Document 72 Hours
(2013)Streaming Episode Guide
Season 2024 | Season 2023 | Season 2022 | Season 2021 | Season 2020 | Season 2019 | Season 2018 | Season 2017 | Season 2016 | Season 2015 | Season 2014 | Season 2013 | Top 5 Episodes
Season 2024
Farewell to a Hyogo Chairlift
Episode 5 - 3-05-2024
A beloved old chairlift on Mt. Myoken in Hyogo Prefecture. People flock here before the facilities close permanently in December 2023. What do the visitors feel as they ride the lift one last time?
Haven't Seen
At a 24-Hour Roadside Restaurant in Okayama
Episode 4 - 2-20-2024
A large parking lot and hearty servings make a 24-hour restaurant a haven for truckers in Okayama Prefecture. For three days, we spoke to diners taking a break before hitting the road again.
Haven't Seen
Nagano: Watching for Hawks
Episode 3 - 2-06-2024
At Shirakaba Pass in Nagano Prefecture, many are gathered here to watch hawks as they migrate to Southeast Asia. We find out what these watchers feel as they gaze at the hawks overhead.
Haven't Seen
At a Standing Bar Beside Fukuoka's Boat Racing Stadium
Episode 2 - 1-23-2024
With betting tickets in hand, customers at a no-frills bar near a motorboat racing stadium in Fukuoka, ride the ups and downs of the exciting races. For three days, we followed their fortunes.
Haven't Seen
Yomotsu Hirasaka: Between This World and The Next
Episode 1 - 1-09-2024
We visit "Yomotsu Hirasaka" in Shimane Prefecture. It's a place linked to the underworld, referenced in Japanese mythology. For 3 days, we spoke with those drawn to this special place.
Haven't Seen
Season 2023
At a Tokyo Insect Store
Episode 20 - 12-12-2023
Many insect fans are drawn to a store in Tokyo, Japan, that sells about 100 different species and equipment for keeping them. For three days, we explored why people adore these tiny creatures.
Haven't Seen
See You in Osaka's Korea Town
Episode 19 - 11-14-2023
Osaka Prefecture's Ikuno Ward is home to Osaka Korea Town, a neighborhood packed with shops selling Korean food and other items. Inspired by a recent boom in South Korean pop culture, what originally was a market for people with roots on the Korean Peninsula is now visited by two million people annually. Among the visitors were three Japanese nurses buying cosmetics; a grandfather who lives nearby visiting for the first time; and shoppers of Korean descent. For three days, we took a look at a shopping district where cultures intersect.
Haven't Seen
Early Summer on the Kisoji
Episode 18 - 10-31-2023
An old stone-paved road in dappled sunlight. We take a walk on the Kisoji, a mountain road connecting Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. A key route during the Edo period, today it attracts visitors from across Japan and the world. A group of 3 families on an 8-kilometer hike. A man going for a run on the uneven trail. People taking the time to be alone and reflect. For 3 days in early summer, we spoke with people travelling on the old road.
Haven't Seen
Nishinomiya's "Manbow Tunnel" Under the Tracks
Episode 17 - 10-17-2023
The ceiling of a narrow tunnel under a railway line in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, is so low that adults must stoop over to pass through. Despite this, what locals have nicknamed the "Manbow Tunnel" remains a busy and vital passageway in daily life. Among people using the tunnel were a woman taking the shortest route to the supermarket, and a family who likes the thrill of this unusual path under the tracks. For three days, we took a closer look at this tunnel and its role in the local community.
Haven't Seen
At a Hospital Roof Garden
Episode 16 - 10-03-2023
A garden with seasonal flowers and a clear view of the sky. Its location? The roof of a hospital in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. Patients and family members stop by this peaceful garden. A father with his sick child. A man on crutches catching some fresh air. A cancer patient recovering from lung surgery. A visit to the hospital can be a trying experience. What does this space offer them? For three days, we listened to the stories of the people who came by.
Haven't Seen
The Aomori Shrine Where "Umineko" Soar
Episode 15 - 9-11-2023
Each spring, about 30,000 black-tailed gulls flock to a nesting site around a shrine in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. The gulls, which are called umineko or "sea cats" because of their cat-like cries, form an impressive site as they soar through the sky. Among visitors to the shrine were an American woman living in Aomori and her visiting family; an elderly man who enjoys chatting to the birds; and locals fond of these feathered harbingers of spring. For 3 days, we asked people what the umineko mean to them.
Haven't Seen
Sakura in the Seto Inland Sea
Episode 14 - 8-29-2023
Each spring, Iwagi, an island in the Seto Inland Sea is painted pink with sakura cherry blossoms. It's home to some 4,000 cherry trees. Highlights include Mt. Sekizen, at the center of the island, which is wreathed in blossoms. Visitors and locals alike gather to enjoy the flowers in many different ways. But why are there so many sakura trees here? And what is their significance for the people of Iwagi? Join us as we explore an island in full bloom.
Haven't Seen
Saying Farewell to Once-Loved Dolls at Hofu Tenmangu Shrine
Episode 13 - 8-15-2023
Each year, Hofu Tenmangu shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture holds a "doll appreciation festival" at which people can give their now-unwanted dolls a proper farewell. Among the shrine's visitors were a man bringing dolls he displayed to bring his daughter luck when she was young; a grandfather who displayed dolls for his grandchildren for 30 years; and a woman who made a doll as she prepared to marry decades ago. What do people feel as they say a final thank you and goodbye to their dolls? For three days, we asked them.
Haven't Seen
Behind the Headlines at Ofunato's Local Newspaper
Episode 12 - 7-18-2023
Haven't Seen
Amami Oshima: On the Radio
Episode 11 - 7-03-2023
A cheerful greeting rings out over the radio in an island dialect: "Ugamin shoran! (Hello!)" This time, we visit a station broadcasting in Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture. Many of the presenters are straight out of the local community, including seniors who read out news items in dialect. A high schooler home for the holidays makes a live appearance. People who have moved away call in to share their stories. We invite you to settle into the soothing rhythm of an island radio station.
Haven't Seen
The Convenience Store in a Midwinter Hokkaido Village
Episode 10 - 6-20-2023
The Hokkaido village of Shosanbetsu is home to about 1,000 people and a single convenience store. Residents rely on this store as a source of fresh food and basic necessities, especially in midwinter. Among the customers were a woman who uses a sled to carry her shopping home; an octopus fisherman who shops there three times a day; and a hair stylist who knows everybody in Shosanbetsu. For three days as a blizzard buffeted the area, we spoke to the store's customers to get a glimpse at life in this village.
Haven't Seen
Ringing in the New Year at a Fukuoka Bus Terminal
Episode 9 - 5-23-2023
In the final days of 2022, an expressway bus terminal in Fukuoka Prefecture heaves with passengers traveling on over 1,000 buses that arrive or depart here daily. The people at the terminal included a woman visiting her father by bus because this mode of transport is cheaper than going by train; a teenager seeing off her boyfriend; two young men determined to hit the big time in Fukuoka; and a man excited about a 15-hour ride to Tokyo. For three days over the New Year period, we asked people where they were going, and why.
Haven't Seen
A Quiet Pier in Minamiboso
Episode 8 - 5-01-2023
A simple pier, almost at water level, extends 160 meters out into Tokyo Bay from a beach in Minamiboso, Chiba Prefecture. In the early 1900s the pier was used for landing fish, but that stopped decades ago when a new fishing port was built. Now it's a hidden gem for tourists. We encounter a local man walking his dog, a farewell party for a colleague and a couple who fell in love with the area and moved there. The pier attracts all sorts of people, and means something different to each of them.
Haven't Seen
At a Small Kobe Okonomiyaki Shop
Episode 7 - 4-18-2023
A small shop selling okonomiyaki savory pancakes and obanyaki cakes has become a staple for locals in a part of Kobe devastated by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. Among the customers fond of these dishes are friends who stop by while on a walk; a boy buying lunch and snacks for his family; and people who simply enjoy chatting with the staff. The shop was razed in the disaster, but the owner did his best to reopen as soon as possible. For three days, we talked to the customers and got a glimpse of the area's long road to recovery.
Haven't Seen
University Art Festival: Portrait of Campus Days
Episode 6 - 4-04-2023
In the fall of 2022, Musashino Art University in Tokyo welcomed the public to its annual art festival for the first time in three years to see paintings, sculptures and other artworks created by its students. The exhibitors included a group building a huge sculpture of a mythical creature; a puppet show club with a declining membership; and students feeling anxious about their future. For three days ahead of the festival, we watched the students putting the finishing touches on their creations.
Haven't Seen
Lifting Spirits in a Tokyo Liquor Store
Episode 5 - 3-06-2023
A small back space of a liquor store in Tokyo's Asagaya neighborhood is a no-frills standing bar where customers can drink their purchases. Patrons dropping in for a tipple come from all walks of life, including a company employee on his way home from work and a married couple able to spend more time together now that the husband has retired. For three days, we asked customers drinking in this liquor shop's back room about why they come here and raise a glass.
Haven't Seen
A Cat Temple: Soothing the Mind and Soul
Episode 4 - 2-20-2023
Ohta-kun, Futa, Elf, Cowcow... are four of the sixteen cats that live on the grounds of a temple at the foot of the mountains of Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture. The former head priest began providing care for abandoned cats, and today, the temple is visited by many cat lovers from near and far. Among the visitors was a man who comes to get away from the stress of his job, and a former cat owner who overcame the death of his cat by coming to this temple. There's a story behind not only the people who come to visit but the cats that have made their way to this temple. For three days, we listened to their stories.
Haven't Seen
Udon Vending Machines on Route 9: An Oasis for Drivers
Episode 3 - 2-06-2023
Why are no-frills udon noodle vending machines irresistible for drivers passing by a small rest area on a busy national road in western Shimane Prefecture? People stop here around the clock for a cheap bowl of noodles. The customers included a couple returning from a trip to their hometown; a boy and his parents who drove all the way from Fukuoka Prefecture just to try these noodles; and a man about to start his shift delivering milk. For three days around the Bon Festival period, we asked what makes these noodles so special.
Haven't Seen
Korokke Pan Shop: Happiness in a Bun
Episode 2 - 1-23-2023
Korokke pan, or bread rolls filled with deep-fried potato croquettes, topped with sauce are a specialty of a family-run shop in Minamisenju, a down-to-earth Tokyo suburb. Among the customers craving this cheap, filling snack made at the shop were a regular who has been coming here for over 50 years; a man buying some for himself and his friends; and a man currently between jobs. Why have locals become so fond of a snack made exactly the same way it was decades ago? For three days, we asked them.
Haven't Seen
The Lure of a 24-Hour Fishing Shop
Episode 1 - 1-10-2023
A 24-hour fishing gear shop in southern Chiba Prefecture is a haven for anglers stocking up before heading to the coast to try their luck. The shop sells about 6,000 items such as bait, rods and lures. The customers include a man looking forward to fishing for squid with his grandson; a couple whose self-designed boat fits on the roof of their car; and a mother taking a break from her hectic daily life. Why are they so hooked on fishing? For three days, we asked the people stopping by this shop.
Haven't Seen
Season 2022
Osaka Shaved Ice Shop: Midsummer Memories
Episode 20 - 11-22-2022
Kakigori, shaved ice drizzled with flavored syrup, is a summer staple in Japan. An ice shop in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, has been popular for decades thanks to its light, fluffy ice made of "pure ice" that has been slowly frozen. Among the customers were a regular for over 40 years and his children; two university students who will soon graduate and move away; and a mother and son reminiscing about a father who adored kakigori. For three days in summer, we asked customers about what this sweet treat means to them.
Haven't Seen
Fluttering Yellow Handkerchiefs at a Seaside Station
Episode 19 - 11-15-2022
Rows of yellow handkerchiefs fly in the breeze at a small train station in the Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture. Right behind the platform lies the Ariake Sea. The unmanned station attracts a stream of visitors who come to enjoy the view and write their wishes on the handkerchiefs. Among the visitors were a couple wearing matching outfits, and a railway photographer who drove all the way from Tokyo. The locals, too, are charmed by the station and wish for the railway to continue in the years to come. For three days, we listen to the stories of the people who've come from near and far to visit this remote station.
Haven't Seen
Asakusa's Rakugo Theater: Filling Lives with Laughs
Episode 18 - 11-01-2022
A theater for rakugo comic storytelling in Tokyo's Asakusa district has been tickling funny bones for decades. Visitors to the theater include comedy fans from across Japan, and an admirer of a storyteller being promoted to rakugo's highest rank. Backstage, a teenager new to the industry completes a myriad of tasks, and a seasoned storyteller of more than 30 years prepares to go on stage. For three days, we peeked into the various lives of people in the audience and behind the scenes, and asked them about the appeal of this traditional performing art.
Haven't Seen
The Vegetable "Vending Machine" in Tokyo
Episode 17 - 10-18-2022
An unmanned stall in a residential area of Tokyo's Nerima Ward uses coin-operated lockers to sell locally grown vegetables including cabbage, radishes and spinach. The customers at this down-to-earth stall include a mother buying lettuce harvested from a field right in front of her house; and a keen jogger who frequently buys fresh veggies to stay in his wife's good books. For three days in early summer, we asked customers why they choose to shop at this stall that resembles a large vending machine.
Haven't Seen
Nature's Treasure Hunt on a Niigata Beach
Episode 16 - 10-04-2022
A pebbly beach on Niigata Prefecture's Sea of Japan coast contains pieces of real jade. Some people who come here for a natural treasure hunt find jade right away, others have no luck despite picking through the stones all day. Among the visitors were a family on a trip; regulars who come from far and wide; and a woman whose visits here helped her become more socially outgoing. What is it that lures them so much to this beach? For three days in early summer, we asked the people hunting for treasure at the water's edge.
Haven't Seen
Plastic Model Shop: A Hobby Making Worlds Come Alive
Episode 15 - 9-13-2022
A large plastic model kit store in Osaka Prefecture sells models, miniature trains, diorama supplies and other items. The model market has grown while people of all ages spent more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The store's customers include a man who makes model buses to relieve stress; a middle-aged woman crazy about making dollhouses; and a woman making a diorama as a birthday gift for her mother-in-law. For three days, we asked customers why this hobby is special to them.
Haven't Seen
Capturing Happy Moments in a Photo Booth
Episode 14 - 8-16-2022
Photo sticker booths are a magnet for teenagers at a video arcade in Tokyo. Over 3 days in mid-March, we met 2 friends about to graduate from high school; a teen applying makeup to create the appearance she craves; 2 best friends who attend different schools; and a couple in their 20s. The booths have added many new features since they first appeared in 1995. Why are they still so popular? We asked youngsters at the arcade why these stickers mean so much to them.
Haven't Seen
A Shinjuku Cell Phone Store
Episode 13 - 8-02-2022
Smartphones have become a vital part of modern-day life. Many people flock to a large cell phone store in Tokyo's Shinjuku district to buy the latest phone models, get their gadgets repaired and seek advice on other services. Among the customers in mid-March, a time for new beginnings in Japan, were an elderly couple fond of watching videos on their smartphones, a man struggling to spend less time glued to his phone, and people starting a new job or school year. What do phones mean to these customers? For 3 days, we asked them.
Haven't Seen
Heartfelt Flowers from a Miyagi Florist
Episode 12 - 7-19-2022
The Yuriage district in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011. March is also a season of new starts and farewells in Japan, so this month is especially busy for a florist in a new commercial complex in the district. Customers included a teacher buying flowers for graduating students, residents mourning loved ones who died in the tsunami, and people adding a splash of color to their lives. For 3 days around the disaster's 11th anniversary, we asked customers what flowers mean to them.
Haven't Seen
The Supermarket on Wheels
Episode 11 - 7-05-2022
A small truck loaded with vegetables, meat, snacks and other items – a mobile supermarket – is a lifeline for residents in remote communities in northern Kyoto Prefecture. Among the customers were an elderly couple buying a week's worth of ready-prepared dishes; and a woman wanting snacks to eat while she chats with a friend. What is life like in these small communities with falling populations? For 3 days near the end of winter, we talked to people buying groceries from the supermarket on wheels.
Haven't Seen
Tsugaru Railway: A Midwinter Lifeline
Episode 10 - 6-21-2022
The Tsugaru Railway runs through a remote and snowy part of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. As well as being a vital mode of transport for locals, especially in winter, the train has a potbelly stove and views of magical wintry landscapes that attract visitors from afar. Among the passengers are a high school student poised to move to Tokyo, and a man who returned here to his hometown after several decades away. For 3 days in midwinter, we hopped aboard the rustic train and asked the passengers what this railway means to them.
Haven't Seen
Bidding Farewell to an Amusement Park
Episode 9 - 5-24-2022
Kashiikaen, an amusement park in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, closed at the end of 2021 after 65 years of operation. News of the closing prompted a wave of visitors, including a local woman who brought along her neighbor, and a family of 3 generations determined to ride their favorite attraction. Some even came after the gates were closed, just to see the park from the outside. What made them come to bid farewell? In the park’s final 3 days, we listened as visitors shared their stories and memories.
Haven't Seen
Seeking a Sweet Finish to Another Busy Year
Episode 8 - 5-03-2022
As 2021 draws to a close, workers in Tokyo's Shimbashi business district flock to a long-established western-style sweets shop famous for its cream puffs and other tasty delights. Among the customers were a boss buying treats for his hard-working subordinates; a construction worker treating himself after an exhausting day on the job; and a father buying a gift of appreciation for his family. For 3 days, we asked customers seeking a sweet treat if 2021 had been bitter or sweet for them.
Haven't Seen
Nursing School: Nurturing the Next Nightingales
Episode 7 - 4-19-2022
The 200 students at a nursing college in Nara Prefecture, Japan, range from new high school graduates to people seeking a change in career. Among the students were a woman inspired by nurses who treated her in hospital; a woman who felt nursing would be more rewarding than her sales job; and first-year students preparing for a test they must pass before starting clinical training. For 3 days, we asked why nursing appealed to them as a career, especially while the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect society.
Haven't Seen
Finding Your Style at a Used Clothing Store
Episode 6 - 4-05-2022
A huge used clothing store in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, has racks filled with 100,000 garments including jackets, jeans and sweaters. The customers at this clothing treasure trove included a woman who prefers wearing oversized men's clothing; a man who likes a quiet drink while admiring the second-hand clothing he displays at home; and a high school student who wears her father's clothes. For 3 days during an autumn lull in the coronavirus pandemic, we asked shoppers what they came to buy to jazz up their wardrobes.
Haven't Seen
Boards and Bonds at a 24-Hour Skateboard Park
Episode 5 - 3-08-2022
A large 24-hour skateboard park in an industrial area of Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture, is popular with skateboarders of all ages and abilities. It is free and packed with fun obstacles; this facility attracts skaters including a 60-year-old who often comes on weekends, a mother taking a break from the hectic days of raising a young family, and men from overseas who work in the nearby auto industry plants. Why are they so passionate about doing tricks and jumps on 4 wheels? For 3 days and nights, we asked them.
Haven't Seen
Hair and Makeup Salon: Grooming the Eyebrows and Mind
Episode 4 - 2-22-2022
With half of the face covered by masks, eyebrows can make a big statement. About 80% of the customers who visit the hair and makeup salon in Namba, Osaka Prefecture, come to get their eyebrows done. Among the customers we met were an office worker who became conscious of his bushy brows during video calls, and a woman freed from her eyebrow issues from the past. Roughly a third of the customers are male, including businessmen who come not only to groom their brows but also to calm their mind. For 3 days, we asked the people about their reasons for coming to this salon.
Haven't Seen
The Fishermen's Convenience Store
Episode 3 - 2-08-2022
As bonito season peaks in mid-July, the port in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, buzzes as fishermen unload their catches and prepare to return to sea. A portside store selling food and other vital supplies is a magnet for these men. Among the customers were a tuna fisherman soon to depart on a yearlong voyage; saury fishermen buying compact futon for their onboard sleeping quarters; and a captain stocking up on snacks for his 23 crew members. For 3 days, we asked these men about the lure of this store - and the ocean.
Haven't Seen
At an Underground Bicycle Parking Lot
Episode 2 - 1-25-2022
The huge underground parking lot at Tokyo's Kasai Station can hold about 10,000 bicycles. Each day, from very early until very late, workers, students and other commuters store their bikes at this facility. They included a cleaner heading to central Tokyo on the day's first train; 2 high school girls staying close to home due to the coronavirus; and a woman holding down 2 jobs to support her family. For 3 days, we asked parking lot customers about where they were going - and why.
Haven't Seen
Salvaging Bargains at a Tokyo Grocery Store
Episode 1 - 1-11-2022
A store in a Tokyo suburb selling short-dated, surplus or imperfect yet edible food items cheaply is a magnet for thrifty shoppers. They can find vegetables costing just 27 US cents, a bottle of beer for 30 cents, and a pack of meat costing less than 1 dollar. The customers included a young woman trying to stretch the food budget for her family of 9; a woman and daughter who drive for an hour to buy meat; and a man thrilled by finding an unexpected bargain. Why do people come to this store that also reflects the huge volume of food discarded in Japan? For 3 days, we talked to customers hunting a bargain while filling their shopping baskets.
Haven't Seen
Season 2021
Fireworks Shop: Lighting Up a Quiet Summer
Episode 20 - 12-14-2021
From handheld sparklers to skyrockets and novelty fireworks, a small shop in Yamanashi Prefecture sells over 400 kinds of fireworks. Locals and visitors flock to this shop during a summer when many large fireworks displays were canceled. Customers included a family buying fireworks with a curry fragrance; an elderly couple buying an assortment for their grandchildren; and a worker at an elderly care facility hoping to give the residents a colorful thrill. For 3 days, we asked people why fireworks were special to them.
Haven't Seen
Warming Body and Heart at a Yakiimo Shop
Episode 19 - 11-16-2021
On a cold winter day in Japan, a piping-hot sweet potato baked so a natural sweet syrup oozes from its skin is hard to beat. An old-fashioned, no-frills shop in Ibaraki Prefecture sells these potatoes that warm the body and heart. Customers there include a woman sending potatoes as a gift; a mother buying a treat for her young daughter; and newlyweds sharing a potato and enjoying the simple things in life. For 3 days at the end of a year in which life was turned upside-down, we ask people about why they crave this simple, warming snack.
Haven't Seen
The Station Under the Cherry Blossoms
Episode 18 - 11-02-2021
A small, unmanned train station on the Noto Peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, is quiet for most of the year. But each spring, the station comes to life as about 100 cherry blossom trees flanking the tracks burst into bloom. The visitors included a woman and her elderly mother admiring the view of the petals, trains and nearby ocean; a man reminiscing about an inspiring high school teacher; and an elderly couple who helped plant some of the trees and who volunteer to keep the station clean. For 3 days, we asked people what the blossoms at this station mean to them.
Haven't Seen
Tokyo Stationery Store: Messages from the Heart
Episode 17 - 10-19-2021
Meeting in person isn't easy these days, so sending a written message is a personal way to stay in touch. A stationery shop in Ginza, Tokyo, has over 5,000 items in a two-floor card and letter pad section. The customers included a man writing to his wife on their wedding anniversary for the first time; a company worker sending messages to clients she cannot meet due to coronavirus restrictions; and a woman cheered by handwritten letters from her grandmother. For 3 days, we asked what messages they would write.
Haven't Seen
Starting Fresh: One-Stop Uniform Shop
Episode 16 - 10-05-2021
A uniform specialty store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, sells an exhaustive range of attire for medical staff, chefs, security guards and various other workers. What does a brand-new uniform mean to these workers? For 3 days in mid-March, we asked that question to customers including a dentist expanding their wardrobe; a restaurant part-time worker buying new shoes; and the owner of a traditional Japanese restaurant desperately trying to keep her business afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Haven't Seen
Quiet Prayers at a Secluded Shrine
Episode 15 - 9-14-2021
Near the towering apartment buildings in Tokyo's Tsukuda area is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it alley. But tucked away down the narrow passage is a stone carving of a Buddhist guardian deity and a centuries-old ginkgo tree. Some people come to this small, secluded site to pray for good health, others for business prosperity or a better relationship with their spouse. Some just drop by to clear their mind. For 3 days, we asked visitors why they come to this unique spot loved by locals for almost 300 years.
Haven't Seen
Water Taxis: Across the Sea and Beyond
Episode 14 - 8-17-2021
For the approximately 1,100 residents of Kakeroma Island in southern Japan, water taxis that travel to Amami Oshima, a nearby larger island, are a vital mode of transport for going shopping or to work. Among the people using these boats during 3 days in late March were a woman who had stocked up at a supermarket; a family who had moved here from Tokyo; and a teacher being transferred after completing his post at a school with 18 students. We explored the role these boats play in daily life here and in keeping community ties strong.
Haven't Seen
Tokyo Dry Cleaner's: Reviving Clothes, Reliving Memories
Episode 13 - 8-03-2021
A small dry cleaner in a western Tokyo commuter town is known for removing stubborn stains from garments and items that are precious to the owner. Among the customers are a woman who skipped getting her winter clothes cleaned during the coronavirus state of emergency; a nightclub waiter who gets his tailor-made suit cleaned monthly; and a woman who has taken it upon herself to raise her granddaughter. For 3 days, we asked customers about the tale behind each item getting carefully cleaned.
Haven't Seen
Life Stories at a Hospital Convenience Store
Episode 12 - 7-20-2021
A convenience store inside a major hospital in Kamakura City, just south of Tokyo, is open around the clock for doctors, nurses, patients and their families. Among the customers were a nurse buying herself a sweet treat after finishing an emergency operation; a patient who bought more than 10 books to read and pass the time; and an on-duty doctor needing an energy boost in the wee hours. Even though many people are staying home during the state of emergency, the hospital remains as busy as ever. For 3 days, we asked the customers what they were buying and why they were there.
Haven't Seen
New Beginnings from an Osaka Bus Terminal
Episode 11 - 6-29-2021
In Japan, spring is a time when many people move for school or work. A highway bus terminal linking Osaka Prefecture with over 60 cities is a magnet for people starting the next chapter in life. Among those we met at this terminal were a couple visiting their hometown for the first time in a year; a woman getting engaged to her long-distance boyfriend; and a newly grad moving out of his mother's home to start a new job far away. For 3 days in mid-March, soon after the COVID state of emergency was lifted, we asked people at the terminal where they were going, and why.
Haven't Seen
Fukushima Bento Shop: Serving Meals and Hope
Episode 10 - 6-22-2021
It has been 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami occurred, and nuclear meltdowns forced the town of Namie to evacuate. Work to decontaminate and rebuild this part of Fukushima Prefecture is still ongoing. For many workers here, a bento shop is a vital source of cheap, hearty food. The customers at the shop included a dump truck driver who says that the town still feels empty; a man who has been engaged in decontamination work for a decade; and an elderly woman who says that she prefers to be in Namie even if there's nobody around. For 3 days, we asked what this shop means to the customers - and this town.
Haven't Seen
Seeing Out 2020 in the Heart of Tokyo Bay
Episode 9 - 5-25-2021
The Umihotaru parking area in the heart of Tokyo Bay offers 360-degree views of the surrounding area. Among the visitors we met over 3 days at the end of 2020 were a married couple who dropped plans to visit their distant hometowns over the New Year; a man who listens to pilots flying overhead communicating with air traffic controllers; and a couple who have been dating for less than a week braving the gale. At the end of a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, we asked visitors what is on their minds as they take in the ocean scenery.
Haven't Seen
Tanga: The Market With a Big Heart
Episode 8 - 5-04-2021
Tanga Market, a century-old market of 120 shops in western Japan, is known as the "kitchen of Kitakyushu." Although the market will soon be redeveloped, its old-fashioned charm keeps pulling in shoppers. Among the customers there were a man who feels at home at the market, even if he does not buy anything; an elderly woman grumbling about having to cook her son's meals; and a young couple bewitched by the variety of foods sold there. For 3 days in late December, we explored why this market remains so popular.
Haven't Seen
Shimanami Kaido: A Ride Along Life's Cycle
Episode 7 - 4-20-2021
The 70-kilometer Shimanami Kaido cycling route, which links Honshu and Shikoku via a chain of bridges and islands, is a magnet for cyclists from across Japan - and even further afield. Among the people we met pedaling along this route were a father and son who come every year; a farmer reliving his youthful days on 2 wheels; and a middle-aged couple now able to spend more time together. Why is this route so special to them? For 3 days, we spoke to cyclists riding the Shimanami Kaido, come rain or shine.
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Opening New Doors at a Furniture Outlet Store
Episode 6 - 4-06-2021
A major furniture outlet store in Chiba Prefecture boasts a stock of roughly 1,400 items from beds, sofas to tables. Customers are increasing since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic as people are staying in more and seeking to make their homes more comfortable. Among the customers we met were a man searching for a dining table hoping to spend quality time with his family, and a woman who is replacing all her furniture to surround herself with only the things she loves. The choices they make tell us something about who they are, and the changes and challenges they face in life. How do they picture their future? For 3 days, we listened to their stories.
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Sapporo Born and Bread: A 24-Hour Sandwich Shop
Episode 5 - 3-09-2021
With over 40 kinds of handmade sandwiches including egg, mince cutlet and even fruit available, it could be the wide selection that draws customers to this small shop near Sapporo's Susukino entertainment district. However, this shop has another major attraction: it is open 24 hours a day. Among the customers we met, include a female owner of a nearby bar; a mother preparing breakfast for her family at 4 AM; and a nightclub host needing a snack before work. For 3 days, we spoke to the customers dropping by this shop that never sleeps.
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The Zoo on a Hill
Episode 4 - 2-16-2021
It's small and has only a few large animals, but a hilltop zoological park in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, has captured the heart of locals for decades. It is home to about 60 different species and is frequented by many, especially since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic which has made it difficult to travel far. Among the visitors to this free admission zoo are people on family outings; a woman who comes on various milestones in her life; and a young couple who come at night to find nocturnal creatures in the park. For 3 days, we asked visitors why this seemingly ordinary zoo has become a special place for so many people.
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Giving Kitchen Equipment New Homes
Episode 3 - 2-02-2021
A Tokyo store selling cheap, good-quality kitchen equipment is a boon for restaurant owners, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. The store sells over 9,000 kinds of products, ranging from fridges to pots and pans to cutlery. Among customers we met were an owner of a Japanese-style bar who started meal deliveries; and a couple opening their dream café. The store also receives a steady stream of requests to buy equipment from restaurants that have shut their doors. For 3 days, we asked operators who shop here about what's on their minds as they search for their new equipment.
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Seeds of Happiness at a Tokyo Garden Center
Episode 2 - 1-26-2021
As many people have spent more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic, gardening has become a popular hobby. Tokyo's garden megastore with over 100,000 varieties of plants is the go-to place for people wanting flowers, vegetables, bonsai trees or rare shrubs. The center's customers include a man inspired by a cactus' power to survive, a woman who buys weakened plants so she can help them recover and a woman who feels most relaxed when she tends to her plants. For 3 days, we asked what plants mean to them.
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Adios, El Dorado Carousel!
Episode 1 - 1-12-2021
The closure of Tokyo's Toshimaen amusement park in August 2020 marked the end of an era. For decades, El Dorado, the park's wooden carousel, was a popular attraction with visitors young and old. In the days before the park closed, visitors flocked to the carousel for a final ride, including an elderly couple who came on dates here before they married; a young man reminiscing about happier times with his family; and a woman who wants her late mother to see that she is back on her feet. For 3 days, we asked why this ride held such a special place in the hearts of so many people.
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Season 2020
Tokyo Taxi Oasis
Episode 19 - 12-15-2020
A road near Tokyo's Roppongi district is an oasis for taxi drivers who are allowed to park here for as long as they like. There, the drivers can relax, eat and even sleep on a break. As the coronavirus pandemic rumbles on, how do drivers feel about their jobs? The drivers we met included one who started this career after the pandemic erupted, one thinking of quitting because his income has plunged and another who cannot quit because he has a family to support. For 3 days, we asked drivers who parked along this road about their job and what the future holds.
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Small Wedding Stories
Episode 18 - 11-17-2020
In this episode, the stage is a low-budget wedding hall in Tokyo, where 30-40 couples shuffle through every day for affordable, small-scale, short notice wedding arrangements. For many of the couples, the simple weddings are a display of best effort in the face of the demands of work and family. Some skip the ceremony altogether, opting to just have pictures taken to commemorate a turning point in their lives. For all the couples, the weddings represent a profound triumph over adversity, and celebration of a new life together. People from all walks of life, and their small wedding stories.
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Muscle and Bustle: A 24-Hour Gym in Tokyo
Episode 17 - 11-03-2020
A large 24-hour sports gym in Tokyo's Harajuku district has members of all ages, sizes and strength levels. Among the people who come to lift weights are a man who started training to impress women; a woman finally spending time doing what she wants; and a man who used to be bullied in school but who is now a professional personal trainer. For 3 days, we asked members about what motivates them to continue coming to this gym. (This episode was filmed in mid-February 2020.)
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Tanabata Wishes at a Tokyo Temple
Episode 16 - 10-20-2020
Many people in Japan celebrate the Tanabata Star Festival -- a tradition marked each July 7 -- by writing a wish on a thin sheet of colored paper and tying it to a bamboo branch. Zojoji Temple, which stands near the base of Tokyo Tower, holds an annual festival during which visitors write their deepest wish in the hope it will come true. Among the visitors to the temple in the days leading up to Tanabata were a woman longing to meet a man she has had a crush on for 10 years, a couple worried that the coronavirus pandemic might jeopardize their bonuses and an Australian woman who comes every year with a message for her deceased father. For 3 days, we asked people at the temple about the wishes -- ranging from the modest to the extravagant -- they penned and the stories behind them.
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Finding Solace at Inokashira Park
Episode 15 - 10-06-2020
By late June, about 1 month after Japan's coronavirus state of emergency had been lifted, people had gradually returned to Tokyo's Inokashira Park. Among the visitors to the popular park's lush greenery and large pond were friends catching up after a long time being unable to meet; a comedy duo practicing to achieve their goal of finding fame; and a company employee leisurely reading a book and enjoying the outdoors after being stuck inside during the previous months. What inspired these people to come here? For 3 days, we asked visitors about what the park means to them.
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Osaka Castle Park: The Park That Never Sleeps
Episode 14 - 9-15-2020
Osaka Castle, which stands in the heart of Osaka City, western Japan, is surrounded by a park covering more than 100 hectares. Each year, over 2.7 million people visit this urban park famous for its castle, gardens and multipurpose hall. This green oasis is open 24 hours a day, so people come here around the clock. For some, it is a place to do exercise; for others, a place to relax or sightsee. For 3 days, we asked visitors what makes the Osaka Castle Park special and why it holds a place in their hearts.
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Inside Japan's Largest Freight Terminal
Episode 13 - 8-18-2020
Tokyo Freight Terminal is Japan's largest distribution hub, with goods from across the nation arriving and being shipped out 24 hours a day. Train drivers, engineers, truck drivers and forklift operators are among the army of workers who keep this vital facility running smoothly. The volume of freight shipped by rail in Japan is growing annually due to the rise in online shopping and a shortage of truck drivers. For 3 days, we spoke to the men and women making sure these cargoes reach their destinations - safely and on time.
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Climbing the Walls of Life
Episode 12 - 8-04-2020
An indoor climbing gym in Kawasaki City, near Tokyo, gives climbers a venue to test their physical limit and improve their skills while experiencing thrills - and a sense of achievement - not often found in daily life. The facility's 4-meter-tall bouldering wall and towering climbing walls more than 10 meters high provide challenging obstacles for enthusiasts of all ages and abilities, ranging from novices to some of Japan's finest climbers. For 3 days, we spoke to the climbers determined to reach the top of these walls - and to overcome other challenges they face in life along the way.
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Mountain Views, Life Insights
Episode 11 - 7-21-2020
Every autumn, people from across Japan flock to a large observation area about 1,600 meters above sea level in the mountainous village of Achi, Nagano Prefecture. The picture-postcard views include forests of vibrant autumn leaves, starry skies and a sea of clouds. Many visitors arrive in the wee hours so they can reach the summit and watch the morning sunrise above the horizon - often making a wish as the new day dawns. For 3 days, we asked people why they come here and what is going through their minds as they soak up the views.
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10-Year Milestones in Bikers' Life Journeys
Episode 10 - 7-07-2020
In August 2019, more than 2,000 motorcycle fans from across Japan assembled at a remote parking area in the volcanic Mount Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture. They came to be photographed with their prized two-wheelers for an album produced at an event held only once every 10 years. Many attendees have been to all of the event's 5 editions since it started in 1979. How have the participants' lives changed over the decade since the previous event? And what has stayed the same? For 3 days, we spoke to the motorcyclists who made this journey that was also a trip down memory lane.
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From Gang Ties to Business Suits
Episode 9 - 6-23-2020
For junior high or high school graduates, or drop-outs struggling to find their place in society, landing a well-paid, steady job can be almost impossible. But one training center in Tokyo teaches these disaffected youngsters practical skills during a six-month internship and transforms them into workers that companies need. About 400 people have completed this program at the center, and many of them have found excellent jobs at major IT firms and other companies. For 3 days, we closely watched the youngsters determined to turn their lives around and start climbing the career ladder.
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Spilling the Beans at a Coffee Stall
Episode 8 - 5-26-2020
2 brothers in their 70's operate this unpretentious street stall that has only 1 item on the menu - coffee. The stall is set up each evening in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, and has been a popular haunt for locals and visitors for almost half a century. Among the customers we met were: a successful psychiatrist who runs several hospitals; a company employee who always ends his week here; and a man who has been coming here since he was a little boy. For 3 days, we asked the customers about what makes this stall so special, and why they keep coming back.
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Big Fish, Big Dreams
Episode 7 - 5-05-2020
Every winter, anglers from across the country flock to one of Japan's most popular surf spots - Ishizakihama, in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan. They all come in the hopes of catching the mulloway, a fish that approaches the shore around this time of year and can measure well over a meter in length. However, the chances of catching one is said to be as slim as winning the lottery. For 3 days, we spoke to the avid anglers who make every effort to capture these elusive creatures, and forge new friendships in the process.
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Home for the Holidays: A Supermarket in Fukushima
Episode 6 - 4-21-2020
The Great East Japan Earthquake and the ensuing Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 forced all the residents of Namie Town to evacuate. When the evacuation order was partially lifted in 2017, some residents began returning to their hometown. In the summer of 2019, a large supermarket opened its doors to eager shoppers. In this episode, we spent 3 days at the supermarket during the busiest time of the year - around New Year's - and asked customers how their lives have changed since the disaster, and how they will be spending the holidays, 9 years on.
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Akihabara: Infatuated with Electronics
Episode 5 - 4-06-2020
A store in Akihabara, Japan's biggest electronics town, sells over 100,000 electronics parts, including resistors, capacitors and circuit boards. Around 1,000 people come to the store every day, from professional engineers to people who like to build their own electronics for fun. Among the people we meet are a musician who makes his own effects units; a graduate student who makes drones to take a break from job hunting; and a man whose hobby of fixing car audio systems has turned into a job. For 3 days, we peeked inside the store to find out what it is people come to buy and what they hope to create with it.
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A 400K "Survival Run" in Okinawa
Episode 4 - 3-10-2020
Runners have 72 hours to complete a 400-km "Survival Run" around the main island of Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan. The 68 participants from across Japan complain that the race is exhausting and torturous, yet they continue to push themselves, day and night. Some say that running allows them to forget all their worries and stress, others say they enjoy increasing their distance. We spent 3 days chasing after them to find out what motivates them to continue running.
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A Toast to Life
Episode 3 - 2-17-2020
A liquor store in Ginza, Tokyo, boasts a selection of over 3,000 types of mainly wine and whiskey from around the world, including a bottle that costs over 18,000 US dollars. Their tastings attract many drink lovers: customers can choose from over 1,000 bottles, with each sample glass costing just a few dollars. There, we meet a man who has a collection of over 100 types of whiskey at home and a proprietress of a bar who has survived 40 years of fierce competition. A Chinese company president-cum-sake sommelier who exports sake shares a nugget of wisdom: if you like it, it's a good drink, regardless of the price. For 3 days, we asked liquor store customers about their drink of choice.
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Toothy Smiles and Dental Woes: A 24-Hour Dentist's Office
Episode 2 - 2-03-2020
A dentist's office in Fukuoka, southern Japan, has people streaming in around the clock to be relieved of their pain or to improve their smile. Some of the patients include: a man who lost 3 of his front teeth in a fight back in high school; an older man who has had dentures since he was in his 40's; and a university student who says that getting her teeth fixed gave her a more positive outlook on life. Each chip, crack, cavity and missing tooth has a story behind it. For 3 days, we hear about some of the drama in these patients' lives.
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Chasing Dreams in a Shared Office Space
Episode 1 - 1-13-2020
Working styles are changing with the times. People no longer have to be physically present at their office at a certain time, and not everyone wants to be an "employee" at a company. In this episode, we visit a shared office space in Nagatacho - home to the National Diet Building and the center of national politics. In this place, which resembles a cafe more than an office, there are several co-working spaces and rental offices. A variety of people spend their day here - from freelancers and entrepreneurs, to people who have an office elsewhere but who use the space as a satellite office. We spent 3 days following them, as they search for their own unique work styles and chase their dreams.
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Season 2019
Lines and Lives at Airport Immigration
Episode 999 - 12-24-2019
As Christmas approaches, Narita Airport's immigration inspection area heaves with visitors flying in. For 3 days, we spoke to travelers passing through this gateway to Japan.
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From Town to Town on Hokkaido's Blood Donation Bus
Episode 20 - 12-16-2019
We follow a blood donation bus on its journey from town to town in Hokkaido Prefecture. Japan as a whole faces a chronic shortage of blood donors, but Hokkaido has the highest donor rate in the nation. In a prefecture where the population density is low, this bus is what makes it possible to collect everyone's blood donation by traveling from one town to another. Some of the donors we meet are: a man who has donated blood 289 times, a woman who is donating blood as an act of gratitude and a nursery school teacher who feels refreshed by having blood drawn. We spend 3 days visiting small towns in Hokkaido, on a mission of compassion.
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Nurse Visits: Home is Where the Heart is
Episode 19 - 12-02-2019
As Japan's society continues to gray, the nation's hospitals are facing a chronic shortage of beds. At the same time, a growing number of people want to spend their final days at home rather than in a hospital, and others would rather care for ill relatives in their own home. Home care nurses provide invaluable support for people who choose to receive medical treatment at home. For 3 days, we followed the home care nurses that look after more than 190 patients living in Higashikurume in western Tokyo. What do these visits mean to the patients, who ranged from young children with cerebral palsy to the city's increasingly elderly residents?
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A New Life Away From Bustling Tokyo
Episode 18 - 11-18-2019
Japan's population continues to gravitate to the Tokyo area, but some people long to move from the capital to different corners of the nation. A consultation center in Tokyo's Yurakucho district is a magnet for anyone considering such a shift. At the center, consultants from 39 prefectures offer free advice, information, and handy tips about housing, employment, and any other aspect of daily life that awaits new residents. About 70% of people who come seeking for advice are aged 40 or younger. Among the visitors we met over 3 days was a man in his 60's looking for a new place to live after a recent divorce, and a man who took early retirement so he could return to Kyushu and spend more time with his children. Why do people want to move from Tokyo? And what do they hope to find after moving to their new home?
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Bargain Shoes for the Next Step in Life
Episode 17 - 11-04-2019
A huge footwear store in Kobe attracts customers from far and wide. About 100,000 pairs of shoes, sandals, and boots fill the shelves of this store, which covers over 3,000 square meters. But the biggest surprise inside the store is the prices. Sandals are priced from just 499 yen (less than $5), pumps start at 980 yen, and 2 pairs of business leather shoes cost a total of 5,000 yen. Every day, customers seeking a bargain on footwear are drawn to this store. But for many of them, shoes are more than just something worn on their feet. For 3 days in early summer, we listened to the personal stories of the customers who come here to save money for the next step in their life.
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Wig Shop: A New Appearance, A New Self
Episode 16 - 10-22-2019
For some people, a wig is a "secret item" that dramatically transforms their appearance and mood. An underground shopping mall in Shinjuku, Tokyo, is home to a wig shop that has been providing all manner of wigs to men and women, young and old, for more than 40 years. Some of the customers we meet include a woman in her 40's worried about her thinning hair, a fitness instructor seeking a wig that would suit her costume for a dance performance, and a middle-aged man who enjoys cross-dressing. Each customer carefully selects a wig that matches their needs. What are they hoping to change about themselves, and who do they want to become?
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Catching Goldfish at a Fishing Pond in Tokyo
Episode 15 - 10-07-2019
A few minutes' walk from Asagaya Station, Tokyo, is a traditional goldfish fishing pond that has been operating in a quiet residential area for more than 90 years. Anybody can casually stop by and drop a line in the pond, which is popular with adults and children alike. The customers we encountered included a man who has been regularly fishing there for more than 50 years, a man who drives for 3 hours every weekend to try his luck at the pond, and a woman who catches up to 200 goldfish in just one day. What are they thinking about as they sit around this pond richly stocked with various varieties of goldfish?
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Fasting Retreat: A Break for the Body and Mind
Episode 14 - 9-16-2019
Amid the ongoing health boom, many people have been tempted to try "short-term fasting" to improve their physical and mental condition. Visitors to a facility in Izu Kogen in Shizuoka Prefecture, willingly fast for several days not only to become healthier, but also to shake off feelings of gloom and unhappiness. The visitors include a man who manages a real estate agency who says that the fasting has given him a whole different perspective on life, a woman needing a break from caring for her elderly father, and a woman who took over her husband's design company after he died of cancer 10 years ago. During their stay, they eat only a rice porridge and a bland bowl of miso soup each morning and night. What do these people want to change, and what do they hope to achieve by fasting at this facility?
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Shibuya Post Office: Countdown to a New Era
Episode 13 - 8-19-2019
A few minutes' walk from the famous intersection in Shibuya, Tokyo, is a 24-hour post office. In recent years, this post office has handled an increasing volume of packages for delivery, mainly due to the popularity of online flea market apps among people of all ages. In late April and early May 2019, Shibuya was abuzz as people celebrated the dawn of the Reiwa era. For 3 days spanning this period, we spoke to customers around the clock at Shibuya Post Office, including a woman sending clothes she sold online, an elderly man who has collected stamps for over 60 years, and a woman sending heartfelt messages to her 3 adult children. What else were people posting? And what sentiments were being delivered along with their postcards and packages?
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A Rotary in a Student Town: Meeting Spot, Melting Pot
Episode 12 - 8-05-2019
Takadanobaba is home to dozens of universities, university preparatory schools, and vocational colleges, making it one of Tokyo's most popular student districts. An ordinary open space inside the rotary in front of the station is a regular meeting spot for students going to parties or club activities at all times of the day and night. Among the people we meet assembling at this hive of activity are university students going out for a few drinks after their soccer training, and a group of middle-aged men who have come for a reunion to take a walk down memory lane in a district where they spent a several years of their youth. For 3 days straddling the end of one academic year and the start of a new one, we asked the students, past and present, about why this iconic location holds a special place in their hearts.
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Jumokuso: Resting Beneath a Cherry Tree
Episode 11 - 7-22-2019
At a large cemetery in a Tokyo suburb, cherry trees grow in between rows of traditional gravestones. The trees themselves are also graves - a form of tree burial called "jumokuso" gaining popularity across Japan as more people express their wish to return to nature after they die. For 3 days during cherry blossom season, we meet people flocking to the cemetery to pay their respects, including a man on his weekly visit to the grave of his late wife, who stood by him through difficult times; 3 brothers who always visit their father's grave together around this time of the year; and a woman who talks to her late husband as she sips on a beer, as they used to enjoy doing together.
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Small Island, Big Send-Offs
Episode 10 - 7-08-2019
Spring in Japan is a time of new beginnings and also goodbyes. On Fukue Island, the largest of the Goto Islands in the far west of Japan, locals have made sending off people moving away an intrinsic part of life. In the closing days of March, when many people move for work, education, marriage, or other reasons, the terminal building at the island's ferry port - and its wharf - fills with relatives, colleagues, classmates, former students, and friends who come to bid farewell. These high-spirited goodbyes feature a mixture of hugs, tearful messages, songs, and signs. For 3 days, we watched the people embarking on the next chapter of their lives away from Fukue, and the locals ensuring they get a farewell to remember.
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Flipping Backward, Looking Forward
Episode 9 - 6-24-2019
A gym in a residential area of Tokyo offers classes for a slightly unusual activity where going backward is actually a sign of progress - doing backflips. These lessons are becoming increasingly popular among children, housewives, and company employees who drop by to master their technique after work. Among the people at this gym are a man in his 40's who has long admired Jackie Chan and a young woman who hopes doing backflips might give her cosplay photos a stylish edge. For 3 days, we spoke to people determined to find out if doing a complete backflip will also help their lives take a turn for the better.
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A Realtor in Fukuoka: Opening the Door to New Lives
Episode 8 - 5-28-2019
This episode focuses on a small real estate agency near Fukuoka Prefecture's Nakasu entertainment district, the biggest in Kyushu. Despite being tucked away on the 3rd floor of a multitenant building and displaying no signage, this agency receives a steady stream of customers who have seen its online listings. This agency offers everything from dirt-cheap apartments where monthly rent costs less than 20,000 yen (about US $180) to commercial properties seeking new tenants. The growing range of properties handled by this real estate agency reflects the recent increase in Fukuoka's population. Moving to a new apartment or home can herald the start of a new chapter in life. What sort of people come to this real estate agency, and why do they want to rent a place?
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A Barter Chain in Osaka
Episode 7 - 5-06-2019
If you start with a charm that supposedly brings good luck and offer to barter it with passersby on a bridge in Osaka Prefecture's Dotonbori district, what sort of trades will happen and people will you meet? For 3 days, we put this question to the test. The people who swapped items with us included a Frenchman who fell in love with Osaka and decided to live there, a women's soccer team visiting the city on a university graduation trip, and an elementary school student traveling with his father after participating in a national karate tournament. Through a series of trades, a connection gradually forms among strangers who otherwise would have no link with each other. When 72 hours are up, what has the "bringer of good luck" turned into?
Haven't Seen
New Year Countdown at the Airport
Episode 6 - 4-22-2019
Since opening in 2015, Narita Airport's Terminal 3 for low-cost carriers has attracted more passengers each year as travelers swoop on the cheap airfares these airlines offer. Even though it lies about 600 meters from the nearest train station -- a bit of a challenge for people carrying bulky luggage -- around 20,000 people use this terminal every day. For 3 days in late December 2018, we spoke to people at this airport, including its 24-hour departure lobby and adjoining food court. As the year draws to a close, where will travelers fly off to?
Haven't Seen
A Matchmaking Lounge in Sendai
Episode 5 - 4-08-2019
In this episode, the scene takes place at a so-called table-sharing lounge in Sendai City, where men and women of all ages and backgrounds come in the hope of finding someone special while they are matched with random strangers. The customers we encounter include a group of young women who say that there's a lack of men in their town, a hairstylist trying to get over a difficult breakup, and a 23-year-old farmer who wants to get married. The spread of social media has made it simple to contact someone in an instant, but many people we spoke to say they hardly meet anyone new in person. Who are they hoping to meet at this lounge? For 3 days around Christmas 2018, we follow the men and women trying to give Cupid a helping hand.
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The DIYers of the Suburban Home Center
Episode 4 - 3-12-2019
Our stage this time is one of the largest home centers in Japan, located in a suburb east of Tokyo. From daily necessities to building and gardening materials, every product imaginable can be found here. A couple with a shared love of DIY (Do It Yourself) pick out lumber to rebuild a fence destroyed in a typhoon. Meanwhile, a woman working in rehabilitation looks for materials to make a device to help a patient. We listen to the stories of these people as they attempt to improve their lives through DIY.
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3333 Stones: Japan's Longest Flight of Steps
Episode 3 - 2-19-2019
In a quiet mountain town in Kumamoto Prefecture, there's a flight of 3,333 stone steps. Measuring 2.1 kilometers, it's the longest in Japan and takes the average adult about 90 minutes to climb. The steps attract people who want to put themselves through a strenuous challenge for various reasons. One group of university students makes the climb knowing they will go their separate ways after graduation. An elderly beautician takes on the steps with apprentices who are like sons to him. Some visitors go up and down several times a day. With anguished looks and trembling legs, they test their limits. We spent 3 days meeting people going up and down the 3,333 steps.
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Tokyo Station: Meet me at the "Silver Bell"
Episode 2 - 2-05-2019
Each day, more than 1.8 million people pass through Tokyo Station. For 50 years, the Gin-no-suzu (silver bell) waiting area inside the station has been a popular landmark and a favorite spot to meet up with others. Countless reunions and farewells take place under this huge bell that adorns the center of the waiting area. The people waiting there include a group of elderly men who meet there on each other's birthdays before heading off to celebrate, and far-flung fans of a pop band who met online and are going to a concert together. But for some, finding Gin-no-suzu inside the sprawling station is not so easy and rendezvous plans do not work out as expected. For 3 days, we talked to the people waiting at this iconic spot -- and to the people they were meeting.
Haven't Seen
Hakodate's Hamburgers of Happiness
Episode 1 - 1-15-2019
About 5 million people visit Hakodate in Hokkaido Prefecture, but in recent years this picturesque northern city has become known for another down-to-earth attraction: a hamburger restaurant that offers huge servings. Its unique hamburgers include fillings such as deep-fried chicken and crumbed pork cutlets. Many customers who come for a hearty lunch get so full that they do not need to eat dinner. Although Hakodate often tops surveys of attractive places to visit, the city also suffers from a falling population and high unemployment rate. For 3 days, we asked customers at this restaurant that has been loved by locals for decades about what they define as happiness
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Season 2018
From the Remittance Office with Love
Episode 20 - 12-18-2018
Our stage this time is a remittance office in Okubo, Tokyo, where 40% of the population is international. Foreign workers visit this office in an endless stream, where money can be sent to 150 different countries for a fee of about 1,000 yen. An Indonesian woman sends tuition money for her sister's children, while a man from Africa transfers money to fly his son in to live with him. We listen to customers' stories as they send money, and love, to the people they hold dear.
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Surviving the Summer with Fresh Juice
Episode 19 - 12-04-2018
Shimbashi, Tokyo, where office workers thrive. When they need refreshment, they head to a local, long-running juice stand. Ingredients range from peach and watermelon, to turmeric and aloe. Over 150 customers come each day, seeking colorful juice made with seasonal fruits and vegetables. A businessman rushes in before a negotiation, a woman in her 30's comes by to care hungover. Another man, in his 70's, has been a regular customer since before he retired. We spend 3 days in this oasis, listening to the thoughts of people who come here for a break.
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The Sight Beyond the Undersea Tunnel
Episode 18 - 11-20-2018
It is 780 meters long, dead straight and has few distinguishing features, but the undersea pedestrian tunnel running 60 meters underneath the Kanmon Straits in southwestern Japan attracts a steady stream of visitors. Many people use the tunnel to travel between Fukuoka Pref. and Yamaguchi Pref., but others have different purposes in mind. The visitors are diverse: from a woman in her 20's who brought her boyfriend to the tunnel that is filled with childhood memories, a man who comes to secretly train for a marathon, to a woman who walks there every week with old friends no matter how busy she is. What draws them to this nondescript tunnel that remains unchanged, day after day? We spend 3 days looking at who walks through this underground passage.
Haven't Seen
Hooked on Fishing in Tokyo Bay
Episode 17 - 10-30-2018
In a corner of a major industrial zone on Tokyo Bay sits a park from which people can fish at any time of the day or night. More than 20 kinds of fish, including horse mackerel and sea bass, can be caught from the waterfront park, which attracts fishing fans around the clock. Among the people who come to drop a line in the water are a shipyard worker from the Philippines, a freelance illustrator hoping to catch a big fish with her brand-new fishing rod, and a young man who has worked in construction since he was a teenager to support his family and dreams of becoming a photographer. For 3 days in July, as Tokyo sweltered in record-breaking heat, we asked the people at this park about why they went fishing there.
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Relaxing in a Nagoya Café
Episode 16 - 10-23-2018
From reasonable breakfasts to ice cream sodas to sweet bean paste on toast, our stage this time is a Nagoya café. Tea culture has thrived in Nagoya from the days of old, and cafés now make up 40% of its dining establishments. It's not unusual for families to spend mornings here, or even for customers to come multiple times a day. Sit and relax on a dark red sofa, and your heart will belong here. We spend 3 days in an old café in Nagoya, surrendering ourselves to the nostalgic retro atmosphere.
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The Great Hospital Move
Episode 15 - 10-09-2018
We cover an old hospital, built in the year of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as it moves to a new building. The new hospital is only 250 meters away, but to ensure treatment is uninterrupted, all patients must be moved in a single day. What's more, the movement of beds and medical machines must also follow a tight schedule, transferred to the new building one truckload at a time. In preparation for this day, the doctors and nurses started holding meetings over 6 months before. Just how will this massive project turn out?
Haven't Seen
The Race Before the Japanese Derby
Episode 14 - 9-18-2018
The Japanese Derby is an annual race that draws over 100,000 spectators. Many fans start lining up near the entrances to Tokyo Racecourse several days – the first ones more than a week – before the race, which lasts just two and a half minutes. Among those lining up are a man for whom the racetrack brings back happy memories of his late wife, and a man who recently quit his job due to office politics. As the clock ticks down to the race, a special sense of unity develops among those waiting in line. What do they think about, and how do they spend their time, during the tremendously long wait?
Haven't Seen
The Women on the Cosmetics Floor
Episode 13 - 8-21-2018
Sales at department stores have been sluggish in recent years, but the stores' cosmetics sections are providing a ray of light with their robust growth. In 2017, sales at these sections jumped 17% from the previous year and topped 500 billion yen. Each day, about 2,000 customers buy their preferred makeup products at one long-established department store in Nagoya offering an array of famous brands. These customers include an 88-year-old company executive who never goes without makeup, a young woman setting on a new path in life by changing her job and her makeup, and an art dealer who considers cosmetics to be a vital part of her "combat uniform" worn during business battles. How do women want to present themselves and to be seen? For 3 days, we watched the customers quietly – but excitedly – finding their ideal makeup.
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A Spring Miracle: The Firefly Squid of Toyama
Episode 12 - 8-07-2018
For a few days in spring, the normally quiet fishing town of Toyama Prefecture becomes festive as people gather from throughout the country. Their goal: to await the firefly squid. Around the new moon, when conditions are right, the squid will inundate the coast in massive numbers, covering the nighttime shore in their dazzling pale blue light. With baskets and nets in hand, young and old alike wait in the darkness with determination. Will they see the miraculous sight of the squid? We spend 3 spring days with them, waiting for the arrival of the squid.
Haven't Seen
The Traveling Library Truck
Episode 11 - 7-24-2018
For 3 days, we follow a library truck stocked with 2,800 books. In Matsuyama City, a public truck service has been delivering books to the surrounding mountains and islands for 45 years. Many locals use this service, including a retired couple looking for new hobbies, elderly islanders full of curiosity to keep learning, and a pair of friends reunited by the truck who now meet there regularly. We explore how books have touched the lives of the people who gather at the library truck.
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Lives Along Route 45
Episode 10 - 7-10-2018
Route 45, a national highway that snakes along the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region, is a vital link between areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Starting on the disaster's 7th anniversary, we travel from south to north to meet people living near this road. Over 3 days, we talk to people including an elderly woman taking a break near the spot where her house once stood, and a researcher who moved from Tokyo to study Tohoku's natural environment. Reconstruction is progressing well in some areas, but not so in others. As signs of the long-awaited spring appear, what thoughts are on the minds of residents here?
Haven't Seen
A Park Where Dreams Take Wing
Episode 9 - 6-26-2018
Located near Narita International Airport, Sakuranoyama Park offers visitors close-up views of planes arriving at and taking off from this major gateway to Japan. At times, several hundred people visit the park each day to catch awe-inspiring glimpses of huge aircraft flying overhead. Among the visitors were avid photographers, an elderly man who has never been on a plane, and a man fondly recalling the days when he flew all over the country on business trips. People at the park superimpose their own lives and dreams on the planes flying to distant corners of the world. For 3 days in early spring, a season for new beginnings, we listened to the stories of park visitors gazing at the planes up in the sky.
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Heading Home on the Strait Ferry
Episode 8 - 5-29-2018
It's midwinter at Tsugaru Strait, where a huge ferry connects the 120 kilometers between Aomori Prefecture and Hakodate, Hokkaido. With showers, a game center and even suite rooms with beds, the spacious ferry can carry 600 passengers. At the end of each year, crowds of people head back to their hometowns on this boat. From a father living away from his family for work, to a couple excited about their new life together, everyone has a different reason for crossing the strait. We spend 3 days traveling between Aomori and Hakodate, and take a look at the stories of the people we meet.
Haven't Seen
Christmas at a 24-Hour Bakery
Episode 7 - 5-08-2018
In a residential area in Koto Ward, Tokyo, is a bakery open 24 hours a day. Their Danish Bread, rich with butter and fresh cream, sells over 1,000 loaves each day. Many people come to buy this bread not only for themselves, but as gifts for others as well. From people sending it as a casual present to friends and family, to businessmen buying it as a thank-you gift, we spend 3 days looking at who buys this sweet, delicious bread.
Haven't Seen
Bento Tales from a Northern Fishing Town
Episode 6 - 4-24-2018
When the herring season starts and winter's icy grip tightens on northern Japan, the locals in the fishing town of Nemuro turn to a convenience store offering warming, satisfying meals with a difference. The 24-hour store close to the port is busy day and night as customers are seduced by its freshly baked bread and extensive range of handmade bento meals. It even sells 150 servings of its signature grilled meat "yakitori" bento each day. Nemuro boasts Japan's largest catches of saury, but the 2017 season was hit by a record-breaking poor haul. What are customers thinking about as they reach for a piping-hot bento at this convenience store? For 3 days, we listened to their personal stories at a store that warms the hearts of many people in Nemuro.
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Printing Shop: Lives in Print
Episode 5 - 4-10-2018
In this age where the shift toward digitization and going paperless seems irresistible, one business in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district still goes through more than 10,000 sheets of paper each day. This 24-hour printing and photocopying shop attracts customers around the clock by offering services such as making posters, bookbinding and printing bulk volumes of beautiful, intricate images that only professionals can deliver. The shop's customers include a company employee desperate to print out materials for an important presentation, and an elderly man who has written his life story and wants it printed so he can leave copies for his family to remember him. What messages do customers want to convey or leave behind on paper? For 3 days, we spoke to people about their personal stories behind the pages copied and printed here.
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When a Man Shines His Shoes
Episode 4 - 3-13-2018
It's said that a man's shoes reflect his pride. This time, we spend 3 days in a street side shoeshine shop, a rare sight in modern-day Tokyo. The customers here are particular about polished shoes: from a man getting into the spirit for an important meeting; to a young businessman using stylish shoes to make an impression; to a man taking care of the precious shoes his wife gave him. We take a look at the lives these men lead, from the shoes up.
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Born to be Wild: Motorcyclists' Road to Happiness
Episode 3 - 2-20-2018
Riding a motorcycle might be hot in summer and cold in winter, but many riders would never consider any other mode of transport. Some even cut back on buying a daily coffee to save money for their bike. There is a large parts store in Tokyo where riders come to seek new accessories or simply to show off their prized vehicle. Among the steady stream of riders drawn to this store are a 75-year-old man who started a part-time job to buy a new bike, a hydroelectric power plant engineer whose career was inspired by a bike, and a man who liked bikes so much he became a courier on 2 wheels. For 3 days, we spoke to these people about why they can't get enough of their motorcycles.
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Life Without a Smartphone
Episode 2 - 2-06-2018
Could you get by if your smartphone stopped working? Our stage this time is a smartphone repair shop in Shibuya, Tokyo. The customers range from a young man wanting to restore precious photos of a summer spent with friends, to a female student worried about being unable to contact anyone. Their phones are filled with personal connections and the memories of daily life. What do they choose to save? What connections are most valuable to them? We spend 3 days filming this repair shop to catch a glimpse of what people keep on their phones.
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Mountain Restaurant: Creating and Reliving Memories
Episode 1 - 1-16-2018
Is this a restaurant or an amusement park? When the mountains in western Japan are enveloped by the darkness of night, this unique restaurant shines with vibrant colors. The restaurant which is modeled on a bandit hideout appeals to diners of all ages with its seasonal events, hearty portions and welcoming atmosphere. For many local young people, this is their first destination after they get a driver's license. For 3 days, we spoke to the customers who came to dine at this restaurant.
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Season 2017
The Daily Life of a Tokyo Mosque
Episode 20 - 12-19-2017
One of the largest mosques in Japan, Tokyo Camii is a gathering place for followers of Islam living in Tokyo. People from over 50 countries come here to pray: a Pakistani who married a Japanese woman, a Japanese who became a Muslim, and an Indonesian student who came to Japan to pursue his dream. People interested in Islamic culture also visit the mosque. They include those who come with a guidebook in hand and those who are interested in taking an Arabic calligraphy class. We spent 3 days filming the daily life of this mosque.
Haven't Seen
Truck Stop: A Break on Life's Journey
Episode 19 - 12-05-2017
Long-haul truckers work and even sleep in their vehicles. A truck stop near a major distribution hub in Kyushu offers drivers a meal, bath and place to relax during grueling journeys across Japan. Truckers taking a break here include a female driver who has decorated her vehicle into what she calls "her home", and 3 work buddies who meet every Friday to go drinking. A former businessman who says that the truck driving job was meant for him, drops in before setting off on a 1,200-kilometer journey. Driving is lonely at times, but at others it offers total freedom. For 3 days, we spoke to the drivers about their passion for the job and their trucks.
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Mt. Kongo: A Climb to the Webcam
Episode 18 - 11-21-2017
An hour's drive from Osaka, Mt. Kongo is the perfect mountain for a casual hike. Attracting many visitors is a live webcam located at the mountain top. The webcam captures a photo once an hour, and the image is posted on Mt. Kongo's website. Some people have made it a daily routine to be punctually photographed at their preferred hour. There's even a family that uses the camera as a way to indirectly communicate with their son who has become distant. Others meet for the first time in front of the camera, and become friends. We spent 3 days with people coming and going on the mountain top as they preserve a single moment of their lives on camera.
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Thoughts and Reflections on a Rooftop Ferris Wheel
Episode 17 - 11-07-2017
The rooftop Ferris wheel in Matsuyama, western Japan, is an attraction that every local knows. During the slow 15-minute ride, people enjoy the view of the entire city and ponder over joy and sorrow. High school students say that it's a routine to hop on the Ferris wheel before their exams to refresh their minds. An old widow always takes a ride after shopping and reflects on her life. Why are people drawn to these enclosed capsules that simply go up and come back down? For 3 days, we spoke to the people as they take this 15-minute journey up to the sky.
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Fabric and Buttons and Me
Episode 16 - 10-24-2017
From colorful cloth to stylish buttons to costume wigs: a large craft shop in Shinjuku carries over 500,000 types of craft materials and accessories. A man comes to buy Gobelin tapestry fabric for a cherry blossom picnic, while a woman spends hours looking for "simple white cloth". A couple has even come from London in search of materials to make doll clothes. We spend 3 days talking to people as they find inspiration amidst the fabric and buttons.
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Small Funerals in a Big City
Episode 15 - 10-10-2017
Small, personal funerals are becoming popular in Japan. At a one-stop funeral facility near Tokyo, a family arranges a simple ceremony in accordance with a deceased relative's wish to spare the family from organizing a large funeral. Another family spends their last night with the deceased in a private room and fondly recalls their happy memories from years gone by. Before cremation, relatives repeatedly come and see their loved one's body as they gradually accept the reality. For 3 days, we spoke to people spending their final moments with someone dear who had passed away.
Haven't Seen
New Bags, New Beginnings
Episode 14 - 9-19-2017
We spend 3 days in a long-established bag shop in Tokyo's Ameyoko Market Street. Parents and children come to buy school bags, their hearts filled with hope. A man picks out a large bag to carry equipment for playing airsoft games. Meanwhile, a woman stops by the store searching for a purse to use as she prepares for the final phase of her life. In the season of new beginnings, we catch a glimpse of the lives people lead from the bags they choose to carry.
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Tokyo's Crossroads of Life
Episode 13 - 8-22-2017
In a residential area of Tokyo is an unusual intersection where 7 roads meet. Bicycles, vehicles and pedestrians constantly weave along these roads. Though there are no traffic lights because of the intersection's complex layout, remarkably few accidents occur, apparently because people automatically and considerately let others go through first. The 7 corners are filled with a variety of shops including a greengrocer's and a small pub, and many people pass through this busy junction from early morning until late at night. For 3 days, we spoke to the many people whose lives meet at this intersection.
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The Melodies of a Street Piano in Miyazaki
Episode 12 - 8-08-2017
In Miyazaki Prefecture, a brightly colored piano stands in a street side plaza. This "street piano" can be played freely by anyone at any time. Players range from an elderly woman playing a children's song, to young students performing a TV drama theme song. One man even taught himself to play by visiting the piano every day, and his performance is now applauded by those who gather to listen. The piano was placed in the plaza 4 years ago to liven up the city, and has quietly become a popular spot. What thoughts do people weave into the melodies they play on this street piano?
Haven't Seen
Jellyfish Wonderland
Episode 11 - 7-25-2017
Facing the Sea of Japan in Yamagata Prefecture is an aquarium with one of the world's largest collections of jellyfish on display. The most popular attraction is a 5-meter-wide tank in which 5,000 moon jellyfish serenely drift around. Aquarium visitors include a high school student who dreams of becoming a rocket engineer as he gazes at jellyfish resembling stars in space, and a woman who watches baby jellyfish for 30 minutes. In the evening, others participate in an overnight event and sleep at the aquarium. For 3 days, we asked why people feel so deeply about these mysterious creatures.
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A Cafe Awaits in Omiya
Episode 10 - 7-11-2017
Omiya, a city where the largest train terminal in Saitama Prefecture links between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the suburbs. A step away from its bustling downtown streets is a slightly curious café. The interior is crowded with bizarre antiques, and all 300 menu choices come in massive portions. Open 24 hours a day, the café is visited by fans of its famous pasta; a local businessman with incredible love for Saitama; and even bar workers on their way home in the morning. We spent 3 days in this offbeat café, where people from the suburbs make a stop before going into the city and those coming from the city spend some time to relax.
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Lines and Lives at Airport Immigration
Episode 9 - 6-27-2017
In the days leading up to Christmas, the immigration inspection area at Narita Airport heaves with tens of thousands of tourists. Among the visitors having their passport checked are an Indian man coming to hold a wedding with his Japanese wife, and siblings here to see their mother for the first time in 10 years. Some visitors are denied entry and must leave without stepping foot in Japan. Measures to prevent smuggling and acts of terrorism are stepped up as the crowd peaks for the holiday season. For 3 days, we spoke to the visitors passing through this major hub and heard stories reflecting the current state of the world.
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From Okinawa to the World and Back
Episode 8 - 5-30-2017
In the streets of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, the air is filled with a dozen foreign languages as people dance the samba and hula in the "Worldwide Uchinanchu (Okinawan) Festival". Around 7,300 Okinawan descendants have returned home from around the world to participate. They are those who went abroad for various reasons, some to find work and some driven from their homes after WWII. Others are 2nd and 3rd generations of Okinawans, and have come to learn more about their ancestral roots. We pay a visit to Kokusai Street, the heart of the festival, to listen to their voices.
Haven't Seen
Behind the Masks: Halloween in Roppongi
Episode 7 - 5-09-2017
At the end of October, 20,000 people of all ages and nationalities descend on the main intersection of Tokyo's Roppongi district to join in the Halloween festivities. Their costumes run the full gamut, from U.S. presidents to iconic Japanese anime characters. The revelers include young men who wear masks to pluck up the courage to chat up women, and a barber who grew his hair for a year as part of his costume. These Halloween activities grew naturally over a decade ago in Roppongi, an area popular also with expats. We spent 3 days uncovering the stories of the people behind the masks.
Haven't Seen
The Traveling Ballot Box
Episode 6 - 4-25-2017
In October 2016, an unusual mayor election was held for Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture. A ballot box was taken on a journey to reach the villagers, who had evacuated to scattered locations after the 2011 nuclear disaster. One candidate argued for a return to the village, while the other argued it was still too dangerous. Voters wanting to return did not want the village to end with their generation, while those opposed to returning were still concerned about the radiation. In the end, what hopes did the 5,200 voters place in the traveling ballot box?
Haven't Seen
Daycare Center in Fukuoka's Nightlife District
Episode 5 - 4-11-2017
Nakasu in Fukuoka Prefecture is one of Japan's largest nightlife districts. Tucked away among the 2,600 dining and entertainment establishments, here is a daycare center open from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. the next morning. During the day, workers at the nearby office district drop off their children, while in the evening a steady stream of parents who work in Nakasu leave their kids in its care. The center has a busy period around midnight as parents pick up their children. They include an elegant restaurant manager wearing a kimono, and single parents working hard to earn enough to raise their children. For 3 days, we listened to the parents and children whose lives are supported by this daycare center.
Haven't Seen
Starlit Tales from a Nagano Tent Village
Episode 4 - 3-14-2017
When the autumn leaves are at their finest, a huge tent village pops up in a valley in the Northern Alps in Nagano Prefecture. At night, lights inside these seemingly countless tents give off a colorful glow. Among the campers is a group of coworkers who usually hit bars in the city but traveled all the way for a drinking-party with a difference, and a man who dreamed of sleeping in a tent with his young daughter. Each tent pitched on the rocky ground at an altitude of 2,300 meters is there for a unique reason. For 3 days, we spoke to the people seeking something "a little different" under the starry sky.
Haven't Seen
Art Supply Heaven in Tokyo
Episode 3 - 2-21-2017
There's a huge art supply store in Tokyo with Japan's largest selection. From 50-cent pencils to necessities for painting and sculptures, its 5 floors are filled with everything an artist could want, and 4,000 of them visit every day. Over these 3 days we meet shoppers from overseas looking for sketchbooks and calligraphy pens, a manga artist who just got published, and a painter who can't stop despite his family's protests. Peek inside their minds and discover why they love to create.
Haven't Seen
Golf Driving Range: Slices of Life
Episode 2 - 2-07-2017
A golf driving range in Tokyo's Adachi Ward is one of the largest in the city and is open around the clock throughout the year. Golf has a reputation for being a "rich man's sport" in Japan, but 1,000 people visit this driving range each day and come for a myriad of reasons. A mother comes to practice late at night after her children go to sleep, a group of elderly men regularly meets up early in the morning, and one man even silently tees off because he feels uncomfortable being at home with his family. What are they thinking about each time they hit a golf ball into the distance?
Haven't Seen
The Little Station and the Sea
Episode 1 - 1-17-2017
An hour's train ride from Ehime Prefecture's capital, you'll find Shimonada Station. This tiny, unmanned rail stop on the Seto Inland Sea coast is a serene but popular destination. With its charming bench facing the vast ocean, visitors of all ages flock to take in the picturesque scenery. An ailing man visits 2 days in a row just to get a picture of the sunset. Another man stops by whenever he has trouble at work. For 3 days we listen to visitors' stories at this placid little stop.
Haven't Seen
Season 2016
Episode 999
Haven't Seen
Where Cultures and Meat Meet
Episode 20 - 12-20-2016
From the outside, this butcher shop in Hiratsuka, a city just southwest of Tokyo, looks like any other. But lining its shelves are many kinds of meat rarely seen for sale in Japan, such as cow kidney and even pig's blood. Among the shoppers drawn by this vast array of meat are Peruvians buying for their usual weekend barbecue with family and relatives, and a Filipino woman cooking for her large family. The large volumes of meat purchased at this shop are transformed into ethnic dishes in people's kitchens. We listened to the stories of those who eat hearty, meaty meals while living far from their country of birth.
Haven't Seen
People-Watching at a Monster Hotspot
Episode 19 - 12-06-2016
There's a monster-catching smartphone game that took the world by storm in the summer of 2016. And a park in the Kinshicho area of Tokyo has become the go-to spot for players looking for rare monsters. It's packed all day and night with people staring at their phones. There's a culinary school dropout on a 10-hour streak, an elderly couple catching monsters on a date, and young guys looking to pick up dates as well. For 3 days we meet monster hunters at this mysterious park in Tokyo.
Haven't Seen
Obon with a Bang in Nagasaki
Episode 18 - 11-22-2016
In mid-August, families across Japan get together to celebrate Obon, when it is believed the spirits of their ancestors return to visit. In Nagasaki Prefecture, this traditional event is marked in a remarkably boisterous way: people let off skyrockets at their ancestors' graves and light firecrackers. For 3 days, we film a long-established fireworks shop in Nagasaki. Among the customers, 2 brothers fondly remembering their mother who raised them singlehandedly; and a man spending 400,000 yen on firecrackers to send off the spirit of his father who died this year. As tears fall and fireworks explode, what were the customers feeling as they thought about their dearly departed?
Haven't Seen
A Women's Prison: Up-close and Personal
Episode 17 - 11-08-2016
For crimes ranging from drugs to murder, the number of women being sent to prison has multiplied in Japan over the last 20 years. How do they spend their days? What is on their minds? In this program, we take a close look inside Wakayama Women's Prison, one of Japan's largest. Inmates do menial labor in a workshop in the day and watch TV during evening recess. And what do model prisoners say when they learn they'll be released on parole? Witness 3 days of life behind the giant prison walls.
Haven't Seen
Faces Behind an Online Auction
Episode 16 - 10-25-2016
From a second-hand ambulance to someone who will visit a grave for you, almost every imaginable item and service is sold and bought on online auctions. Since these sites were launched in Japan around 20 years ago, they have developed into a huge market, where more than 100 million transactions are made each year. Some people sell items to rustle up some extra money, while others earn enough to make a comfortable living. What kind of people use online auctions to sell things? For 3 days, we traveled around Japan to meet real-world people selling unusual things through the Internet.
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Kyoto's Kamo River Delta
Episode 15 - 10-11-2016
When the locals in Kyoto want to relax, they stroll upstream along the Kamo River to a spot called the "Delta". This scenic area apart from Kyoto's tourist attractions has served as the setting for a number of novels and movies. There's something liberating about skipping across the stepping stones. From students relishing the springtime of their lives to adults reflecting on days past, the people we encounter over these 72 hours have lots of stories to tell among the gorgeous spring scenery.
Haven't Seen
A Nostalgic Roller Coaster Ride
Episode 14 - 9-20-2016
For 62 years, a rickety roller coaster that has a top speed of just 42 kilometers per hour has been a popular attraction at Hanayashiki, an amusement park steeped in history in Tokyo's Asakusa district. Many of the people riding this slow roller coaster are adults, screaming as the ride takes them back to their younger days. Why are people drawn to this aging roller coaster? For 3 days, we listened to the stories of people coming to this nostalgic ride.
Haven't Seen
The Ferry to Volcano Island
Episode 13 - 8-23-2016
In this episode we take a ride on a ferry to Sakurajima, an island with an active volcano just off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture. It makes the 15-minute journey all day and night, carrying over 10,000 passengers a day for work, school, shopping and more. It's also a lifeline in case of disaster. Living alongside an active volcano presents a unique set of challenges. We spent 72 hours listening to the ordinary and extraordinary stories of the people who live and travel in this unique environment.
Haven't Seen
Route 439: Japan's Last Frontier
Episode 12 - 8-09-2016
Route 439 is a national highway that cuts across the mountainous island of Shikoku, in southwestern Japan. In some spots, it is barely 2 meters wide and poorly maintained. People come from all over Japan to drive along the 340-kilometer-long rugged road connecting many small villages. Some people living along this route are self-sufficient and live on a diet mostly consisting of edible wild plants, freshwater fish and even Japanese pit vipers. Residents live a free life surrounded by lush nature. Over 3 days, we drive along Route 439 to meet people living amid Japan's traditional landscape.
Haven't Seen
At the Food Court
Episode 11 - 7-26-2016
In the countryside town of Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, among flat fields that go on for miles, there is a gigantic shopping mall. In this episode we visit the mall's most bustling area, the food court. With cheap eats and no rush to leave, it's a favorite for all sorts of patrons. Our conversations with the diners over these 72 hours reveal some insights into their lives, from young men who quit school, to elderly friends sneaking in some sake, to a mother recovering from cancer.
Haven't Seen
Tales Over Rice Bowls
Episode 10 - 7-12-2016
The slogan of a 24-hour restaurant in Sendai, in northeastern Japan, is "born and raised on rice". For people fond of rice, this is a paradise. Serving rice in large bowls that hold 4 times the amount of a regular bowl, this restaurant has been filling the bellies of locals for years. Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, many people who left their family behind to come and work in reconstruction projects have also become regular diners. 5 years on from the disaster, what do people still trying to rebuild their lives think about as they gobble up a bowl of hot rice? For 3 days, we listened to the customers at this restaurant serving up a taste of home.
Haven't Seen
Farewell Funabashi Auto
Episode 9 - 6-28-2016
Auto race is a sport in Japan where motorcycles without brakes compete on asphalt tracks at speeds up to 150 km/h. In this episode we visit the Funabashi Auto, the sport's birthplace that closed in March 2016 after thrilling spectators for 65 years. See the last 3 days as fans go wild for their local racers. Some cheer with their parents or their children, while others feast on famous offal stew. In its last 72 hours, Funabashi Auto delivers drama and excitement beyond anyone's expectations!
Haven't Seen
Valentine's Day at the Shrine
Episode 8 - 5-31-2016
In Fukuoka Prefecture, there is a unique shrine dedicated to a deity of love. The approach to the shrine and its gate are adorned with hearts, and it has become a magnet for people in love, dreaming of getting married, or hoping for wedded bliss. But recently, a surprising number of visitors say they have never fallen in love with someone. People in love with the idea of falling in love come here to ask for divine help in finding their ideal partner. For 3 days around Valentine's Day, when the shrine is at its busiest with over 1,000 visitors from across Japan, we listened to the thoughts of people placing their hopes in the shrine's deity of love.
Haven't Seen
Benches and People: An Osaka Shopping Arcade
Episode 7 - 5-10-2016
In Osaka you'll find Tenjinbashi-suji, one of the longest shopping arcades in Japan. At the end of the bustling, 2.6-kilometer arcade is a row of benches. We took our cameras there and spent 3 days talking to some of the folks taking a break there. Some use the benches to get work done. Some just watch people go by. And some share fascinating details of their personal lives. For 3 days, we meet people who have a seat, enjoy a talk or a laugh or a drink, and then get back up and keep going.
Haven't Seen
Christmas at the Bus Terminal
Episode 6 - 4-26-2016
As Christmas approaches, people flock to Sapporo's terminal for expressway buses that connect this major city with destinations across the vast prefecture of Hokkaido. From early morning until late at night, passengers travel on buses that offer attractive fares for those on a budget. Among them, a young man who traveled for 5 hours to spend Christmas time with his girlfriend; a woman who regularly makes a journey of several hundred kilometers to go and take care of her elderly mother; and a time-strapped businessman using an overnight bus as he departs on a business trip. For 3 midwinter days, we listened to the tales of the people starting or finishing journeys at this bus terminal.
Haven't Seen
Kappabashi: Tokyo's Kitchen Capital
Episode 5 - 4-12-2016
Kappabashi Street in Tokyo is a place like no other in the world, with 170 shops that stock everything from cooking utensils to tableware. Here professional chefs inspect knife blades with discriminating eyes, and a young man stocks up on supplies for the noodle restaurant he's about to open. Others shop for pots, bowls and knives as they mark life's turning points with new homes, new families and new lives. We spent 3 days watching shoppers come and go in Japan's kitchen equipment capital.
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A Secret Workshop in Akihabara
Episode 4 - 3-15-2016
A mood-detecting dog collar? A wind instrument with a keyboard? You'll never believe the ideas blooming at this workshop in Akihabara. For around $120 a month, members get space to work and access to 3D printers and other cutting-edge tools. Among the users are ham radio enthusiasts and inventors hoping to become the next Steve Jobs. Some even get the chance to present their ideas to investors. We spent 3 days at this creative playground in the heart of Japan's otaku culture.
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Up and Away with Low-cost Carriers
Episode 3 - 2-23-2016
Kansai International Airport is a 24-hour gateway to western Japan. 16 low-cost carriers operate out of this airport in Osaka, making it Japan's largest hub for budget airlines. Cheap air tickets bring a wide spectrum of passengers traveling domestically and overseas to and from the airport, including a young woman on her first visit to Japan waiting alone to be picked up after midnight; a businessman returning on the day's last flight from a work trip that began early the same day; and a woman who had visited her elderly parents to take care of them. Passengers have their own unique reasons for traveling on low-cost carriers. For 3 days, we watched the diverse personal stories that unfold in the airport's terminals.
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A Video Transfer Shop: Replaying the Past
Episode 2 - 2-02-2016
In Tokyo there's an audio and video transfer shop, where people bring old film reels, VHS tapes and cassettes they can no longer play and have them brought back to life as CDs and DVDs. In these 72 hours, we meet a young woman who wants to make a DVD of her high school play for a reunion, a father recalling when his children were young, a woman who discovered a video of her late brother, and more. These are the stories of people replaying old movies and revisiting treasured memories.
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Life on the Squid Hunt
Episode 1 - 1-12-2016
Haven't Seen
Season 2015
An Iconic Hotel: Until We Meet Again
Episode 18 - 12-15-2015
Each episode offers a three-day slice-of-life at a different location in Japan: chance encounters, unexpected dramas, and surprising insights into the "now" around us. Today: An iconic Hotel in Tokyo
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Voices in Front of the Diet
Episode 17 - 12-01-2015
Streets in front of the National Diet Building are the stage for numerous protests. People opposed to national security bills and nuclear power, among other causes, assemble to express their views in Japan's political nerve center, which decides the nation's future and is home to the Prime Minister's Office, lawmakers' offices and central government agencies. The Diet Building has also become a popular tourist spot and a magnet for visitors and students on school excursions, and the nearby tree-lined streets also attract joggers and Tokyoites walking their dogs. For 3 days and nights in September, as deliberations on the security bills neared completion, we filmed the people on the streets around the Diet.
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Japans Northernmost Bus Stop
Episode 16 - 11-10-2015
Haven't Seen
Tonkotsu Ramen Restaurant: Bowls for the Soul
Episode 15 - 10-20-2015
Each episode offers a three-day slice-of-life at a different location in Japan: chance encounters, unexpected dramas, and surprising insights into the "now" around us. Today: Ramen Restaurant.
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The Lucky Cat at the Shop
Episode 14 - 10-06-2015
At a little shop in Ibaraki Prefecture, there's a goofy but adorable cat with thick black "eyebrows". She's called Hachi for her distinctive marks that resemble the Chinese character "8". That's a lucky number, so customers always come to buy lottery tickets and make wishes for anything from big jackpots to good test scores. All the while Hachi pays them no mind, sleeping on a bookshelf or hiding behind the counter. We spent 3 days talking to the many visitors who make wishes on this lucky cat.
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A Drive-In Restaurant in Okinawa: Hometown Flavor, American Style
Episode 13 - 9-15-2015
Each episode offers a three-day slice-of-life at a different location in Japan: chance encounters, unexpected dramas, and insights into the "now" around us. Today: A Drive-in Restaurant in Okinawa.
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A Kebab Restaurant in Roppongi
Episode 12 - 9-01-2015
A stone's throw from Tokyo Tower and the main Roppongi intersection is a 24-hour Turkish kebab restaurant whose clientele hails from every corner of the globe. Cheap, fast and convenient, the kebabs attract businessmen from foreign-affiliated companies during the day, and in the evening many foreigners who work in Roppongi's nightspots drop in for a meal. The area never sleeps and is at its busiest after the last trains have left. For 3 days, we listened to the innermost thoughts of the foreigners who frequent this restaurant in a Tokyo nightlife district.
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Yakushima: Island of the Mystical Tree
Episode 11 - 8-04-2015
Each episode offers a three-day slice-of-life at a different location in Japan: chance encounters, unexpected dramas, and surprising insights into the "now" around us. Today: Yakushima.
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A Used Car, A New Life
Episode 10 - 7-21-2015
It's spring, a time for new beginnings. And what better way to start a new stage in life than with a new set of wheels. This is Auto District Avenue, a mile-long stretch of a national highway where people can compare new and used cars at 30 different dealers. Here we look at used car dealers where we meet fathers helping children start new jobs, a young man who buys a sports car with a loan, and families saying goodbye to special memories. Behind each car is a story about life and dreams.
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Tokyo Capsule Hotel: Encapsulating Life
Episode 9 - 7-14-2015
Capsule hotels have quite suddenly become a popular choice of accommodation nowadays in Japan. Travelers from around the world have become fascinated with capsule hotels as word gets around about their low prices and the novelty of staying in a small cave-like "room". At one major capsule hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo, languages from every corner of the globe ring out each day. Convenience is not the only reason tourists and locals come to this hotel. Some people stay here while they chase their dreams; others need a place to stay because they cannot go home for certain reasons. For 3 days, we filmed the myriad of people that converge in this remarkable facility, and discovered the diverse life stories that inspired them to stay in its tiny capsule rooms.
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A Driving School: The Start of Many Journeys
Episode 8 - 6-16-2015
There's a driving school in a suburb east of Tokyo that prepares learners for all kinds of vehicle licenses, from cars, trucks and buses to construction equipment. Each spring the school is packed with people of all ages; a high school student getting her driver's license, a former hairstylist starting a new career as a truck driver, a care worker from the Philippines. These are the stories of people who seek to gain new skills in order to grasp new opportunities in work and in life.
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A Taste of Home: A Soba & Udon Vending Machine
Episode 7 - 6-02-2015
For 40 years, a vending machine has stood in a quiet corner of Akita Port, in northern Japan. Even when a winter snowstorm batters the area in mid-January, a constant trickle of customers is drawn to this time-worn machine that sells plain soba and udon noodles in a steaming-hot soup. A father and son out in the blizzard; a designated driver on his way home from work; and a cancer patient reminiscing about the past. Even though the machine has become prone to breakdowns that have weakened the flavor of its soup, customers come around the clock for a warming bowl of noodles. Why is it so popular? This program reveals why many customers keep coming back.
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A Standing Oden Bar in Tokyo
Episode 6 - 5-19-2015
The Akabane region of Tokyo is a "sacred ground" for drinking, with inexpensive bars and pubs lining the streets. On one corner stands a small shop that serves oden, a winter stew that's a Japanese soul food. From security guards finishing their night shifts, to mothers buying dinner to take home for their families, to office workers enjoying a night on the town - these are the stories of the people who line up at the counter and washes down oden with sake for warmth from the winter chill.
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A Discounted Ticket to Happiness
Episode 5 - 5-05-2015
Since Japan's bubble economy burst in the early 1990's, saving money has become an established part of life for many people. Shops selling discount coupons and cheap tickets are a magnet for people seeking to stretch every last yen. One such shop in Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo measures only a few square meters, but more than 400 customers go there daily. A temp worker buys subway coupon tickets to save 10 yen; a woman buys vouchers that save her 36 yen so she can enjoy a meal at a nice restaurant; whilst another woman sells vouchers she does not need for a tidy sum of cash. What dreams and happiness are people seeking as they save a few yen here and there? This program looks at people and money, as seen from the counter of a tiny shop.
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Lost and Found in Nagoya: Left Behind on a Holy Night
Episode 4 - 4-21-2015
At Christmastime in Sakae, a busy district of Nagoya, people are rushing to an unexpected place: the lost and found office, where items left on buses and subways are collected. Each year more than 100,000 articles are turned in, ranging from the usual umbrellas and gloves to the amazing, like dentures and wooden grave tablets. The office's storage is awash with items forgotten by Christmas shoppers and year-end partygoers. Who will retrieve them? Hear some of the stories behind the lost articles.
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Dreams Along the Yamanote Line
Episode 3 - 4-07-2015
The Yamanote Line is Japan's most famous loop line. In the blink of an eye, you are whisked to the next station, where yet another distinct side of Tokyo is unveiled. In recent times, an increasing number of people have walked or cycled along the Yamanote Line tracks to experience the diversity of the city. In this program, we spend 3 days walking along the entire 35-kilometer line. What dreams do people have as they live their everyday lives? We met various people - including aspiring singers, foreign students and a plumber - along the line and recorded the "real" Tokyo of today.
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General Hospital Store: Where Shopping Meets Healing
Episode 2 - 1-13-2015
In southern Chiba Prefecture, a 24-hour convenience store opened 3 years ago in a huge general hospital. It offers everything from reduced-sugar snacks to loose clothing, and it's busy all the time. One young customer narrowly escaped death. Another patient comes first thing in the morning to buy a newspaper. Doctors working late at night slip in between surgeries to buy instant noodles. Get a unique look at the human condition in this "oasis" at a hospital isolated from our everyday lives.
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The Ameyoko International Food Market
Episode 1 - 1-06-2015
Underneath the lively Ameyoko Market in Tokyo's central district of Ueno is a far less well known below-ground market for foreign foodstuffs. Follow the scent of exotic spices down to that basement floor, and you'll hear a rich mixture of Japanese, Chinese, Tagalog, English.... Then you'll see Shanghai Crab, frogs, mysterious fish and unusual vegetables. It all started 3 decades ago with a single vendor of Chinese foodstuffs; now it's greatly expanded. The customers are 90% foreigners. We get a glimpse into the expatriate life of foreigners in Japan, longing for a taste of home.
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Season 2014
At a Train Station in Fukushima
Episode 28 - 12-16-2014
Within 20km of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant - site of the 2011 nuclear disaster - is the town of Naraha. The train line that passes through the town was closed after the disaster, but was reopened in June. Although residents are not legally allowed to stay in Naraha, a variety of people come and go from the town's Tatsuta Station. The program captures these visitors - who include residents making short visits, staff at the nearby Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant, and travelers coming for their own reasons - over 3 days.
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A 24/7 Animal Hospital: When a Pet Needs a Vet
Episode 27 - 12-09-2014
In Shibuya, Tokyo, there's an animal hospital taking emergency cases 24/7. It was founded 46 years ago. Doting pet owners from all over Tokyo take their beloved charges here when sudden need arises: the dog mauled by a feral cat; the hamster with a broken leg; the cat injured in a traffic accident; some 100 cases daily. We meet a couple caring for a dog with dementia, an elderly woman whose cat has lived with her for 23 years.... Pets and owners can forge bonds that transcend even family ties.
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A 260-person "Sharehouse"
Episode 26 - 12-02-2014
In 2013, one of Japan's largest "sharehouse" or shared-living apartment houses, opened in Tokyo. It can accommodate 260 people. Open to men, women and couples, it instantly reached full occupancy. There are aspiring artists, foreigners on short-term stays for work or study...people with all sorts of ambitions. In the evenings, in the common spaces, strangers lend each other a sympathetic ear. Parallel lives, intersecting lives: we encounter a variety in the course of 3 days spent getting to know the denizens of this remarkable establishment.
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At a Gas Station in a Downpour
Episode 25 - 11-18-2014
It's a June weekend, and the rainy season in Japan's central Kanto region is being inaugurated with an apparently endless deluge. But in spite of the drenching, people must travel. Where are they all going in the pelting rain? At a 24-hour gas station, we meet a soaked construction worker obliged to cease work because of the rain, a traveler going to meet a child living elsewhere, a man working a night job to support his family...As they pause at the gas station to fill their tanks, they tell us their stories. Then, hoping for the rain to cease, they resume their journeys.
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The 24-Hour Supermarket: Just Another Day
Episode 24 - 11-11-2014
Akune city is located in rural Kagoshima Prefecture. More than 40% of its population is over 65 years old. Its famous 24/7 supermarket is stocked with 390,000 items, from groceries, cars, tombstones to hoof trimming tools. 80% of the locals visit the supermarket each day including the elderly who come to socialize and young people who hang out there at night, lamenting the lack of job opportunities. While big cities thrive, people living in the countryside get a lot from simple pleasures.
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Wrestlers on the Road
Episode 23 - 11-04-2014
As the recession continues to hit Hokkaido, Japan, a small pro wrestling group fights an uphill battle to energize the prefecture. The group was started about 10 years ago by a pro wrestling-loving salesman who became saddened at the plight of his home prefecture. Since then, the wrestlers have toured Hokkaido to conduct morale-boosting events, even as they have struggled to make a profit. It is now December, and the group is preparing for its 3-day winter event. They will tour Yubari where the local government has gone bankrupt and 2 other cities. This program captures the wrestling group as it travels from town to town, raising the spirits of a local population that actively supports each other so that they can all get by.
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Mt. Osore: Between Life and Death
Episode 22 - 10-21-2014
When people die, they go "to the mountain". So holds the folklore in the Tohoku (northeastern) region of Japan, referring to Mt.Osore, in Aomori Prefecture. During the national holidays in May, pilgrims travel to this holy place from all over the country. Some, like a couple who lost a child, go there ritually. Others try to communicate with deceased loved ones via a necromancer. Still others are tourists, there to collect a certificate. The bleak landscape matches the emotional desolation of many of the visitors. We spend 3 days with folks on the borderline between life and death.
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Self Storage: Secrets and Memories
Episode 21 - 10-14-2014
Recently, all across Japan, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people turning to self-service storage to keep things they have no room for at home, or to keep "treasures" away from other family members. This episode interviews clients of a huge self-storage facility in Osaka, over the course of 3 days. The facility contains over a thousand units, large and small. In these rentable units, accessible 24/7, clients keep everything from treasured family mementos to secret collections. Getting people to display such private possessions on camera was far from easy, but what they showed us was...
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A Giant Bookstore: Wandering in a World of Words
Episode 20 - 10-07-2014
Crammed together are magazines and novels, art books and technical treatises. In an era of increasing Internet book sales, streams of people are drawn to actual bookstores, in search of unexpected encounters. The bestsellers on display provide a glimpse of contemporary Japan. Books teaching "self-improvement" attract crowds of office workers on their way home; other shoppers, worn out by the daily grind, find themselves in the "spirituality" book section. All are wanderers in a forest of print.
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An All-night Eatery
Episode 19 - 9-23-2014
Uguisudani is one of the least-frequented stops on Tokyo's Yamanote mass-transit loop line. But it's well known for its nightlife. The transition is a stark one, from sparsely traveled daytime sidewalks to a garish neon nighttime of "love hotels" and other establishments of the adult services industry. This episode focuses on an all-night eatery that for 3 decades has provided a welcome sanctuary for the weary, the hungry, the thirsty and the lovelorn. An intermission from the dramas of their lives.
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Youth "HelloWork" - A Job Agency
Episode 18 - 9-16-2014
Over 80% of Japanese college grads landed jobs last spring, the main hiring season. However, in Shibuya, an area of Tokyo known for its youth culture, more than 200 young jobseekers a day paid a call on Youth "HelloWork", a special division of the government's job-matching program. Some say they want satisfying regular employment, not temporary work. Some, entering their 30's, hope the favorable economic climate can help them transition into a different job. But 30% of newly employed college grads quit within 3 years. What, then, do young people want? We listen in and find out.
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The Post Office that Never Sleeps
Episode 17 - 9-09-2014
More and more these days, people communicate via texting, social media and email. Yet there are some who rush into the Shinjuku Post Office, a giant establishment in Tokyo open 24/7, at all hours of the day or night, with something that simply must be sent by post. Some want to send a special present to a special someone far away; others need a postmark to fix eligibility for an application process; others still are rushing to meet a deadline for submitting a résumé. We camp out by the counters to learn not only the "what", but the "why".
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Night Train to Izumo: Destination - Destiny
Episode 16 - 9-02-2014
An unusually large number of passengers gather at a train station in Tokyo. They're taking a special night train to Izumo, a thousand kilometers to the southwest, on the Japan Sea coast. It's November, when, according to Shinto belief, the gods are in residence at the Izumo shrines, above all the Izumo Taisha, or Grand Shrine. Men and women of marriageable age, and others seeking better matchups in their professional lives, make this pilgrimage and say their prayers. We listen and learn.
Haven't Seen
A Giant Travel Agency: Destinations and Detours
Episode 15 - 8-19-2014
It occupies an entire floor of a large building in Shinjuku, a bustling district in Tokyo. An enormous travel agency, visited daily by a high volume of customers seeking discount airfares. In spite of the growth of Internet sales, people throng the 100 meters of counters here for the expert help they can get in making their dream voyages come true. For 72 hours we observe a range of customers, from meticulous long-range planners to those who, for whatever reason, simply must depart "tomorrow".
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A 24/7 Discount Store
Episode 14 - 8-12-2014
A giant discount store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, has 40,000 items for sale. It pulls in customers around the clock. This episode shoots during the 3 days just prior to a near-doubling of Japan's consumption tax, so the store is inundated with "rush-demand" shoppers. People loading up with daily necessities. Others losing perspective and buying items they don't really need. The guy who rushes in on the final night, and... We are prompted to consider the meaning of "shopping" and of "consumption".
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The Call of the Dunes
Episode 13 - 8-05-2014
Nothing but sand, as far as the eye can see. The Tottori Sand Dunes on the Sea of Japan are a vast world of nothingness. 2 million visitors a year are drawn by scenery that is utterly different from their daily surroundings. But their motives differ. There are elderly people who feel the pull of eternity. Businesspeople who crave even a momentary liberation from the daily grind of numbers and memos in their cramped offices. Travelers from afar who hope to find themselves in the shadows of a night on the dunes. In this otherworldly milieu, we catch glimpses of people's "internal landscapes".
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One Tower, Many Lives
Episode 12 - 7-22-2014
The Tokyo SKYTREE opened in 2012 as Japan's tallest structure. Each day 100,000 people flock here to try to take photos of the giant radio tower. They come from all walks of life, including a poor student hoping to save enough to go up to the observation deck someday, and an Indonesian couple marking their golden wedding anniversary. At night, the tower is also a favorite destination for young people. This program documents 3 days at the foot of the SKYTREE, Tokyo's new tourist attraction.
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The Voyage of Life on a Giant Ferry
Episode 11 - 7-15-2014
For people with time, car ferries are an inexpensive mode of travel in Japan, which is surrounded by water. Each year, about 200,000 passengers ride one ferry line that connects Nagoya, Sendai and Hokkaido. All kinds of people board the ship, such as laborers going to booming Nagoya to find work; college students taking economical and easy graduation trips; and temp employees seeking relaxation. What will we learn about present-day Japan through the people we meet onboard over a 3-day period?
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The Makeup Room
Episode 10 - 7-08-2014
Osaka Station: a major transportation hub for Western Japan. One popular service catering to travelers there is a Ladies Powder Room. Women who have traveled long distances without any makeup on, or others on their way to or from work or hanging out, stop by here to freshen up. Makeup can be thought of as superficial, but these women's ultimate concerns-work, love, their futures-are hardly trivial. So what are their present circumstances, and what is on their minds?
Haven't Seen
The Game Center, and the Prize beyond the Prize
Episode 9 - 7-01-2014
Outside Yokohama's main rail station is a 6-floor game center. New games come out all the time, but an old standby is a cash cow: crane games, accounting for 40% of revenue. From early morning till late at night, an endless stream of people pay to wage a fierce struggle with these cranes in an effort to win a prize. Overworked office workers, job-hunting college kids, independent students re-taking college entrance exams. What prizes do they seek beyond the prizes right in front of them?
Haven't Seen
Printing Handheld Memories
Episode 8 - 6-17-2014
With the ubiquity of digital cameras and smart phones, we live in an age of easy photographs. It's easy to print them out, too, using machines at a home electronics store. One patron prints daily photos of meals he's made; another prints a picture of his deceased father; and a long-distance couple exchange photos of each other to mark their love. This is the story of people who treasure time they've spent with special people and capture irreplaceable memories in the form of printed photographs.
Haven't Seen
Personal Glimpses at a 24-Hour Gym
Episode 7 - 6-10-2014
24-hour gyms are quickly gaining in popularity. Relatively inexpensive and open all hours, they're well-suited to busy modern life. A close look at patrons reveals many reasons why people want to tone their bodies. Some people must stay fit to keep their jobs; others need more strength to care for elderly parents; and some try to conquer something within themselves. This program examines the human motivations that bring patrons to the gym from early in the morning until late at night.
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Yanaka Cemetery: Dialogs between Death and Life
Episode 6 - 6-03-2014
The Yanaka Cemetery is one of Tokyo's oldest cemeteries. The greatest number of visitors come during the Obon holiday in the summer, when Japanese traditionally pay their respects to the dead. But though they come in droves, they each mourn in their own way. Some have finally been able to spare a few moments from their busy lives to tend to a grave. An elderly man is seen speaking to his absent spouse as he pours water ritually over her tombstone. A young man recounts memories of his deceased lover in front of her grave. This is a space for conversations between the departed and the bereaved.
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Home is Where the Locker Is; The Day Laborers of Osaka
Episode 5 - 5-20-2014
The Airin District, Osaka. Here live thousands of male day laborers, many of whom spend their nights in rooms so small they have no storage space at all. So they rely greatly on cheap rental lockers to store their essential belongings and prized possessions. Each locker contains a condensed life: a narrative. We set up at a locker rental establishment, and ask the patrons to share parts of their life-stories with us during the Obon season, when most Japanese go on holiday to visit hometowns and family graves. For these men, home is in their lockers.
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Climbing Mt. Fuji
Episode 4 - 5-13-2014
When summer comes, people from all over Japan flock to Mt. Fuji. After the mountain was designated a World Heritage Site in 2013, the crowds swelled even more. The Yoshida Trailhead is one point where those going up and those coming down cross paths. Conversations with climbers reveal some of the troubles and joys in their lives. An office worker comes seeking a sense of achievement... A college student comes with prayers of finding work... A tapestry of human drama unfolds on the mountainside.
Haven't Seen
The "Rain, then Fine" Coin Laundry
Episode 3 - 5-06-2014
The Shonan coastal region in Japan conjures up images of summertime, youth culture, fashion. We cast an offbeat video eye on an obscure but revealing Shonan location: a 24-hour coin laundry, during the rainy season. People stream in, clutching bags of laundry, mostly just to dry them. While they're waiting, most just relax. Some talk. Businessmen exhausted from their daily routine. People who have lost a beloved partner and now live alone. All of them are waiting for a spell of "clear weather".
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The Live-streamers: Interactive Webcasting
Episode 2 - 4-22-2014
Got a PC or a smartphone? Media-sharing sites will let you stream live and interactively. It could be called "self-casting" and it's a whole world of its own. In a single day, via a single site, 100,000 people might be streaming in this way. What motivates people to participate in this form of social media? We go to an annual convention of these live-streamers near Tokyo, and then profile a number of "hosts" we encounter there. They're connecting via such sites with large and small circles of "friends" they might never actually see, let alone meet. It's a new kind of society.
Haven't Seen
Night Clinic: An ER of Last Resort
Episode 1 - 4-15-2014
In Japan's Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, a patient died after being turned away by a number of hospital Emergency Rooms. Other patients have similarly been put in jeopardy; and even for minor ailments, treatment is hard to get after hours or during holidays. In response, a pioneering doctor has established an after-hours clinic, assisted by equally dedicated nurses. Working in shifts through the night, they cope with wave after wave of walk-ins and ambulance admissions. Other medical practitioners help out part-time; but the clinic is caught between a sense of mission and some harsh limitations. We observe their grueling schedule during Japan's annual Spring holidays in May.
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Season 2013
Underground Idols
Episode 2 - 8-23-2013
The Akihabara district in Tokyo is known worldwide as a mecca for "otaku" or geeks. It's also where a number of girl groups dance and sing. The otherwise obscure "live theaters" where they perform have become major new attractions for the groups' wildly enthusiastic fans. But for these underground idols, the showbiz life is rough. They don't earn much. Rival groups are forever a threat to displace them. How old can the girls get before they lose their appeal? Yet they do not easily abandon their dreams.
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Points of Departure: New Chitose Airport
Episode 1 - 8-22-2013
Every year, 16 million people pass through Sapporo's New Chitose Airport, on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. In spring, many dramas of greeting and parting play out as people come and go between the great expanses of the north and the megalopolis of Tokyo to the south. A surprise sendoff for a friend leaving to go to school in Tokyo. Tears flowing at the first big family reunion in 20 years. A foreign student's dreams for the future. It is a season of major life transitions.
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