Lunch ON!

The 2016 earthquake damaged Kumamoto Castle, leaving its stone walls crumbling. We meet the stonemasons carefully restoring each stone to its original place and discover what they do for lunch.

We visit a Hakata ori textile manufacturer with over 160 years of history and explore the kimono sash designs created by their youngest worker, who is in her third year with the company. In another segment, we tour a laptop factory in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, discovering the various processes involved in laptop production. During lunchtime, we also take a look at the bento lunches that keep the workers energized.

This episode features a collection of onigiri rice balls that fuel artisans across Japan. From a roof tile artisan who loves rice cooked in a clay pot to beat the summer heat, to gardeners managing the Japanese garden of a museum—what kind of onigiri keeps them going? We also visit workplaces of other masters of their craft, including ink makers and metalworkers, showcasing their unique and carefully made onigiri.

Mr. Masuki is a fisherman in Hiroshima. On weekends, his son joins him at sea to catch conger eel, and after a morning of hard work, the two enjoy lunch at their favorite spot.

Photographer Abe Satoru visits a workshop in Yamagata that makes kendama, a Japanese toy, and takes a look at the artisans' bentos. We also visit the late singer-songwriter KAN's favorite lunch spot.

We meet a 10-year-old boy and his father, who have been living together since his parents' divorce. The boy has been cooking since he was four, and now, he makes bento every day for his father.

In Marunouchi, Tokyo, we dive into the thoughts and unforgettable lunch experiences of new employees! We also meet new employees at both a supermarket and a workshop that crafts metal cooking pots.

In this special episode, we meet new employees working in various fields and hear their most memorable lunch stories, including a man from a sporting goods company running his first full marathon.

In Shizuoka, we meet a six-generation mikan tangerine farming family, with four generations still active. During harvest, the family and friends work together, then enjoy a delicious outdoor lunch.

A woman in charge of staff lunches at a Tokyo design company cooks in the morning and works as an assistant designer in the afternoon. Tune in and check out the amazing lunches she cooks up.

In Fukuoka City, household trash is collected at midnight. Join us as we take a look at the garbage collectors' late-night meal break, their daily challenges, and their dedication to the job.

Two women farmers in Ibaraki who live together make dried sweet potatoes from scratch. From cultivating to processing, they handle it all themselves. For lunch, they head to their favorite diner.

We visit a lacquer artisan rebuilding Shuri Castle in Okinawa, which was destroyed in a 2019 fire. He leads a team of young craftspeople, and for lunch, enjoys a delicious bento made by his wife.