Every season of NHK WORLD PRIME ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of NHK WORLD PRIME!

The "To-Kon Painters" add color to the lives of people who are short on cash. They're volunteers who will travel anywhere for a good cause, painting buildings and playground equipment free of charge. Most are former social dropouts who once belonged to biker gangs or quit school. We follow them to Lithuania, where they repaint a memorial honoring Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who helped 6,000 Jews flee the Holocaust during World War II. The painters must overcome cultural and linguistic challenges to get the job done.

Painting with Soul

American journalist John Hersey (1914-1993) opened the eyes of much of the world to the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In this program, Cannon Hersey retraces his grandfather's footsteps and considers the domestic climate in the United States since the start of the Trump presidency. In 1967, amidst racial strife, John Hersey wrote that every white person bore some degree of responsibility for violence against African-Americans. Half a century later, racial and religious prejudices are again spawning attacks. The program explores the seeds of hate and what they might grow into.

Detroit Revealed: My Grandfather John Hersey and America

Japanese artist Manabu Ikeda makes ultra-detailed drawings with the fine tip of a single pen. As a resident artist at a museum in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, he toiled for 3 years on one large drawing, painstakingly completing a small area measuring only several centimeters square each day. NHK documented his slow, daily progress in the final weeks leading up to the drawing's completion. Ikeda was spurred to make his drawing by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Starting in a state of psychic pain, he drew nothing but debris at first, but eventually went on to depict a great tree with branches in full bloom. The finished work has elicited a deep emotional response in large numbers of viewers.

A Single Pen: The World of Artist Manabu Ikeda

In search of wanted criminals, the Japanese police have a secret weapon they use when all other investigative methods fail: miatari finders. In this day and age, when forensic science has become the norm, miatari finders comb the streets relying only on their memory and intuition. Hitoshi Morimoto of the Osaka Prefectural Police is known as the "god of miatari". He has arrested the most number of wanted criminals in Japan. Morimoto uses a unique technique of drawing the suspects into his mind. He talks to photos of the suspects and burns the images into his memory. This program follows Morimoto on his last days before his retirement.

Miatari Finders

In ancient times, Japan was once covered with trees. Traces of this primordial forest still remain in the deep, untouched woods of Yakushima Island, Japan's first World Heritage Site. A prime example is the Jomon Sugi, a large Japanese cedar that is more than 2,000 years old. However, according to legend, an undiscovered "giant cedar tree" exists on the island. Using cutting-edge technology, NHK began the search for this legendary tree. See what they discover on their quest to find and understand these spectacular cedars.

Legendary Giant Tree of Yakushima

Fiona is a senior account manager for a company in Shanghai that promotes overseas luxury brands. Her days are occupied with international client meetings. She entertains herself by spending her money on nail decorations, expensive clothes, fancy dining and overseas vacations; however, these never brought her satisfaction. Sneaking away from her busy schedule, she trains herself in a boxing gym until her physical limit. Parents didn't expect much of her, as men are more valued under the one-child policy. She also failed exams to get in university under excessive academic pressure. We depict her struggle to survive through Chinese competitive society.

Boxing Woman

It all began with an unusual request: "Could you film everything about me until I die?" Masahiro Tanaka was a palliative care doctor and Buddhist priest who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was an end-of-life specialist who helped thousands of patients die peacefully. Now he had to face his own impending death. The film crew set out to document an "ideal death", but what they witnessed was quite different. This program offers an unflinchingly honest look at human nature at its most vulnerable.

An Honest Death: A Palliative Care Doctor's Final Days

Three Japanese mothers who lived through the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima Prefecture make a special trip to the eastern European country of Belarus. Waiting for them are mothers who lived through the 1986 nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl. By sharing their experiences, their pain, and making new friends, the Fukushima mothers not only come face-to-face with scars left by the disaster, but also discover hints for overcoming the past and for moving forward.

Fukushima Mothers

Photographer Yoshikazu Shirakawa traveled the untouched corners of the world as part of a lifelong quest to rediscover the planet. At 82 his final global trip has the theme of Creation. He hopes the vast, untouched landscapes seen by the first humans will restore our humanity and teach us humility at a time when we are bloated with greed. He begins in the Colorado plains, shooting in extreme conditions. Photographer Yoshikazu Shirakawa puts his life on the line in pursuit of Creation.

One Last Vision: A Photographer's Final Journey

Fusako Kunita is a 102-year-old Japanese woman who has lived on the Korean Peninsula for more than 70 years. Like many other Japanese women who followed their Korean-born husbands back to their homeland after the World War II, Fusako had no idea what awaited her. She faced discrimination, cultural differences, and sudden changes in diplomatic policy between Japan and South Korea. Fusako also dealt with sorrow and loneliness. But she endured, and worked to create a support group for other Japanese women. As she looks back on her remarkable and inspiring life, we'll learn more about the lives of the women obscured in the shadows of history.

Between Two Homes: A 102-Year Old Japanese Woman in South Korea

The United States dominates the world in airpower. Behind the birth of the US Air Force is a little-known story about the deadly firebombing campaign against Japan at the end of World War II. NHK combed through audiotaped interviews with 246 senior Air Force officials, including the leader of the air assault on Japan, Gen.Curtis LeMay. The interviews reveal how an "ideal" strategy designed to cause minimal civilian casualties ultimately went awry, and gave way to attacks with incendiary bombs that claimed some 400,000 Japanese lives.

Strategy Gone Awry: Revisiting the US Air Raids on Japan

During the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, an overwhelming number of people were slaughtered in ethnic conflicts between the Tutsi and Hutu. Rwanda has abolished the death penalty and scores of offenders who have completed their sentences are now being released from prison. Can they coexist with society? Many of the offenders live close to their victims' families, often in the same village. This program follows one offender's return home. Valens Habakurama was charged with the killings of two Tutsi brothers. After completing his sentence, he returns home to his wife and children. We documented his first seven days out of prison—from his apology to the victims' family to acceptance and reconciliation.

Valens's Return Home: A Rwandan Genocide Offender 22 Years On

72 years after the end of World War II, a group of about a dozen people visited Japan. They were born and raised in Vietnam yet consider Japan their homeland in some sense. Their fathers were Japanese soldiers who remained in Vietnam after the war, to fight for the country's independence from France. About 70 of these soldiers had families in Vietnam but suddenly went back to Japan without saying a word. The group from Vietnam arrived in Japan in October of 2017, chasing their fathers' shadows.

Chasing the Father's Shadow: Vietnamese Children of Japanese Soldiers

On March 11, 2011, a huge tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake struck Japan's northeastern coast, including Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture. All life vanished from the sea. In despair, an oyster farmer named Shigeatsu Hatakeyama decided to rebuild his life. Though a fisherman, he also spent decades reforesting the surrounding hills and was sure the sea would recover. This program starts following Hatakeyama just after the disaster, showing how the sea and the forest are cleansed through mutual interaction. Featuring his moving monologue, it celebrates the miracle of resurrected life in a seaside village.

The Fisherman and the Forest

Setsuko Thurlow was 13 when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Horrific scenes of pain and destruction were burned into her memory. She moved to the US and Canada and began to tell the world what had happened in Hiroshima. Her work with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) overcame resistance from nuclear powers and resulted in the adoption of a UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Their efforts earned the group the Nobel Peace Prize. This gripping documentary follows Setsuko's journey from a childhood wracked by war to international recognition.

Setsuko Thurlow's Quest: A World Without Nuclear Weapons

In one form of the Japanese tea ceremony, the host serves traditional kaiseki cuisine, sake and finally tea to the guests. The ritual, established as an art form more than 4 centuries ago, is believed to be the foundation of Japan's omotenashi hospitality. One woman has decided to embark on a unique nationwide pilgrimage to immerse herself in the art. Tsuruko Hanzawa is a rare "catering chef" of tea ceremonies. At 70, she loaded her pots, pans and tools for making tea onto a van and set off in her kimono, serving food using local ingredients and tea to the people she met along the way. Exploring a life devoted to tea, this documentary follows Tsuruko for 2 years as she battles illness to continue her pilgrimage.

Tsuruko's Tea Journey

Going quicker, farther, and striving for more. Since when have we been living in this kind of world? We can't do without it. We can't stop it. The more we have, the more we desire. This is the "capitalism of desire". Here is the first part of the 2018 continuation of our unconventional look at capitalism. How do frontrunners in the world economy think that capitalism should be controlled in the midst of these uncertain times? Young Japanese economist Yosuke Yasuda (Osaka University associate professor) travels to Paris to speak with French economist Daniel Cohen about the future of capitalism. Additionally, genius Czech economist Tomas Sedlacek has a spirited discussion with philosopher Markus Gabriel (University of Bonn professor) in Bonn, Germany. How effective are the visions left behind by leading economists such as Keynes, Marx and Schumpeter today? We'll try and come to terms with the recurring cycle of creation and destruction that forms the basis of capitalism.

The Changing Face of Greed: A Power of Darkness Awakens - Part 1

In the second half of our 2018 special look at capitalism, we delve into the source of humans' greed, the driving force behind capitalism. What exactly is money in the first place? Kabir Sehgal (America) and Tomas Sedlacek (Czech Republic) discuss currency theory, while Ulrike Herrmann (Germany) and Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia University professor) analyze the harmful effects capitalism has on the state of big industries. What is the Marxist "power of darkness" that Schumpeter discovered? Take a look at the frontline of economics alongside these leading global minds and contemplate the methods used to survive in these constantly changing times.

The Changing Face of Greed: A Power of Darkness Awakens - Part 2

In August 2007, 31-year-old Rie Isogai was brutally killed by 3 men who met online, in a case called the Underground Website Murder. After Rie's death, her mother, Fumiko, met and befriended her daughter's boyfriend. He shared stories about Rie and stayed by Fumiko's side, helping her find the strength to go on. We look at how Fumiko has lived with the unrelenting pain of losing her beloved daughter.

Lives Overshadowed by Crime: The Underground Website Murder

In 1998, four innocent people lost their lives when arsenic was mixed into curry served at a summer festival, in what is known as the Wakayama Curry Poisoning Incident. Masumi Hayashi, a housewife, was arrested and sentenced to death for the crime, but she still claims her innocence. Her son, who's now 30, was bullied and taunted after his mother's arrest. He has remained in contact with her during her detention, but he feels torn. Should he cut ties with his mother and start a new life? Or should he continue to shoulder the burdens of the past? We follow his struggle to decide.

Lives Overshadowed by Crime: The Wakayama Curry Poisoning Incident

August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was devastated by an atomic bombing. Yet some trees survived, brought back life and gave people hope. NY Artist, Cannon Hersey has visited Hiroshima many times, where he has been creating art about survivor tree, called Hibaku Jumoku. Cannon takes a journey from Hiroshima to New York, from Ground Zero to Ground Zero, to reveal the untold stories of the trees. What are they telling us? This is a story of the people and the trees that survived.

Survivor Trees: Hiroshima Revealed

Japan is a psychiatric hospital superpower. About 20% of all the psychiatric hospital beds in the world are concentrated in Japan, where many patients are confined for long periods of time. The United Nations and the World Health Organization have criticized this situation as a serious violation of human rights, but the actual conditions have been largely hidden from sight in Japan. However, after the 2011 nuclear power accident, the problem has begun to come into view. There are people who have spent more than half of their lives in the hospital. Others never required hospitalized care in the first place. The program follows the lives of a number of these patients and examines the reasons behind this problem.

I Was a Caged Bird: Psychiatric Hospitalization in Japan

"Shoe Dog", the memoir by Nike founder Phil Knight, has been an unexpected hit in Japan. It candidly talks about how more than 40 years ago, Knight's fledgling running shoe business was in danger of going under – until a Japanese company came to the rescue. Just how did this happen? Interviews with people involved at the time reveal a group of businessmen taking on continuous risk during Japan's era of high economic growth. In this program, we chase after the hidden story behind a global company's beginnings and the spirit of the Japanese trading company employees who supported him.

Nike's Backstory: Unknown Bonds with Japan

There is a 15-hectare flower park on the island of Nokonoshima, 2km offshore in Hakata Bay in southwestern Japan. The park was created by a potato-farming couple about 50 years ago. Rape blossoms and azaleas in spring, sunflowers in summer, cosmos in the fall ... the park is filled with blossoms throughout the four seasons. After her husband died, Mutsuko Kubota (80) continued to live in the park, surrounded by flowers. The program chronicles a year in the life of Grandma Mutsuko and her park, and the visitors who find solace among the flowers.

A Life with Flowers

Nearly 70 years ago, an American named Floyd Schmoe arrived in the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima on a mission of peace. Over 5 years, Schmoe, a Quaker and lifelong pacifist, led a diverse group of volunteers from the US and Japan in a project to build houses. In all, "Houses for Hiroshima" created 21 homes for atomic bomb survivors and their families. New information about Schmoe's efforts came to light in Hiroshima this year. Through historical documents and interviews with people who knew and worked with Schmoe, we trace the legacy of a grassroots peace builder.

Houses for Peace: Exploring the Legacy of Floyd Schmoe

Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest peak in western Japan, has been venerated by local residents for centuries. A sea of clouds often envelopes its soaring ridge line, soaking the mountainside with abundant rain. Water takes many forms here, pooling in marshes, flowing in streams, rising in turbulent fog and freezing as rime and ice. It creates an awe-inspiring landscape of green mossy mounds and gorgeous tapestries of deciduous and evergreen trees. This program highlights some of the many delights that await visitors in all seasons.

Mt. Ishizuchi: Mountain of the Gods

American writer Susan Southard's Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War has garnered wide acclaim. The book project developed from the author's encounter with "red back" Sumiteru Taniguchi, a hibakusha (atomic-bomb survivor) who is famous from photographs of his severe burns, caused by thermal radiation. 5 hibakusha and their troubled lives in the aftermath of the Bomb are vividly depicted, in a history of Nagasaki that continues to move many Americans. The program follows the story to a college in the Midwest, where students are using the book as a text. In a region where it is widely believed that "dropping the Bomb was unavoidable", what lessons do young Americans discover in Southard's book?

Hearing the Voices of Nagasaki Survivors

Children who cannot hear learn through sign language at Meisei Gakuen, a school in Tokyo. Their small hands weave together many words. With no narration, the program explores the children's silent, vibrant world and the lives of alumni.

The children's eyes sparkle as they recite, in sign language, the poem "The Song of Spring" from their textbook. They do not use their voices. But as we watch the silent recitation, the fresh early spring breeze caresses our cheeks, and tiny veronica flowers bloom in profusion before our eyes. For many decades, Japan's schools for the deaf gave priority to adapting to a society where hearing people are the majority. But at Meisei Gakuen, students are encouraged to embrace their deafness. We turn our eyes to that "boisterous world of silence" and perspectives on Japanese society, as seen by alumni of the school.

A World of Boisterous Silence

Behind the big city glamour of Shen Zhen, China, lie its back alleys, stretching out from the job allocation office of the San He Labor Market. Here, cheap internet cafes and flophouses are squeezed. Young people from the countryside arrive in droves in search of a better life, but many descend into a cycle of gambling, debt, sleeping on the streets and round-the-clock online gaming. From the depths of China's Silicon Valley, the program focuses on the realities of Shen Zhen's day laborers.

Life at the Bottom of China's Labor Market

Beijing is staging the largest-ever relocation policy by moving entire remote villages to suburbs near cities to solve poverty. Many villagers are ethnic minorities. Beijing is investing $120 billion over 5 years to move 10 million villagers into the market economy and boost the flat economy. Media regulation had made details unclear, so we followed villagers from Banzigou, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, for a year. Part 1 depicts the villagers' expectations and concerns.

China's Largest Relocation Policy: Part 1

Beijing is staging the largest-ever relocation policy by moving entire remote villages to suburbs near cities to solve poverty. Many villagers are ethnic minorities. Beijing is investing $120 billion over 5 years to move 10 million villagers into the market economy and boost the flat economy. Media regulation had made details unclear, so we followed villagers from Banzigou, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, for a year. Part 2 shows the unexpectedly harsh reality of people stuck between traditional life and modernization.

China's Largest Relocation Policy: Part 2

7 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, actress Alice Hirose visits Otsuchi Town in Iwate Prefecture. She meets a father and son who lost 4 family members in the tsunami. The father was struggling with the guilt of not being able to save his beloved family. The son, Yuki, was 11 years old when he suddenly lost his mother, younger brother, and grandparents. He gradually began to close off his heart. Now at 18, Yuki is preparing his departure away from his hometown. He opens his heart up to Alice and shares his pains from the past 7 years. As they grow closer, Yuki and Alice find a common bond in their struggles as teenagers.

An 18-Year-Old's Departure

Aeham Ahmad was born and raised in Syria. Even during the civil war, he never stopped playing the piano and singing. Sharing his musical gifts brought cheer to children surrounded by the conflict. After fleeing to Germany, he continued to rely on his voice and his piano. In April, he held a concert in Hiroshima, Japan—where he came across a piano exposed to radiation when the city was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945. He felt an immediate connection with the instrument; after all, they both shared the experience of making music despite enduring the suffering of war. This encounter was a turning point for him; he now teaches music to refugee children from Syria. In the program, we look at his efforts to use music to help these children at a time when xenophobic sentiment is on the rise in Germany.

The Pianist in the Rubble

120,000 Japanese Americans, born free and equal, were stripped of their basic human rights and imprisoned during WWII without any judicial procedures. Survivor George Takei and generations of families explore the campsite in Manzanar and Tule Lake and reveal their stories of trauma and scars of history as it is repeating itself again in the US. With breathtaking photography of Ansel Adams who documented the lives of the people behind barbed wire, the challenge of American ideal and reality are revealed.

Manzanar Revealed

80-year-old Dr. Kobori is as old as many of the people he cares for. Every day, he visits his elderly patients at their homes, offering advice and support as well as medical treatment. But sometimes the families who care for these patients require support as well. We follow this dedicated physician as he attends to people at the end of life, ensuring that their final hours are filled with comfort and dignity.

A Doctor Beside the Deathbed

The Trans Japan Alps Race is an intense run through the massive mountain ranges that cut across Japan's main island. This 415km ultramarathon, which starts at the Sea of Japan and ends at the Pacific Ocean, is known as the most grueling race in Japan. Competitors must traverse trails across 3 ranges with peaks exceeding 3,000 meters in height, all while carrying packs stuffed with food, clothes, and tents on their backs. In August, 30 runners who passed the stringent selection process competed in a fierce 8-day battle for the goal. Along the way they were plagued by severe weather, extreme fatigue, and even hallucinations. And they receive no awards or prize money for finishing. So what keeps them going? We followed these superhuman athletes who test their mental and physical limits as they competed for glory with the majestic Japan Alps beneath their feet.

Epic Challenge: A Race Across the Japanese Alps

In 2016, a series of destructive earthquakes struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan. When seen from afar, badly damaged Kumamoto Castle is gradually recovering the stately appearance it's famous for. But many parts, such as the main tower, remain off-limits, making it hard to get a full picture of the castle's actual condition. This program takes an in-depth look at a major, 20-year project to restore it to its former glory. The team includes veteran masons tasked with re-laying an estimated 100,000 stones in the castle walls. Skilled carpenters are also working to restore historic structures. And experts are interweaving traditional and cutting-edge technologies to reinforce the castle against future disasters.

Reviving Kumamoto Castle

China's education system is undergoing enormous change. Many are unhappy with a decades-long focus on rote learning designed to help students pass university entrance exams. New approaches emphasize self-expression, classical literature, or even martial arts. What will China's educators learn from this transformation? And how will it affect the future of today's students?

Class Struggle: Changes to China's Education System

To American photojournalist Regina Boone, her paternal grandfather was an enigma. He was a hard-working Japanese immigrant but was arrested on the day of the Pearl Harbor attack never to return home. Regina's father rarely spoke about him throughout his life. It was only 5 years ago on his deathbed that he asked Regina to find out the circumstances surrounding her grandfather's disappearance. Our camera follows her quest to uncover the trail of her missing Japanese grandfather.

A Vanished Dream: Wartime Story of My Japanese Grandfather

In 1855, a schooner departed from the Izu Peninsula, and set sail towards Russia. Newly-discovered documents tell an untold story of friendship between Russia and Japan. The events occurred when Russia's Admiral Putyatin travelled to Japan to negotiate a peace treaty. While he was approaching to the peninsula, disaster struck. An earthquake and tsunami sunk Putyatin's ship, putting his delegation of 500 in grave danger. However, local residents not only saved their lives, but helped them build a brand-new ship. Japan had spent over 200 years in isolation, and for a settlement of 3,000 people, the arrival of 500 foreigners was unprecedented. Local shipwrights worked closely with the Russians, via trial and error. The techniques they learned became the cornerstone of modern Japanese shipbuilding. The schooner was named Heda, after the village where it was built. It symbolizes a tale of international exchange in the closing days of Japan's shogunate age.

Vessel of Friendship: An Untold Story

On March 11th, 2011, a huge earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan. Three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant soon went into meltdown, spreading radioactive materials throughout the region. Doctors from across the country were sent to the site to treat evacuating residents, and the Self-Defense Force members, firefighters, and others trying to handle the emergency. The thousands of photos and videos these doctors took reveal the dire situation they faced.

Battling a Radiation Emergency: The Doctors at Fukushima Part 1

Battling a Radiation Emergency: The Doctors at Fukushima Part 2

THEN and NOW meet in this first-ever "split-screen documentary" about the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture, devastated by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident. Footage of the same locations shows the situation soon after the disaster in 2011 and more recently in 2019. Reconstruction is well underway, but radioactive waste continues to pile up. The future of the community remains unclear, and some wonder whether it can ever truly be restored.

Split-Screen Documentary: Nuclear Ghost Town - After 8 Years

24-year-old Takamasa Kobayashi has been trying to find his true gender since childhood. Born as a girl, he was one of the first students in Japan to persuade a junior high school to accept a female as a boy. At 20, he underwent surgeries so that he could legally become a man, the youngest case in Japan. But this was just the beginning. Takamasa then discovered that he is not a man either and is now searching beyond binary genders. We followed Takamasa for 9 years on his journey through genders.

A Journey through Genders

The largest Buddhist academy in the world lies deep in the mountains of the Chinese province of Sichuan. Larung Gar is a holy place of Tibetan Buddhism, where some 10,000 monks and nuns train. Here, under the auspices of a Chinese government antipoverty program, infrastructure "betterment" projects have been launched, aiming to turn the area into a tourist destination. The government has also pushed the resettlement and concentration of Tibetan nomads, education in Chinese language, and patriotic indoctrination. The past 3 years have brought major changes to the lifestyles of Tibetans, who have preserved their unique culture and religious traditions for over a millennium. This carefully documented, on-the-ground report provides the world's first window on these developments.

Bettering Tibet

A third-generation Japanese-American, Satsuki Ina, was born in 1944, Tule Lake internment camp during World War II. Her experiences there shaped her career as a trauma therapist. Her extensive clinical records reflect the Japanese Americans' postwar history. These days, she finds that migrant children in detention centers in the US are experiencing the same sort of distress that she did. Tune in to learn how her decades of research and outreach help ease the suffering of people and community.

I too was a Child of Camp.

During World War II, more than 20,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forcibly relocated in Canada. Many of them were interned in camps set up in a frozen wilderness. Camp life was going to deprive the teenagers of a proper education, but female missionaries stepped in to lend a helping hand. They set up high schools and provided the students with moral support and inspiration. This is the little-known story of the search for hope in the dark days of wartime Canada.

Hope in the Dark

Since ancient times, mountain people known as "matagi" have supported themselves in the snow country of Japan by hunting bears. One of the last "matagi" communities that continues the traditional ways is located in the foothills of Mt. Chokai, a famous peak in the northern Tohoku mountains. There, bears are worshipped as messengers of the mountain gods, and bears that are shot are considered divine blessings that provide crucial sustenance. Today the "matagi" have nearly vanished because of depopulation and environmental changes that make it difficult to sustain their lifestyle. Yet, some continue to pursue the traditional way of life while seeking a harmonious relationship with nature.

MATAGI - Worshipping Bears

Some 6,500 children are believed to have lost their parents when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima Prefecture in 1945. Many wandered the streets. Some died of hunger and disease, but others were able to survive thanks to helping hands. A number of Americans backed a movement to support the orphans. In South Korea, poor people helped a parentless child with love, as if they were all family. The program shows the goodwill that war could not destroy.

Helping Hands - The Lives of Atomic Bomb Orphans

In the late 60's and early 70's, anti-establishment political movements led by young people spread throughout the world, and Japan likewise entered an era of intense political activity. From the caldron of this activism, one group in particular—the United Red Army—emerged, calling for armed struggle to overthrow the government and establish an idealized society. However, the group increasingly lost sight of its goals, ultimately killing a dozen of its own members in lynching incidents and taking a common citizen hostage during an armed standoff with the police. 47 years after these incidents took place, surviving members of the group were interviewed. While aiming for an ideal society, these activists made profound mistakes that took the lives of numerous people. As their troubled journey continues, they wrestle with the implications of the actions they took.

The United Red Army: A Troubled Legacy

After WWII, more than 40,000 Japanese "war brides" married American soldiers and moved to the U.S., risking everything on a future with their former enemies. In the first part of this series, we meet several of these courageous women and learn how they made their decision to begin a new life from the ashes of war.

The Lives of Japanese War Brides in America: Part 1

After WWII, more than 40,000 Japanese "war brides" married American soldiers and moved to the U.S., risking everything on a future with their former enemies. In the second part, we explore the adversity they faced in the U.S., adapting to survive in an entirely foreign nation while shielding their children from prejudice.

The Lives of Japanese War Brides in America: Part 2

Japanese rugby players once felt outmatched by larger competitors, including those from England, where the sport was born. But then a Japanese coach created a strategy that changed everything.

1971 - Japanese Rugby Takes On England, And The World

In China, many ordinary members of the public have successfully become internet celebrities known as "wanghong." There are 3.5 million people active on social media trying to achieve celebrity status. With content focused on youth culture, including music and fashion, they have amassed a total online following of 600 million people. Some companies are now trying to harness the influence of "wanghong" to make money in the world's largest e-commerce market in China. Some "wanghong" use stealth marketing to promote traffic to e-commerce websites. Others run their own online shops. The most successful pockets an incredible $14 million a year. One reason behind the growing influence of "wanghong" is the Chinese government restrictions on Internet content, which makes it difficult for people to access overseas information. Our program follows a company pioneering the business strategically employing "wanghong" and their young hopefuls searching for online success. (Excerpt)

Chinese Internet Celebrities: Influencing the Huge Online Market

In the town of Henoko in northern Okinawa Prefecture, major construction at an American base is underway. Since the Marine Corps built Camp Schwab there in the 1950's, when Okinawa was under US administration, the people of Henoko have shared their fate with the American military. How did Henoko become a "base town"? Why have its fortunes been tied so closely to the base, and what has this meant to the people in the district? The program uses newly uncovered archival materials and new testimony to depict the postwar history of the town, which symbolizes the heavy burden of American bases that Okinawa continues to bear.

Henoko: Living with an American Base

It's over a century since Brazil opened its doors to immigrants from Japan, and Japanese Brazilians have built a solid foothold for themselves in Brazilian society. However, during World War II, an eviction of Japanese immigrants occurred. Several thousands of Japanese immigrants were forced to leave their homes. 70 years later, the facts of the eviction still remain largely unknown. A list of the names of those evicted was found 3 years ago that has attracted public attention. This list revealed who had been evicted and what exactly happened. To ensure that something like this never happens again, Japanese Brazilians are seeking an apology from the Brazilian Government.

Digging the Untold History

Plastic pollution litters the world's oceans. It's damaging marine wildlife and ecosystems. A war on plastic is breaking out. In part 1 of this 2-part series, we meet Dutch young pioneer Boyan Slat's team working to clear plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They have developed a system based on a 600-meter long floating tube. We also look at how microplastics affect living creatures and explore a shocking study that shows how plastic is contributing to rising levels of greenhouse gases.

No More Plastic: In Search of a Sustainable Future - Part 1: Clearing Plastic from the Ocean

Plastic pollution litters the world's oceans. The move away from the use of plastic is currently gaining steam around the globe. In part 2 of this series, we look at business trends leading us away from a world of plastic and towards circular economies. One example is a Japanese startup hoping to sell its proprietary recycling technology abroad. And also we look at disposable plastics regulation strategies in France and New York City. Can we find ways to leave our plastic civilization behind?

No More Plastic: In Search of a Sustainable Future - Part 2: Frontlines of Global Business

Castle design evolved in 17th century Japan with stone walls as a key feature. Sakamoto in Shiga Prefecture became famous for its mason's expert techniques for dry-stacking. They traveled across Japan to complete their commissions. But when feudalism ended 150 years ago, many castles were destroyed. While most of the masons lost their jobs, one family in Sakamoto survived by refurbishing old ruins. But the 15th-generation master Suminori Awata is worried about the future. One day he receives an unexpected request to build a castle-style wall in Texas. Awata's journey begins.

SAMURAI WALL

In Japan and South Korea, fact-finding research has begun to reveal the human costs and political backdrop of the North Korean repatriation program, which began in 1959. The program saw more than 90,000 Korean residents of Japan resettle in the North. Repatriates have previously described the difficult circumstances they faced there, but we now know that their lives were at the mercy of shifting policies and the flux of international affairs—the Cold War contention between the US and the Soviet Union, as well as the changing configuration of Japan's relationship to the 2 Koreas. This documentary features former repatriates who fled North Korea at the risk of their lives. The untold of 60 years of hardship is depicted through new testimony.

Repatriation: Resettling in North Korea

Miyako Yoshida's precise and delicate performances earned critical acclaim at the Royal Ballet of England. She remained true to her Japanese sensibilities in becoming the company's first Asian female principal dancer. A year before her retirement, however, she faced injury, emergency hospitalization and separation from a loved one. The program follows Yoshida for 300 days, culminating in her memorable final appearance.

MIYAKO, The Last Dance

Doctors at Osaka University performed the world's first transplant of heart muscle cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). It is a promising treatment for many patients with heart disease. NHK worked closely with Kyoto University which generates iPS cells and Osaka University where the transplant surgery was conducted on a long-term project to record on an 8K Ultra HD camera mounted onto a microscope. For the first time in the world, the images will reveal the entire transformation process of iPS cells which can turn into any type of cell in the body.

8K Documentary: The Microscopic World of iPS Cells

An American famous photographer, Richard Misrach, and a Mexican contemporary composer, Guillermo Galindo, have worked together to create pieces with the artifacts that have been sporadically left during the migration on the 2,000-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico. The border is also known as the edge of life and death where hundreds of human remains are discovered every year. Be ready to experience a unique collaboration, "Border Cantos," which expresses the harsh reality unknown.

All That Remains

Since the end of the Cold War, the threat of apocalyptic, all-out nuclear war may have receded from most people's minds, but with close to 14,000 nuclear warheads still spread across the globe today, the catastrophic possibility is never too far away. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a diplomatic crisis between the US and the USSR veered terrifyingly close to triggering nuclear disaster. We explore the political miscalculations and very human mistakes made by the leaders of both superpowers.

Stumbling Toward the Precipice

Following its historic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the Refugee Team is heading again to this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Record numbers of people have been forced to flee from their homelands in recent years—currently more than 70 million. Some of them are turning to sports and setting their sights on the world's biggest stage. We follow refugee athletes from Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon who are overcoming formidable challenges on their long road to Tokyo.

Refugee Heroes: The Road to Tokyo

Sadako Ogata served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees during a decade of ethnic conflict after the end of the Cold War, transforming the framework for humanitarian assistance and winning the respect of the world. "Advanced nations must not turn inward and fixate on their own national interests." As she made this plea for internationalism, how did she view the world? Looking back at her work and her words through NHK's archives, studio guests discuss the secrets of her adept leadership, her unbending convictions and behind-the-scenes episodes in her career.

Dignity for All: The Legacy of Sadako Ogata

"Digital Detectives" explores how Open Source Investigations have sparked a revolution in journalism. In their quest for the truth, experts around the globe use an extraordinary range of techniques to analyze social media, satellite images and seemingly innocuous websites. Major international media outlets and think tanks are in a race to secure the most talented people, who have shed light on some of the biggest stories of our times - including the downing of a civilian airplane in Iran, and the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. We meet some of the top investigators at the frontlines of this emerging digital battlefield, including the groundbreaking team known as Bellingcat.

Digital Detectives

Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) celebrates their 10th anniversary in April 2020. Professor Shinya Yamanaka, who developed the method to produce iPS cells, serves as the director for the center. How much progress have they made in the past 10 years toward clinical application? What vision does the director have for CiRA for the next decade? The program looks at how Yamanaka runs the organization as well as the past and future challenges of CiRA.

10 Years and Beyond: iPS Cells and Kyoto University's CiRA

Nowadays, there is a movement called "Constructive Journalism" occurring worldwide, in which citizens and the media gather information to solve local issues and everyday problems. In the United States, the distrust caused by highly sensationalized and speed-focused news, as well as the weakening of local media outlets, has led to a series of regional media companies going bankrupt. American media companies have crossed boundaries to collaborate and provide investigation reports to verify national and state policies. In Denmark, a public radio station has broadcast their citizens' worries as well as their solutions, and has grown to the point where it has influenced national policies. Similarly, in Japan, local newspapers have cooperated with each other to thoroughly address their readers' questions and worries, and have succeeded in solving national issues from a regional perspective. This is a documentary on the frontlines focusing on "Democracy in the Age of the Internet." (Excerpt)

Journalism of Hope

Noh-Kyogen is allegedly the most ancient existing form of theater. Among its repertories, "Okina-Sanbaso" is performed only on special occasions, such as the new year. With enigmatic origins, it is a sacred rite that only the selected few Noh actors are allowed to perform. In 2019, under cherry trees in full bloom, the most prominent Noh performers of Japan staged "Okina-Sanbaso" in Tanzan Shrine, Nara Prefecture. Kanze Kiyokazu, the direct descendant of Noh founders Kan'ami and Zeami and the 26th head of Kanze school, danced the first part, "Okina." Nomura Mansai, dancing the latter part, "Sanbaso," is an actor representing Japan. World-renowned musician, Ryuichi Sakamoto, who is also deeply interested in this unique piece, will animate throughout the program our exploration of the performance in an attempt to decipher the underlying spirituality of Japanese culture, in regard to concepts of "Multicultural symbiosis" and of "Animism." (Excerpt)

OKINA Dance of Life

The assassination of US President John F. Kennedy is still shrouded in mystery. With the help of top experts, NHK takes a new look at the incident through reenactments and fresh theories on the case.

Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who killed JFK, was once a US Marine stationed in Atsugi, Japan who later defected to the Soviet Union. While his own upbringing played a role in his decisions, there is also a possibility that a certain organization was manipulating him behind the scenes. The testimony of Oswald's wife, Marina, also reveals a failed assassination attempt by Oswald in the months leading up to Kennedy's death. We follow the little-known footprints left by this infamous assassin.

Oswald and JFK UNSOLVED CASES Part 1: The Pawn

6 months before JFK was killed, Lee Harvey Oswald attempted a separate assassination. Our coverage reveals the possibility that this attempt served as a focal point that linked Oswald to the JFK killing. The day of that killing, Oswald brought a rifle into a Dallas building. The US government report says 3 shots from that building killed JFK, but we take a new look at witness testimony and speak to 66 prominent campaigners to ask: was the assassination really the work of a "lone wolf"?

Oswald and JFK UNSOLVED CASES Part 2: The Chessmaster

The coronavirus crisis has pushed many to the brink of poverty. A lifeline has been provided by Article 25 of the Japanese Constitution—the "right to existence," a guarantee of a minimum livelihood, modeled after Germany's Weimar Constitution. Scholars have recently begun to reassess Suzuki Yoshio's key role, who studied the Weimar Constitution before World War II and encouraged Japan to adopt the right to existence early in the postwar era. In the 1930's, Suzuki became a lawyer and defended numerous intellectuals who were facing political repression. After the war, he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he worked to incorporate newly emerging ideas from around the world into Japan's postwar constitution—the right to existence of Article 25, the pacifist stance of Article 9 and other provisions. Interviews and dramatic recreations based on the archival record tell the untold story behind the birth of Japan's constitution. (Excerpt)

Peace and Justice: The Spirit of Japan's Postwar Constitution

For months now, the Japanese have found themselves on an emotional rollercoaster every evening when the count of new coronavirus cases is confirmed. To document how the pandemic has affected our day-to-day lives, we asked people from all walks of life to make "selfie diary videos" that are broadcast on the evening news program Shibu Goji. Participants include a tour guide who had zero income in April, and a man with cancer wondering if he can outlive the coronavirus. These and other voices from real life help us to look back on the unprecedented past few months and perhaps orient ourselves to the new normal.

Pandemic Diaries: How the Emergency Declaration Affected Us

Hanzawa Tsuruko is a master of "chaji," a tea ceremony that starts with an exquisitely prepared meal and finishes with matcha tea served from the heart. The purpose of this four-hour event is to treasure every encounter in life, knowing that it will never recur. Tsuruko has been traveling around Japan to encounter new people and share "chaji" with them. Last autumn, at the age of 76, she set off on a tea journey across Germany. The program chronicles her month-long odyssey.

Tsuruko's Tea Journey in Germany

We fear what we cannot see. Much of the terror caused by the novel coronavirus is because this mysterious enemy is invisible to the naked eye. CG designer and medical doctor Hirofumi Seo uses his background to decode the latest research, as well as interview experts in infectious diseases and viruses. The result is a visual model of our invisible foe. Take a visual tour of the mechanisms behind infection, replication, symptom progression and potential treatment in this scientific documentary.

Exposing the Coronavirus: Our Invisible Enemy in 3DCG

"The 72 Pentads of Yamato" produced by NHK Nara has garnered more than 2 million views online from around the world. Each pentad, or five-day season, reflects on the Japanese ideal of living in harmony with nature in Yamato, the ancient name for Nara. The series is created by Nara videographer Hozan Koichi and Kawakami Mine, a pianist who has performed in Spain. Follow Kawakami in her preparations for their next project—the pinnacle of the series—a devotional offering at Kasuga Taisha Shrine.

The Shape of Sound: A Piano Paints the Seasons of Nara

Using the latest AI technology, can we defeat our "invisible enemy," the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19? It was AI that first detected and warned about the infection outbreak, a homepage uses AI to collect and display the latest infection data, and 4 million AI experts are cooperating in a huge online project... In the first part, we report on how researchers on the frontline of the pandemic battlefield are fighting against the explosion of infections with the help of AI.

AI vs Pandemic: Part 1

Using the latest AI technology, can we defeat our "invisible enemy," the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19? In Part 2, we hear from researchers on the pandemic battlefield frontline who are fighting against the explosion of infections with the help of AI. They include the solo data scientist whose predictions of COVID-19 deaths are the most accurate, the researcher who can detect viral infections from voices and researchers making full use of Fugaku, the world's fastest supercomputer.

AI vs Pandemic: Part 2

The Ryukyu Kingdom (15C-19C) flourished in present-day Okinawa through international trade, and developed a unique culture known for its beautifully dyed and woven textiles. While craftspeople have made painstaking efforts to revive some of these traditions after their loss in the Battle of Okinawa (1945), one textile called "ton-byan" remains to be a mystery for many. Leading textile designer Sudo Reiko is among those who have been attracted to "ton-byan" for many years. As she travels Okinawa in search of traces of this craft, she uncovers the history and wishes for peace at the core of Ryukyu textiles.

The Lost Textile of Ryukyu

75 years ago, Japan and the US each developed chemical weapons and trained their troops to use them. Near the end of the Pacific War, the Imperial Japanese Army stockpiled vast amounts of poison gas for use as a last resort. The US military, meanwhile, drew up chemical weapons plans that would have devastated Japan. After the war, both the US and Japan concealed the truth concerning these weapons. But newly unearthed documents and personal accounts shed light on this dark legacy.

Poisonous Secrets: What Did Japan and the US Bury?

NHK is collaborating with 12 public broadcasters around the world to promote a project called "FACES" to tackle against bullying. FACES is a vast collection of two minutes testimony from people who have experienced being bullied. By using the network of partnership in FACES, this special edition aims to share specific efforts to tackle with bullying. Also dialogue between cross-country protagonists using online meeting, we deepen mutual understanding, be considerate, and follow in detail until we find a solution together.

FACES the Special - Voices of Hope for an Inclusive Future

A historic music pub reopened in Koza, Okinawa Prefecture, near Kadena Air Base, in 2019. The owner, rock musician Miyanaga Eiichi, performed for American soldiers who were en route to the front lines during the Vietnam War. Now he tells audiences about how the music expressed soldiers' desires for peace, and recounts the history of the base town. Others whose paths crossed in Koza include a resident whose family home was seized for the air base, a former worker at bars catering to US soldiers, and a US veteran who joined the antiwar movement while in Okinawa. The complex history of a base town is explored.

Koza, Okinawa: Base Town Blues

The final stages of World War II... The islands of Okinawa turned into a theater of war the United States military called "hell." The Battle of Okinawa claimed the lives of at least 120,000 islanders. Women and girls were forced in as army cooks or nurses, boys in their mid-teens molded into soldiers... and sent to the frontline. As most records were lost, families are still wondering how their loved ones were mobilized... and what became of them. But recently discovered documents reveal their unknown stories.

UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA: Women and Teens on the Frontline

Using footage shot at the center of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, we bring you a story of horror and heroism during one of history's worst catastrophes. Vast areas along Japan's Pacific coast were devastated. Entire communities were washed away and residents were forced to evacuate. An accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant created a radioactive no-man's-land. But in the days that followed, amid the chaos and confusion, countless people sprang into action to assist victims and search for survivors.

3/11 - The Tsunami: The First 3 Days

After the mega-tsunami hit Japan in 2011, survivors who'd lost everything struggled to recover. Many people lost not only their homes, but loved ones and livelihoods as well. Beloved traditions were in danger of disappearing. Rumors of radioactive crops devastated farms and fisheries. And many residents feared that those who'd been forced to evacuate would never return. Follow their year-long effort to rebuild their communities with exclusive footage filmed at the center of the disaster.

3/11 - The Tsunami: The First Year

In a year when countless sporting events were canceled, an unprecedented long-distance race was born: "UTMB for the planet." Online participants ran a set distance at places around the world. Top pros from Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and world-class runners from Japan were among those involved in the intense challenge. Watch passionate runners bring the world together, at a time when the pandemic has kept people apart.

GREAT RACE: You'll Never Run Alone

Dr. Oichiro Kobori (82) cares for dying patients at their homes. Many live with middle-aged and older children who are cut off from society. One man in his 50s, whose father has terminal cancer, hasn't worked since he was young and has psychological problems. Under Dr. Kobori's guidance, the son learns to care for his father and slowly becomes more engaged with the world around him. Follow the two-year journey as Dr. Kobori and his team help patients and families find comfort at the end of life.

Gifts from a Parent's Deathbed

On March 11, 2011, Japan was rocked by the Great East Japan Earthquake that tragically claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people. Since then, Actor Ken Watanabe has repeatedly visited the area, met more than 20,000 people, and heard their stories. Watanabe eventually opened a café in Kesennuma, a port city in Miyagi Prefecture, and has been working to help people connect and network throughout the disaster areas.

NHK documentary crews have continuously followed Watanabe on his visits to the region and have produced TV specials to mark the first, second and fifth anniversaries of the disaster. For the 10th anniversary, he returns again, and visits with a variety of people and finds out they have had surprising changes in their lives.

Discover the stories that Ken Watanabe reveals through his compassionate view over the past 10 years, and learn where people now stand on their way to recovery from the catastrophic disaster.

KEN WATANABE - A Compassionate View: The Decade Since the Great East Japan Earthquake

The global commons - our forests, oceans, climate and biodiversity - belong to all who dwell on Earth. And they are facing a crisis. Without major changes over the next decade, their destruction will be irreversible, leading to more abnormal weather and deadlier pandemics. What must be done to ensure our planet remains livable? The Tokyo Forum 2020 brings together the world's foremost thinkers to explore green investment, new business opportunities, and the movement for change in Africa.

Global Commons Stewardship

Ever since a massive earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan in 2011, NHK WORLD-JAPAN has been following the lives of children from the disaster area. In "Generation 3.11" we follow their progress a decade on. Some are working to ensure the tragedy is never forgotten. Others are finding ways to help their hometowns flourish once again.

Generation 3.11: A Decade Journey

Following the March 2011 accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, everyone within a 20km area was ordered to evacuate. Matsumura Naoto alone stayed put. For 10 years, he has taken care of animals abandoned by those who left. Only a few people have since returned, but the reconstruction is in full swing. Matsumura's home is changing beyond recognition. In Fukushima Monologue, we hear his story. It gives us a chance to reflect on resilience, and what is truly important.

Fukushima Monologue

The itinerant monk Enku traversed Japan in the 17th century, carving religious sculptures along the way. More than 5,300 distinct statues have been accredited to him to date. Enku is an enigma, but successive findings in recent years have added pieces to the puzzle. One discovery provides more perspective on his elusive early life. What is the significance of the mirror and paper fragments secreted within a wooden statue he carved? New research sheds light on Enku's life and inner workings.

Enku: The Enigma of a Wandering Sculptor Monk

It's said that victims of war die a second time if their remains aren't returned to their families. This is the case for over one million Japanese nationals who were killed during World War II. And recent reporting has revealed serious flaws in the government's repatriation efforts.

The award-winning 2019 program and related reporting by NHK triggered a change in government policy. The English version is edited to reflect this development.

"War Victims Die Twice"

In 2007, an unknown Japanese youth with severe autism wrote a book of essays in Japanese titled "The Reason I Jump." Authored by Naoki Higashida, it reveals the inner heart of a person with autism and has become an international bestseller translated into over 20 languages. This success is due to author David Mitchell, who has an autistic son. Having had experience living in Japan, David could read the book in Japanese and felt that his own son was speaking to him through Naoki's words, providing insight into such behaviors as head banging and uncontrolled vocalization. He translated the essays into English to help other families around the world who grapple with autism. In March 2014, David visited Naoki in Japan, where they had a moving encounter. This is the story of international hope engendered by interaction between a Japanese youth with autism and a famous English author. (Originally broadcast as part of the "NHK Documentary" series in 2014 [exact date unknown])

What You Taught Me About My Son

After the massive earthquake of March 11, 2011 struck his hometown Minamisanriku, photographer Sato Shinichi quickly evacuated to high ground with nothing but his camera. A tsunami of unprecedented scale would soon claim the lives of many of his fellow residents. In its aftermath he created a photographic record of what followed. Some 300,000 images in all. 10 years later, we peer through his lens to discover the despair and regret as well as the hope and will to recover of his fellow survivors.

Recovery in 300,000 Pictures

Under his motto, "shine a light on a small corner of the world," Dr. Nakamura Tetsu devoted his life to aiding the people of Afghanistan, until he was shot to death there in December 2019. For decades, he treated patients and built clinics to provide ongoing care to underserved people. When devastating droughts hit the country, he launched projects to build irrigation canals. Assisting the doctor's efforts were about one hundred young Japanese, who the doctor referred to as "workers." Some came after suffering setbacks in Japan. Others arrived with a vision of making a difference in the world. In this program, they reflect on how their time with Nakamura changed their lives, and how the doctor's voice reverberates in their hearts still today.

Hearing the Voice of Nakamura Tetsu

The January attack on the US Capitol shocked the world. In the crowd that day was retired teacher Jennifer Marler protesting that "Our voices are not being heard." In the midst of the pandemic, divisiveness has accelerated, rocking the foundation of democracy. What is at the root of people's discontent and anger? We interviewed a father and daughter who clash over immigration policy and the income gap, and a woman who spread QAnon conspiracy theories on the Internet. Social scientists weigh in on the question of where the world is headed.

Social Media and the Tides of Democracy

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a global problem. The World Health Organization is sounding the alarm. In Japan, more and more reports show that myopia is increasingly serious among children, and that it continues to worsen when the children grow up. The latest research shows that myopia increases the risk of eye disorders such as cataracts and glaucoma. It also reveals a correlation with depression, dementia and other conditions that have no obvious connection with the eyes. This documentary investigates what is happening to our eyes, and how we should change our lifestyles to protect them.

Eyes in a Crisis

Seek nothing, just sit. This is the zen practice pursued at Antaiji, a Soto school zen temple hidden deep in the mountains of northern Hyogo Prefecture. Residents, including several non-Japanese from abroad, engage in 1,800 hours of zazen sitting meditation per year and lead the self-sufficient lifestyle that is the zen ideal. Growing their own food, engaging in other hard physical labor, and sitting long hours in meditation to clear their minds of idle thoughts, they follow a rigorous practice focused on self-understanding. Among them are young men who question the meaning of life and experience deep distress. What answers will they find? This program follows daily temple practice over the course of a year.

Seek Nothing, Just Sit

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The Best Seasons of NHK WORLD PRIME

The Best Seasons of NHK WORLD PRIME

Season 1

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Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8