NHK Documentary Season 19

Season 19

Air date: 2017-01-15

Episodes: 36

Episodes

E1: Secrets of Centenarians

Many centenarians around the world are still going strong. They hold the secrets to living a long time while staying both mentally and physically fit and researchers around the world are trying to unravel the reasons. In the program the world's super centenarians appear one after another. The program focuses on centenarians from all angles, such as nutrition, psychology, environmental studies, sociology and tell you the way to reach it.

Air date: 2017-01-15

E2: China the Great Dragon: Exodus of 100 Million Farmers

China's economy is supported by a cheap labor force of farmer laborers who have flowed into big cities from rural villages. As the economy slows down, a national project is underway to attract farmers to smaller sized cities and turn 100 million farmers into urban consumers. Residential districts in big cities where farmer laborers live are being torn down, forcing them to leave. We take a closer look at this national project, where farmers' lives are tossed about again by China's transformation.

Air date: 2017-01-22

E3: Onbashira: Mystery behind the Sacred Trees

The festival of Onbashira, or the "honored pillar", takes place in Suwa, Japan, once every 6 years. Few tree-centered festivals in Japan or anywhere else in the world, rival this one for its breathtaking scale. Why is Suwa the only place where this mysterious festival lives on? In this report we explore the ancient mystery behind the enthusiasm that engulfs this town whenever the sacred year rolls around.

Air date: 2017-01-29

E4: Negotiations on the Northern Territories

Negotiations on the issue of the Northern Territories are often called the last post-war settlement. In December 2016, Japan marked its first step on the thorny path. What did they talk about behind closed doors? How did Japan negotiate with Russia, which wouldn't soften its hardline stance? We learned about some of the details from materials we collected for this report. We'll take a look at what was going on behind the scene during the 7 months of secret negotiations.

Air date: 2017-02-12

E5: Medical Revolution: Glucose Spike Uncovering a Hidden Threat

A serious threat to human health is getting global attention and prompting action. It is glucose spike, the sudden rise in sugar levels after eating. Although difficult to detect, if left untreated it can cause various deadly illnesses such as diabetes, heart attack and even cancer. For a long time, medicine overlooked this phantom menace, but studies have shown that people can ward off this frightening condition by making some simple lifestyle changes. This program presents results of the latest research that will help viewers take care of their health, including a checklist test that indicates risks of glucose spikes.

Air date: 2017-02-19

E6: Decommissioning Fukushima: Ballooning Costs

Decommissioning TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is a huge, and complex, project. The plant's operator and the Japanese government have estimated it will take 40 years to complete. Getting the job done requires manpower, technology…and a lot of money. Costs are escalating, and questions remain about how they'll be covered. In this program, we take a close look at the ballooning expenses, and think about who should shoulder the burden.

Air date: 2017-02-26

E7: China the Great Dragon: Feeding Personal Wealth to Growth Industries

In China today, 12,000 startups are created every day. Investing into these ventures is an estimated 17 trillion dollars of private assets. Fueling this wildly surging investment boom are newly minted private-sector investment companies, magnets for money from the wealthy looking to capitalize their funds. To move all of this capital around, new financial services use the internet to gather money from ordinary people in a flash. But trouble often occurs in this red-hot boom. As it pursues new growth industries, China is conducting an epic experiment uniting the public and private sectors.

Air date: 2017-03-04

E8: Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki

3 years ago, the Academy Award-winning animated film director Hayao Miyazaki shocked the world when he announced his retirement at age 72. But his creative impulse never faded. After meeting a group of young animators who specialize in computer graphics, he decides to make a short film using CGI to explore new expressive possibilities. Will the short film he releases change the future of Japanese animation? The creative process proves so difficult that he almost calls it quits. This program documents the tremendous struggle that unfolds behind the scenes as Miyazaki, inspired by a new medium, wrestles with CGI for the first time.

Air date: 2017-03-19

E9: Inside the KIMDOM: North Korea Exposed

The socialist dictatorship North Korea has continued to rattle the global community with nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches. The internal workings of the North Korean People's Army have been shrouded in mystery for more than half a century. But a flash drive containing more than 12,000 pages of classified information was leaked.

Air date: 2017-03-26

E10: Precision Medicine: The Cancer Treatment Revolution

Cancer treatment is undergoing a revolution. Unlike conventional anti-cancer medications, a new type of drugs uses a completely different method to attack the disease. And there's a new kind of treatment called "precision medicine", which analyzes a patient's genes and selects the optimal drug for that person. These 2 developments provide synergistic effects that make the cancer treatment revolution possible. We'll explore the possibilities offered by life-extending medical care.

Air date: 2017-04-09

E11: Bacchan: Granny's Table

Chikako Nakamoto, affectionately called "Bacchan" or "Granny", is known as the city's Mother Theresa. For years, she's been welcoming juvenile delinquents with home cooked meals. She believes that hunger is a trigger for acts of assault, purse snatching, shoplifting, and prostitution. A warm meal is the first step toward rehabilitation. Some of the youth Granny welcomes into her home include a boy whose family is too poor to feed him and a girl who's been abused by her parents. Under Granny's care, these young people seek and find ways to overcome despair. This documentary, filmed over a span of 8 years, shows how Granny's table has changed the lives of these juveniles.

Air date: 2017-04-23

E12: What You Taught Me About Happiness

The book "The Reason I Jump" introduced readers around the world, for the first time, to the true emotions of a person with autism. Author Naoki Higashida is severely autistic but can "talk" with the help of an alphabet board or a computer. 2 years after he was profiled in the NHK Documentary What You Taught Me About My Son (2014), the director, who is now suffering from cancer, re-visits Naoki, asking him a crucial question: "How can people who are suffering find happiness?" It's a remarkable story about life from the words of a young autistic author.

Air date: 2017-04-30

E13: Money World: Fate of Capitalism - Part 1

Will Global Growth Continue? Economic disparities are widening around the world. Wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, and the gap between rich and poor is growing increasingly big. Industrialized countries that once powered the global economy are slowing. Will global growth continue? This program considers this question by retracing the roots of modern capitalism, interviewing leading economists, and documenting how governments and businesses are racing to adapt.

Air date: 2017-05-13

E14: Money World: Fate of Capitalism - Part 2

Mega Corporations vs. State Sovereignty The rise of giant multinational corporations is shaking up the capitalist order. A lengthy court battle with a major US energy firm has left Ecuador at risk of default. Worldwide, large companies have filed some 700 lawsuits against governments. Meanwhile, some nations are giving up sovereignty to attract more businesses. And entrepreneurs are looking to establish autonomous floating states. We explore the shifting power balance between businesses and governments, and the fate of capitalism.

Air date: 2017-05-21

E15: Money World: Fate of Capitalism - Part 3

The Extreme Wealth Gap and Beyond Capitalism has generated both enormous prosperity and staggering inequality. A report shows that the world's 62 richest people now control as much wealth as the 3.6 billion poorest. On the other hand, new approaches to sharing wealth are taking shape. One CEO has slashed his own salary by more than 90% and raised employees' wages. A labor-managed company in Uruguay gives every worker a role in running the company. We explore capitalism today and how it's evolving.

Air date: 2017-05-28

E16: Moon Bear Chronicle: Unraveling the Mysteries

The Asian black bear, or moon bear, is the largest mammal on Japan's main island of Honshu. Catching sight of them is extremely difficult because they're cautious creatures that prefer to spend their days deep in the forests. But over the course of 28 years, one man has painstakingly watched and documented these bears. This program gives us a glimpse of the reality of their life, which has long been shrouded in mystery.

Air date: 2017-06-11

E17: China the Great Dragon: China's E-commerce Revolution

Chinese leaders are trying to transform their economy and prepare it for the future. And they're hoping the e-commerce boom will spark consumption across the country, from mega-metropolises to tiny villages in the countryside. Entrepreneurs are hoping to ride the wave, starting small companies that are selling t-shirts, wallets, and much more as they struggle to make their mark in a hyper-competitive environment. Go inside China's fast-moving and dynamic e-commerce revolution as businesses put it all on the line in their dogged pursuit of profits and success.

Air date: 2017-06-18

E18: China the Great Dragon: Citizens Battle to Clear the Skies

"We will become an environmental superpower", China's leaders have declared. This program explores the daunting challenges facing this plan, in a country where nearly 1 million people are said to die from air pollution annually. Beijing has committed billions to clean skies and pledged to cut PM 2.5 pollution 45% by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Can these goals be met? NHK followed citizens battling air pollution in Wuhan, where neighbors of major industries are dying of cancer, and in the steelmaking cities of Qinhuangdao and Tangshan, known as the world's most polluted city. It is a stark reality: despite Beijing's pledges, cities and firms struggle to chart a new environmental path. Severe air pollution is the price of China's rapid economic growth. The program covers 3 years in the struggle to solve this problem.

Air date: 2017-06-25

E19: The Symbolic Emperor

Japan's Emperor Akihito is the head of the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. He's the first to succeed the role of "symbolic emperor" under the post-World War II constitution. Emperor Akihito stunned Japan and the world in 2016 by suggesting he wanted to "abdicate while still alive". Since assuming the throne from his father Emperor Hirohito, how has Emperor Akihito embodied the constitutional role? And why has he decided now that he wants to abdicate? This program documents Emperor Akihito's years of searching for answers utilizing NHK's exclusive footage and new interviews with experts.

Air date: 2017-07-02

E20: Dad, Are You Watching Us?

Can time heal all wounds for a family that lost its main anchor in Japan's 2011 disaster? What do the surviving family members feel, how do they deal with their grief, where can they draw strength? Over 4 years since 2013, NHK chronicled the battle waged by a brokenhearted woman and her son as they struggled to move on, relying on the inventive help of those around them. Kazuko was paralyzed by grief over the death of her husband. But she and her son, Kazuha, slowly face the tragedy of their loss and their relationship changes as they become each other's support system. NHK shows this heart-rending transformation of a mother and her child as they bravely get on with their lives after losing the person dearest to them.

Air date: 2017-07-09

E21: A Tiny Universe at Our Feet

Nobue Kai is an 86-year-old picture book author whose illustrations focus on a subject full of wonders many people know little about -- weeds. Her careful and accurate observations about the lives of all kinds of weeds have opened people's eyes to their beauty. We followed her for a full year as she worked and documented a breathtaking universe hiding in plain sight at our feet.

Air date: 2017-07-16

E22: A Mother Panda's Love: The Secret Behind Successful Breeding

Giant pandas, now on the verge of extinction, must be bred in captivity. The zoo in Shirahama, Japan, is one of the world's most successful breeding facilities, and its unique rearing method has drawn considerable attention. With our cameras documenting the zoo and its staff for 1,000 days, we succeeded in capturing a record of the whole breeding process, from mating to nursing, for the first time ever.

Air date: 2017-07-30

E23: Japan's Constitution: The Birth of a Peace-Loving Nation

70 years ago, as it began to rebuild from World War II, Japan enacted a new Constitution. Since that time, not a single word has been changed, including the principles of peace set out in Article 9. How did this commitment to peace take root? Using previously classified documents, NHK reveals the roles played by Emperor Hirohito and Japanese lawmakers in putting Japan on the path of peace that lay the foundation for the postwar Constitution.

Air date: 2017-08-13

E24: Discovery of the Century: The Great Dinosaur of Japan

It's considered the discovery of the century in Japan -- the unearthing of a complete fossilized skeleton of an 8-meter long dinosaur. It was dubbed Mukawaryu based on the name of the town in Hokkaido where it was uncovered. The find opened up a new world of dinosaur research in Japan. But it also created another mystery because this land dinosaur was discovered in a location that, eons ago, would have been in the ocean. How did the fossil get there? The amazing answer is revealed in this documentary, using CGI to re-create how dinosaurs lived 72 million years ago.

Air date: 2017-08-27

E25: Underwater Universe of the Orda Cave

Located beneath Russia's Ural Mountains, Orda Cave is legendary among divers for its unique beauty. The cave's waters are clearest in winter, when the land above lies frozen. With temperatures approaching minus 40 degrees, NHK attempts to film the cave in ultra-high definition 4K for the first time ever. Scientists give them insight into the cave's origins, enabling the crew to uncover the miraculous story of how the cave was naturally formed 300 million years ago by climate change and a shifting landscape.

Air date: 2017-09-10

E26: Revisiting the Dhaka Terror Attack

On July 1, 2016, Islamic terrorists killed 22 people at a restaurant in Dhaka. 7 Japanese nationals were among the victims. They were all working at an aid project for Bangladesh. A survivor recounts how he and one of the Japanese victims managed to hide for a short while before the terrorists found them and executed the Japanese man. And in a twist, one of the planners of the attack was a Bangladeshi who actually holds Japanese citizenship. This compelling program delves deep into what happened on that day and why.

Air date: 2017-09-17

E27: A Tale of Love and Honor: Life in Gion

Within Japan, there’s a place that’s like another world: Gion, in Kyoto. When night falls in this historic district, nearly 100 geiko, or traditional entertainers, make their way to teahouses to perform classical arts, such as music and dance, for carefully selected guests. Kimi Ota, 77, is proprietress of a 200-year-old teahouse. Throughout its history, it has always been run by a woman. Peer behind the curtain into the unique and alluring world of Kyoto’s teahouses.

Air date: 2017-09-23

E28: AI: Into the Real World

From chess to shogi, artificial intelligence has swept aside the grandmasters of humans' most challenging board games. Now the technology's impact is rapidly spreading in the broader world. A taxi company in Japan has boosted its passenger numbers by 20% by introducing an AI system that anticipates peak demand and dispatches drivers accordingly. In the U.S., AI is used in courtrooms to calculate the risk of recidivism and to set prison terms. AI is changing the world - but for better or worse?

Air date: 2017-10-08

E29: Visualizing Atomic Deaths: New Facts on Hiroshima's Victims

Many people believe the Hiroshima atomic bomb instantly incinerated nearly everyone in the Japanese city. That was true at ground zero, but not everywhere. Hiroshima government officials have been tirelessly collecting records on those killed to find out how they died. Using this "big data", NHK created a visualization of the movements of the 557,000 victims of the August 6, 1945 attack. Some did indeed perish instantly. Others burned to death in collapsed buildings. But what about the people who died in a strange "donut zone of death" days after the bombing and in areas more than 2 kilometers from ground zero?

Air date: 2017-10-15

E30: Tokyo Black Hole: Year Zero in Post-WWⅡ Japan

Tokyo Black Hole reveals the rarely discussed truth about real-life events in "Year Zero" of post-war Tokyo. It follows a young man living in present-day Tokyo who travels back in time and has "hands-on" experiences. His journey helps us understand the hardships of the time, and gives a better sense of how some people prospered despite the difficult circumstances.

Air date: 2017-10-22

E31: Unwitting Combatants: The Battle of Karafuto

A radio address by Emperor Showa on August 15, 1945 was supposed to mark Japan's exit from World War Ⅱ. But for people in Karafuto, a Japanese territory on present-day Sakhalin, the war wasn't over. As Soviet troops advanced, local Japanese commanders got a puzzling order: "Defend Karafuto to the death". With military resources depleted, civilians were sent to confront heavily armed Soviet forces. Over 7 days, up to 6,000 people died. Through interviews with survivors, we explore this tragic chapter.

Air date: 2017-10-29

E32: Okinawa's Nuclear Secrets

In the 1950's, as the Cold War intensified, the island of Okinawa Prefecture was transformed into a nuclear fortress, with up to 1,300 nuclear weapons deployed there. For this program, we've obtained about 1,500 items of previously unseen footage and confidential documents. They reveal Okinawa's critical role at that time and expose what was happening there.

Air date: 2017-11-05

E33: Mega Crisis: Skyscrapers in Aseismic Danger

Skyscrapers are symbols of big cities. But the mega earthquake that hit Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in 2016 proved that even earthquake-resilient high-rise buildings can shake greatly and suffer severe damage. The culprit is the long period seismic pulse, which is lurking in active faults throughout the world. Simulations of this motion showed that tall buildings shook 3 times more, causing them to tilt. This episode depicts the destructive power of the long period seismic pulse, and the latest counter measures to combat this threat.

Air date: 2017-11-19

E34: Mega Crisis: Forecasting Super Typhoons

Meteorologists around the world are concerned that accurate forecasting is becoming more and more difficult. The biggest reason for this is the rapid increase in the temperature of seawater triggered by global warming. This rise in temperature causes the flow of water vapor and winds to change, thereby allowing super typhoons to expand and increase in number. The accumulated data and the experiences at present are limited. The margin of error in forecasts for heavy rain and typhoons could end up making the resulting damage much worse. This episode introduces new scientific methods and technologies at the frontline of weather forecasting that could save lives.

Air date: 2017-12-10

E35: Science to the Rescue! The Science of Adolescence

Adolescence – a time when children suddenly become rebellious teenagers. The latest research suggests the changes are closely related to a mechanism acquired during human evolution. Adolescents' troubling behavior is actually rooted in brain development. However, in this era of rapidly-shifting social environments, the unique workings of the adolescent brain present new challenges for young people that may be linked to depression and bullying. Drawing on scientific experiments and evolutionary anthropology, this program uncovers the secrets of the sensitive adolescent mind.

Air date: 2017-12-17

E36: Science to the Rescue! The Science of Marital Misunderstanding

In Japan, one couple gets divorced every 2 minutes. Often, the wife initiates the split. Many women say their partners don't understand their feelings, while many husbands seem unaware of the daily stress this can create. The latest research suggests that common marital misunderstandings are rooted in differences between the male and female brain. The problems couples experience today are the result of millions of years of evolution. This program uses findings from neuroscience to explore the issue, and suggests ways for couples to strengthen their bonds.

Air date: 2017-12-24