspaper company
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    #14 - Iwate, at a small newspaper company

    S14:E14

    Ofunato, Iwate, faces the calm sea. The setting is a small newspaper company with 30 employees. The company has been in business for 65 years and is well-loved by the local people, many of whom drop by the office on a whim. In this three-day program, we will closely follow the production of this newspaper company's pages. Every year on March 11, the company publishes a special issue, and seven reporters are working day and night on the frontlines. Many of them are from the area, and many of them were affected by the disaster themselves. We take a look behind the scenes to find out how they deal with the local community and what kind of newspaper they produce. Let us take a look behind the scenes.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 15 - Yamaguchi, Hofu Tenmangu Shrine
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    #15 - Yamaguchi, Hofu Tenmangu Shrine

    S14:E15

    Hofu Tenmangu Shrine is located in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Once a year, the shrine holds a “Doll Thanksgiving Festival,” where dolls are taken in and purged. During the festival, people come one after another to drop off their dolls and stuffed animals. A father brings in his daughter's dolls after she leaves home for marriage; an old man comes to deliver his grandson's May dolls, which he has displayed for 30 years. Some people say goodbye to dolls they made themselves as part of their training to become a bride. Each doll is filled with wishes and thoughts. What thoughts do they have when they say goodbye? We listen to their voices.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 16 - Harajuku, 100 yen store, in spring
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    #16 - Harajuku, 100 yen store, in spring

    S14:E16

    Takeshita Street in Harajuku, a trend-setting area. The stage is set at a 100-yen store along the street. The shop sells 18,000 items, including daily necessities, cosmetics, and miscellaneous goods. A high school student comes to the shop to buy materials to make goods to cheer up his favorite character. A 21-year-old man who moved to Tokyo to find a job said he buys all his daily necessities here. Many of those who used to go to Takeshita-dori when they were young are now parents and visit the street with their children. We look at the realities of young people over three days in spring.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 17 - Seto Inland Sea, Sakura Island
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    #17 - Seto Inland Sea, Sakura Island

    S14:E17

    In spring, an island of cherry blossoms appears in the Seto Inland Sea. Iwakijima Island in Kamijima-cho, Ehime Prefecture, is decorated with as many as 4,000 cherry trees, and is also called “Tennyo no Hagoromo” (the angel's robe of feathers) for the sight of the cherry trees reflected on Mt. The only way to reach the island is by ferry, but many visitors come from Hiroshima, Matsuyama, and other cities, and locals also enjoy the cherry blossoms scattered here and there in their own ways. Why are there so many cherry trees on the island? What kind of existence do the cherry trees have for the islanders? We will ask them while touring the island for three days when the cherry trees are in full bloom.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 18 - Osaka Post Office, in spring
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    #18 - Osaka Post Office, in spring

    S14:E18

    Rush documents overseas. Packages to my family at home. Moving procedures. This time, the setting is a post office on a street corner in Minami, downtown Osaka. Every day, many people visit the post office for various purposes. An American struggles to send a tourist souvenir to his home country. A parent and child sending a package for their daughter who is moving to Tokyo. Some people sell their precious items on the Internet auction and come to send them. In spring, the season of new milestones, who do people send and what do they send? For three days, we will look at the circumstances of each person who sends things.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 19 - Aomori, Hachinohe, at a shrine where a sea lion dances
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    #19 - Aomori, Hachinohe, at a shrine where a sea lion dances

    S14:E19

    The petrel gets its name from its cat-like cry. From spring to summer, they gather around shrines along the coast of Hachinohe, Aomori, to breed. There are about 30,000 of them. Many people come to catch a glimpse of the large flock that covers the sky. An American resident of Aomori Prefecture brought his family to Japan. A man who enjoys talking with the petrels. Locals say that every year when the petrels return, they feel the arrival of spring. We will listen to their voices for three days to find out what people think when they see the large flock of petrels.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 20 - Okinawa All Night Bento Lunch
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    #20 - Okinawa All Night Bento Lunch

    S14:E20

    A 24-hour bento store in Ginowan City, Okinawa, serving everything from 120 yen per bowl of Okinawa soba noodles to taco rice, pork cutlet bowls, tebichi, and sataa and ghee. Locals come here from early in the morning until late at night. An auto mechanic stops by after working late. A college student studying to become a nurse on a remote island. Some men change their jobs for family reasons and come to eat at 4:00 am. For three days throughout the night at this location, where the Futenma Air Base is located nearby, we looked at the real Okinawa.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 21 - At the rooftop garden of a large hospital
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    #21 - At the rooftop garden of a large hospital

    S14:E21

    Look up and you will see a big sky. Surrounded by seasonal flowers and lush greenery. The setting for this project is the rooftop garden of a hospital near Ochanomizu Station in Tokyo. The hospital has 800 beds, and patients and their families visit the garden. Families bring their hospitalized children. A man on a crutch who wants to breathe the fresh air. A man in his 70s who has just finished surgery for lung cancer comes here to soak up the sunshine. What kind of time do people spend in this corner of the hospital where they face life? We listen to the voices of the visitors.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 22 - Nishinomiya's "Manbow Tunnel" Under the Tracks
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    #22 - Nishinomiya's "Manbow Tunnel" Under the Tracks

    S14:E22

    It is approximately 130 centimeters high and so narrow that people cannot pass through it. This time, the setting is a small tunnel that crosses under the railway tracks in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. When passing through, one has to bend forward. Even so, people are constantly coming and going, earning it the nickname “Mambo Tunnel” among locals. Some people go through it because it is the shortest way to go shopping, while others go through it because it is a bit thrilling and fun. For three days, we set up our cameras in this mysterious tunnel and listened to the voices of those who passed by.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 23 - Kiso Road in Early Summer
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    #23 - Kiso Road in Early Summer

    S14:E23

    A stone-paved road with sunlight streaming through the trees from green trees. The setting is Kisoji, a mountain road that straddles Nagano and Gifu. It was one of the most important highways in the Edo period (1603-1867), and even today, in 2025, many people from Japan and abroad come to walk it. A group of three families hiking 8 km between inns. A man practicing trail running on a dirt road. Some people are confronting themselves as they walk. What kind of encounters will we have along the way during the three days in early summer when we come and go between the inns?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 24 - Saraba, Nombe Yokocho (Farewell, Drinking Alley)
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    #24 - Saraba, Nombe Yokocho (Farewell, Drinking Alley)

    S14:E24

    Izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), snack bars, small restaurants, and bars. In August 2023, the curtain will come down on 70 years of history of “Drinking Alley” in the back alleys of Tateishi, Katsushika-ku. After the decision to redevelop the area, the number of stores has been gradually decreasing, and now only about 10 stores are in business. A man who has been a regular customer for 30 years sings karaoke enthusiastically. A young man says he comes here five times a week to visit his parents. There is even a mother of a tavern that has been here for 40 years and has yet to decide on a new location. For three days, we set up our cameras to find out how they are feeling in their final days.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Document 72 Hours Season 14 Episode 25 - Episode 25
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    #25 - Episode 25

    S14:E25

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
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Season 14 Ratings Summary

"Art University Seinen Graffiti" is the best rated episode of "Document 72 Hours" season 14. It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/6/2023. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Osaka: In an Apartment Building from the Showa Era".