NHK Documentaries

Alain Ducasse is a world-famous French chef and owner of restaurants worldwide, including Tokyo. He's fascinated by Japanese cuisine and makes several visits a year to explore local ingredients and culinary techniques. We follow him on his search for premium winter ingredients such as sea urchin, pole-and-line fished cod and traditional Kyoto vegetables. After commenting on the beauty of the way in which they're prepared Japanese style, he demonstrates his unique style of French cuisine.

More than 22,000. This is the number of people either dead or missing in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. For surviving family members and friends, the pain and sorrow of losing loved ones do not fade, even after 6 years. Ever since the disaster, NHK has shared on its website photos of loved ones sent in by survivors, along with messages to them. There are now more than 500 of them. Among them are a family portrait from a daughter who lost her parents; a photograph of a woman and her husband, who is still unaccounted for; and one of a smiling wife who lived close to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. We tell the stories of the years since the disaster – stories that should never be forgotten.

The United States dominates the world in airpower. Behind the birth of the US Air Force is a little-known story about the deadly firebombing campaign against Japan at the end of World War 2. NHK combed through audiotaped interviews with 246 senior Air Force officials, including the leader of the air assault on Japan, Gen Curtis LeMay. The interviews reveal how an “ideal” strategy designed to cause minimal civilian casualties ultimately went awry, and gave way to attacks with incendiary bombs that claimed some 400,000 Japanese lives.

Do you know "Rakugo"? Along with Kabuki, it's a traditional Japanese entertainment of dexterous and comical storytelling that covers everything from people's everyday lives, customs, food to unique sceneries. On "RAKUGO NIPPON!", we follow the travels of Rakugo performers in the beautiful land of Japan, and discover how they transform their heart-moving experiences into original English Rakugo performances. This episode will follow English Rakugo Performer Kimie Oshima to Toyama Prefecture, where local splendors such as the Winter Yellowtail of Himi and the traditional cast metal crafts of Takaoka await her. Just what kind of original Rakugo will her journey usher? Sit back and enjoy!

Self-taught artists are claiming respect and recognition for themselves and their work. Marie Suzuki is one such person, a creator of what has come to be known as art brut, made by artists who have learned on their own. She cultivates her skills primarily to please herself. Nevertheless, others have taken notice. The program features an exhibition of Japanese art brut in Nantes, France, including that of Suzuki. Tune in to see how boundless imagination turns into expression beyond words.

The "Tokyo Girls Collection" fashion show has become a social and economic phenomenon. Teenage audience members -- some 20,000 in all -- buy the clothes the models are wearing right in front of them, in real time. Their social media posts affect the year's clothing trends. People in Kitakyushu, quite a distance from Tokyo, thought their community could use that sort of event. So, they staged their own version of it. Tune in to see young people taking to the catwalk as their industrial city finds itself in fashion.

Situated as the gateway to the Japanese archipelago from the South China Sea, Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Until the 19th century, it was an independent island chain known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. Then during WWⅡ, Okinawa was the location of the first ground battle in Japan. Countless civilians died, both young and old. The former Kingdom's Shuri Castle was also burned down. It was only in 1992 that it was restored to its former glory. In its long and turbulent history, Okinawa's songs never ceased to offer hope and support. Artists symbolizing Okinawan folk music have gathered at Shuri Castle, now a World Heritage Site, to perform a series of songs celebrating the islands and their culture.

BOSAI is disaster prevention through preparedness. What did Japan learn from the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster? Travel with a TV anchor to disaster-hit areas to find out the lessons learned about BOSAI worth sharing with the rest of the world.

Satoyama are areas where people have formed a close interdependent relationship with nature. These timeless landscapes are deeply embedded in the Japanese psyche and a recognizable feature of Japanese culture around the world. Yet the countryside is facing a crisis of epidemic proportions: a graying and decreasing population; wide swaths of unused farmland; and numerous empty or abandoned buildings and houses. But a ray of light has shown from a hopeful source: the younger generation. Leaving urban areas behind, they've quietly revitalized their adopted communities, and in the process, have found renewed energy and passion. American writer and Japanologist Alex Kerr takes us to the aging castle town of Taketa in Oita Prefecture where new value and old traditions work hand in hand. Kerr notes that this change occurring in the satoyama may alter assumptions of life in the countryside and economics in general.

BOSAI is disaster prevention through preparedness. What did Japan learn from the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster? Travel with a TV anchor to disaster-hit areas to find out the lessons learned about BOSAI worth sharing with the rest of the world.

In this new entertainment-type documentary, challengers from Asian countries come all the way to Japan and go through difficult experiences for just 3 days. By seeing the challenger's struggles, you will come to understand the enthusiasm of the Japanese and what they value. Through the eyes of the daredevil, you'll discover another side of Japan you've never seen before.

In this new entertainment-type documentary, challengers from Asian countries come all the way to Japan and go through difficult experiences for just 3 days. By seeing the challenger's struggles, you will come to understand the enthusiasm of the Japanese and what they value. Through the eyes of the daredevil, you'll discover another side of Japan you've never seen before.

The Paris Agreement aims to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050, which has sped up the growth of "zero-carbon" business worldwide. Part 3 of Zero Carbon Ahead looks at this trend. The world's biggest solar power station is currently being built in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates -- the power it generates will be far cheaper than coal. Dramatic decreases like this in the cost of renewable energy mean that many businesses hope to eventually use renewables for 100% of their energy needs.

Thanks to their appearance in hit Asian films, locations throughout Japan are being thrust into the spotlight. Previously unknown to most travelers, these locations are now must-see spots for movie buffs from both in and outside Japan. We visit these new tourist hotspots with the stars of the films that made them famous, hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of those hit movies. Plus, an inside look at what makes each location special, including local places, faces, food, history and more.

Thanks to their appearance in hit Asian films, locations throughout Japan are being thrust into the spotlight. Previously unknown to most travelers, these locations are now must-see spots for movie buffs from both in and outside Japan. We visit these new tourist hotspots with the stars of the films that made them famous, hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of those hit movies. Plus, an inside look at what makes each location special, including local places, faces, food, history and more.

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.

Against the background of Asia's growing economies, we focus on the latest Japanese business trends, corporate strategies and technologies. We look behind the scenes and look at their global impact from various perspectives.

A ravaged high school piano, soaked by the tsunami, sat stoically after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Renowned musician Ryuichi Sakamoto came across it when visiting the disaster area. The sounds were divorced from conventional tonality, and Sakamoto employed them in his first album in 8 years. He also attached sensors to the keys, transforming the instrument into a machine that converts seismic waves into sounds. It was his way of conveying the message that the disaster should never be forgotten. Watch and listen as the teacher and a student who had used the "tsunami piano" before the quake react to its new melodies.

William Perry served as US secretary of defense for 3 years, beginning in 1994. He granted NHK 20 hours of exclusive interviews, focused on the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis and tensions surrounding American military bases in Okinawa Prefecture that occurred during his tenure.

"Oshin" is a Japanese TV drama that has taken the world by storm. It's been aired in more than 60 countries. The story was set in Yamagata Prefecture, which is known for its beautiful, snowy landscape. In this series, Win Morisaki, an actor from Myanmar who's based in Japan, visits the places where the drama was shot.

In Fukushima Prefecture, the site of a nuclear accident in 2011, so much radioactive material fell in a wooded area that it has become a radioactive forest. NHK has visited the area several times since the accident to see how the radiation is affecting its flora and fauna. Using state-of-the-art technology to survey the forest, scientists have found severe contamination in flowers and nuts, and even irregularities in the chromosomes of animals. We examine how the contamination is circulating inside the forest.

They are in the prime of their life, but a growing number of people in Japan have all but disappeared. They're the country's missing workers, people who have been unemployed for protracted periods of time and have given up looking for jobs. They're not even included in unemployment statistics. Japan has 1.03 million missing workers in their 40's and 50's, outnumbering the 720,000 unemployed persons in the same age group. These individuals have a similar profile: many are unmarried, and have to take care of an elderly parent, forcing them to quit regular jobs. This riveting report shows the harsh, hand-to-mouth life these people lead and tries to find solutions for this growing problem.

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

In 2018, Japan celebrated the 50th anniversary of the return of the Ogasawara Islands. This World Natural Heritage Site, 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, is home to a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic community that has flourished since the 19th century. The islanders' dedication to one another allowed them to endure the Pacific War and subsequent US military occupation. Nowadays, they enjoy life amid the flora and fauna that make their piece of the world unique.

All alone in an uncaring world: that was the fate of many Japanese children who lost their parents during World War II. Desperate and hungry, they drifted to train stations in big cities and lived in underground passages, and were called and known as "station children". They were forced to beg and, often, to steal. Some just waited for death. NHK found survivors who reveal the largely unknown plight of these war orphans. A woman recalled caring for her brother and sister in the dark hell beneath Tokyo's Ueno Station. A man, spurned by relatives, described living on the streets, nearly blinded by illness and losing his best friend to suicide. These heartbreaking accounts offer an important message for modern Japan.

In this episode of "THE BODY," takes us back to the starting point for all human beings - birth. From a fertilized egg, through the division of microscopic cells, the formation of internal organs, to the first cries of a newborn in the delivery room, we trace the complex interactions between mother and baby that transform a tiny fetus into a living, breathing person. The latest imaging technology helps you witness the process from the inside to help you understand the wonders of human development.