The Professionals

How did Hayao Miyazaki (82), director of films like "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind", "Castle in the Sky", "My Neighbor Totoro", "Porco Rosso", "Princess Mononoke", "Spirited Away", "Howl's Moving Castle", "Ponyo" and "The Wind Rises", create his latest film "The Boy and the Heron"? The story the unfolds itself behind the scenes during the production, spanning 2399 days.

At Japan's department stores, no event is more popular than the Hokkaido Products Fair. And the charismatic man behind the scenes is Honda Daisuke. As the industry's only Hokkaido-based buyer, he taps into his extensive network of contacts to discover food and ingredients that surprise and delight customers all over the country. What's more, he teams up with chefs and other food experts to turn those ingredients into original products, from sweets to sushi bowls. For the last few years Hokkaido's catches of winter salmon and crab have been declining. We follow Honda as he attempts to use a certain fish to create a new hit item for the fair. In 2020, he returns to Hokkaido Prefecture, which is struggling with earthquake recovery as well as poor fishing catches, to find new ways to promote the area.

The meaning of professional. Meet exceptional people who are breaking new ground and making a difference in their area of expertise.