NaN/100 votes#1 - Active Seniors
Season 11 Episode 1 - Aired 1/4/2024
While Japan's population ages, many "active seniors" energetically participate in work and hobbies. An 88-year-old programmer and 104-year-old timepiece repairer show the secrets of senior success.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#2 - Forestry
Season 11 Episode 2 - Aired 1/25/2024
Two-thirds of Japan is covered in forest, and wood has long been the building material of choice. But today, forests are in poor condition. We look at current efforts to revitalize forestry in Japan.
Director: Mamoru Abe
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#3 - Japanophiles: Matthew Headland
Season 11 Episode 3 - Aired 3/7/2024
Matthew Headland, a Canadian, works in marketing at a hand-hammered copperware workshop. In a Japanophiles interview, he shares his enthusiasm for the craft with Peter Barakan.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#4 - 20th Anniversary Special Part 1
Season 11 Episode 4 - Aired 3/21/2024
It's a 20th anniversary special! Presenters and viewers join Peter Barakan to look at some highlights. Part one features musician and Japanology fan Todd Rundgren, sake tasting and taiko drumming.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#5 - 20th Anniversary Special Part 2
Season 11 Episode 5 - Aired 3/28/2024
It's a 20th anniversary special! Presenters and viewers join Peter Barakan to look back at some highlights. Part two features fans from around the world discussing great moments from the show's past.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#6 - Washing Machines
Season 11 Episode 6 - Aired 4/11/2024
After a slow start, Japanese washing machines have become some of the most advanced in the world. We look at their development and the latest innovations.
Director: Mamoru Abe
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#7 - New Roles for Vacant Homes
Season 11 Episode 7 - Aired 4/25/2024
Japan's many vacant homes are being used as investments, hotel rooms and opportunities for creative renovation. We discover ways to reimagine properties that were once regarded as almost worthless.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#8 - Japanophiles: Nicoleta Oprisan
Season 11 Episode 8 - Aired 5/9/2024
Nicoleta Oprisan from Romania is highly skilled at ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. In a Japanophiles interview, she speaks about ikebana's power to communicate without words.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#9 - Wakocha: Japanese Black Tea
Season 11 Episode 9 - Aired 5/23/2024
Wakocha, black tea grown and processed in Japan, is winning major international awards. To discover why, Peter Barakan speaks to tea farmers, picks tea leaves, and tastes different varieties.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#10 - Plastic Models
Season 11 Episode 10 - Aired 6/6/2024
Roughly 90% of Japan's plastic models are made in Shizuoka, a city whose manufacturing roots date back to shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. We explore the latest developments for Japan's superb plastic models.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#11 - Food Tech Products
Season 11 Episode 11 - Aired 6/20/2024
Japanese food tech products such as soybean-based meat substitutes are made using new technology. Land-based aquaculture and 3D food printing are also in the spotlight. We look at the latest products.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#12 - Kumano: The Practice of Shugendo
Season 11 Episode 12 - Aired 7/11/2024
Shugendo is a uniquely Japanese spiritual tradition known for its grueling ascetic practices. We explore its origins in the heavily forested mountains of Kumano, and learn about practitioners.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#13 - Kumano: Journey of a Maverick Scholar
Season 11 Episode 13 - Aired 7/18/2024
Scholar Minakata Kumagusu made contributions to biology, folklore and other fields. He laid the foundation for environmental conservation in Japan. We explore the environments that inspired his work.
Director: James Morimoto Yuya
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#14 - Japanophiles: Lekh Raj Juneja
Season 11 Episode 14 - Aired 8/1/2024
Lekh Raj Juneja, from India, leads Japan's largest manufacturer of rice snacks. In a Japanophiles interview, he talks about the international potential of Japan's rice processing craftsmanship.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#15 - Eyeglasses
Season 11 Episode 15 - Aired 8/15/2024
One of the world's top three production centers for eyeglasses is Sabae, in Fukui Prefecture. We trace the history of Japanese glasses, from the earliest examples to cutting-edge technology.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#16 - Service Areas
Season 11 Episode 16 - Aired 8/29/2024
About 900 service areas provide amenities to drivers on Japan's expressway toll roads, generating 530 billion yen in annual sales. We examine their evolution and links with local communities.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#17 - Tanuki
Season 11 Episode 17 - Aired 9/12/2024
Japanese raccoon dogs, or tanuki, are globally rare but have increasingly been seen in Japan's cities since the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate their long history in tradition and folklore.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#18 - Japanophiles: Stephanie Crohin
Season 11 Episode 18 - Aired 9/26/2024
French journalist and "sento ambassador" Stephanie Crohin promotes sento, or public bathhouses, on social media. She tells Peter Barakan about her love for the heartwarming world of public baths.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#19 - Heavy Machinery
Season 11 Episode 19 - Aired 10/10/2024
The world loves Japan's heavy machinery. We explore the secrets of its popularity and learn about items ranging from small excavators to cranes that erect skyscrapers in cramped urban spaces.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#20 - Graves and End-of-Life Planning
Season 11 Episode 20 - Aired 10/24/2024
End-of-life planning is spreading in Japan, with many people now thinking hard about what to do with their cremated remains. We learn about diverse graves, including options such as "tree burials."
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#21 - Under Elevated Train Tracks
Season 11 Episode 21 - Aired 11/7/2024
The spaces under Japan's elevated train tracks are now being used not just for pubs and restaurants but in many new ways, in various urban settings. We explore the economic and community benefits.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#22 - Japanophiles: Adam Smith
Season 11 Episode 22 - Aired 11/21/2024
Adam Smith is a potter from England who follows a self-sufficient lifestyle in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. He creates rich natural colors by using handmade glazes made from local plants.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#23 - Uesugi Yozan: An Economic Miracle
Season 11 Episode 23 - Aired 12/12/2024
Admired by John F. Kennedy, Uesugi Yozan was a feudal lord who took over the Yonezawa Domain at the age of 15. He enacted financial reforms that led the destitute domain to a miraculous recovery.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#24 - Uesugi Yozan: All for His People
Season 11 Episode 24 - Aired 12/19/2024
A feudal lord admired by John F. Kennedy, Uesugi Yozan prioritized the well-being of his people. This time, in part two, we look at how his policies guided his domain along the path to sustainability.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Japanology Plus Season 11
Every episode of Japanology Plus Season 11 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Japanology Plus Season 11!
Host Peter Barakan delves into various aspects of Japanese culture; exploring practices, history, and modern innovations in such areas as ramen, rice, sushi, geisha, bonsai,...
Genres:DocumentaryTalk
Network:NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Season 11 Ratings Summary
"Active Seniors" is the best rated episode of "Japanology Plus" season 11. It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 1/4/2024. This episode is rated NaN points higher than the second-best, "Forestry".