Side By Side (2014)

For underprivileged children in the Philippines, it is no easy task to make their way in society. Enter Hajime Yokota. Yokota's non-profit organization connects such children with professional hairstylists from the Philippines and Japan, who hold free lessons to impart their skills and help break the cycle of poverty. This time, we follow some of these children as they learn new skills and work at becoming self-reliant.

A Japanese NGO called IKTT works with women in Cambodia to revive Khmer dyeing, a Cambodian textile tradition that had been on the brink of extinction. Now IKTT and these women -- most of whom originally come from impoverished farming communities -- have created a "textile village" on the outskirts of Siem Reap that is producing close to 200 items a year. They raise silkworms, produce dye from local plants to color threads and weave fabric. The items they create fetch a high price, and offer a way for the women to support themselves and take pride in the work they do as artisans. IKTT's founder, Kikuo Morimoto, passed away in 2017, but the women of Cambodia and the IKTT staff from Japan are determined to keep the textile village going. They are now beginning to experiment with new fabric designs and styles. We visit a village in the forests of Cambodia, where women are creating beautiful textiles and a happy, vibrant community.

Former Japan Self-Defense Force Member Ryoji Takayama has been clearing mines in northwestern Cambodia since 2006. He works in an impoverished area where poor infrastructure makes life difficult for local people. Having realized that mine clearance was not sufficient to alleviate poverty, he began working to dig wells as well as to improve schools and roads. Takayama hopes that the next generation will carry on his work of the village development.

Ethiopian sheepskin leather is one of the world's top materials, light and supple yet highly durable. Though most gets exported for use by foreign apparel makers, one workshop in Addis Ababa is working to forge a global Ethiopian brand through luxury handmade sheepskin bags. Having fallen in love with this unique material while in Ethiopia as an international aid volunteer, founder and designer Hiroko Samejima decided to launch a business working closely with Ethiopian artisans.

Michie Nishiguchi runs a company in Cambodia that produces and sells herbal tea. Nishiguchi gets her supply of herbs from regional schools and farming communities. The money she pays them can then be set aside and used to run schools or to cover living expenses. We follow the activities of Nishiguchi and the many local people who make her enterprise possible.

A totally blind Japanese woman is living alone in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Dispatched by JICA, 47-year-old Emi Teruya is a "facilitator", an expert in supporting the disabled. As a former socialist nation, Mongolia has a well-established social security system, but measures regarding human rights and the social participation of the disabled have not yet been developed. How can the issues of discrimination and prejudice against the disabled which have taken root in Mongolian society be removed? One way to more widely promote public awareness of the real meaning of "disability" is for the disabled themselves to become facilitators. Teruya is helping that to happen with her expertise and personal experience. Aiming to change the mindset of society and realize comprehensive social participation, local disabled people are now training hard to become facilitators. The program introduces their interactions with Teruya, as well as their various activities.

Manila suffers from severe air pollution, exacerbated by exhaust fumes from its famous tricycle taxis, which often have old engines. Although the government is pushing for a switch to newer models, most drivers are poor with no bank accounts. This makes them ineligible for loans, so they cannot afford new vehicles. The spotlight has now turned to a revolutionary new service offered by a Japanese venture firm. By attaching the firm's unique smart device to taxis, drivers can use their vehicle as collateral against a loan. New taxis mean lower fuel and maintenance costs, which helps drivers improve their living standards.

Toru Iwasaki, the first man to coach baseball in Myanmar, teaches young players that determination is an essential quality. Many among them have been raised in poverty, unable to attend school or placed in foster homes. But through the intense practice baseball entails, they've learned about teamwork and how to believe in their own potential. Iwasaki's team has proved greatly influential to educators in Myanmar, making a change for the better in the country.

The majority of Tanzania's population live without electricity. Lighting in rural areas is provided by kerosene lamps whose smoke damages the lungs, or by poor-quality flashlights. One Japanese firm is bringing dependable electricity to these areas. Every small village has a small store called a kiosk. Here solar energy is used to charge lights during the day. At sunset, they are rented out to residents. The lights also include a charging station for mobile phones which are vital to life in these areas. Now in its 4th year, the firm has expanded operations to include around 900 kiosks. The bright, safe lights are used on nighttime market stalls, to light domestic chores and help children study. About 1.5 million people have benefited from these lights. Explore how Japanese and Tanzanians are working together to bring light to areas with no electricity.

In the 24 years since it was devastated by a campaign of genocide, Rwanda has staged a remarkable recovery. It has been hailed as "Africa's economic miracle." However, aside from highways and other main arteries, most roads are still unpaved. There are 2 rainy seasons a year, and during those times the roads often become impassable, which can make life very difficult. This March, a Japanese non-profit called Community Road Empowerment (CORE) began a road improvement initiative in Rwanda. Their groundbreaking method uses sandbags -- fill bags with soil, line them up evenly, and pound them down, and the result is just as strong as concrete. And because the technique is relatively simple, local communities can fix their own roads without any special training. Over the past decade, CORE has supported the repair and improvement of over 150 kilometers of road in 25 countries. We follow a Japanese non-profit working hard with young Rwandans who are eager to forge their own future.