NHK Documentaries

The Fisherman and the Forest (2018x19)

Ausstrahlung: Mär 10, 2018

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