Spirit of Resilience

In a town in Hokkaido, a young artist is living his dream. Despite a disability that limits his powers of self-expression, Yuichi is passionate about making art, especially when the subject is his other great love: taxis. For years, he focused on pictures of familiar places all around him. But now, his work can be seen in the streets, drawn on his greatest canvas yet – actual taxis. Follow this fascinating young man as he shares his dream with warmth, beauty, and a uniquely gentle touch.

Akiko loves being a mom. But she wanted do something with her life beyond just caring for her kids. With her family’s support, she launched a home-based baking business and then her own organization, Mamma Mercato. The non-profit helps moms like her pursue their dreams, unleash their creativity, and open businesses. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, these resilient women were able to switch gears, find new ways to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills and share them with the broader community.

After a fall left her paralyzed from the waist down, Maco began using a wheelchair. Her disability has limited her mobility, but she hasn’t allowed it to slow her down. She posts videos of her daily life online, helping people around the world understand the challenges that people with disabilities encounter. With over 14 million views, Maco’s posts are putting a human face on these sensitive issues and expanding this young woman’s horizons far beyond her small mountain village.

Life can take some unexpected turns. For one group of young women, that meant leaving familiar surroundings for a fresh start on a peninsula in northeastern Japan. Their new home, Kesennuma City, was hit hard by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The fishing port was virtually destroyed, and the aging population was in decline. But in partnership with long-time residents, these recent arrivals are helping the community weather yet another catastrophe – the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abandoned farms are an all-too-common site in some Japanese communities. But in Nagano Prefecture, a major producer of grapes for making wine, government officials are hoping to reverse that trend, helping young former urbanites build a future in winemaking. These fledgling producers receive training and help with finding fields. And they support each other with a shared sense of purpose, as well as a strong desire to bring Japanese wine to a whole new level.

“Bring out the best in everyone.” For a beauty salon in Japan, those words guide every interaction with customers, staff and the community. The women who work there can design their own schedules and work as a team to balance their professional and personal lives. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, their teamwork has allowed the business to flourish in new ways, bringing a sense of joy to all their clients, helping everyone to shine.

Growing fruit with personality. That’s the goal of a group of young farmers in Niigata Prefecture. They’re trying to raise the international profile of their region through humor, unique promotional ideas, and innovative agricultural techniques. As older farmers in the area retire, these young people are stepping in to preserve and promote local traditions. And like many entrepreneurs, they’re finding ways to engage new audiences even in the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When a businessperson in Japan’s apple capital, rural Aomori Prefecture, announced that he was putting together a performing group to promote local agriculture, people scoffed. Now, 20 years later, this group of “idols” have made their mark beyond their hometown, gaining popularity across Japan. But they haven’t abandoned their local roots. And in the midst of the pandemic, they’re launching new initiatives, hoping to stay connected with their fans and make a difference in their hometown.

What would you do if a perfect stranger gave you $1,000 to invest in the future? That’s what happened to a farmer in Hiroshima Prefecture who offers agricultural training on his YouTube channel. An 87-year-old benefactor sent him her COVID-19 Special Cash Payment, which was provided by the government to residents in Japan to tide them over in this difficult time. She was hoping he’d spend it to help the country. Now the farmer is seeking ways to use her generosity to share the joys of raising vegetables with people throughout Japan.

A lifelong fascination with miniature figures and comical images of food led an artist in Kagoshima Prefecture to an unusual pursuit. Tanaka Tatsuya creates unique, playful dioramas using food and everyday objects that have earned him millions of fans around the world. Each scene is carefully crafted based on meticulous notes. His recent work includes pieces inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the world around him changing, he’s weighing new options for his creative future.

What do t-shirts, cushions, and milk have in common? They are all produced by the Daisen Dairy Agricultural Cooperative in Tottori Prefecture. This unique, 70-year-old group is one of the few agricultural coops in Japan dedicated to the dairy industry whose membership includes every dairy farmer in the prefecture. The milk they produce has a reputation for flavor and quality. But the coop’s members are focusing on the future to ensure that the local dairy farming tradition continues to flourish.

Japanese anime and manga have gained passionate fans across the globe. So a tradition-steeped town in Tottori Prefecture has teamed up with a major manufacturer of action figures to translate that passion into tourist visits. There’s a new factory and an action figure museum. Even the buses and street signs feature popular characters. The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the number of visitors from overseas, but people here are using this time to plan for even better things to come.