The Professionals (2006)

Yasuhide Kadogawa, Fish Shop Owner Fish shop owner Yasuhide Kadogawa is affectionately known to customers and friends alike as "Mr. Cat". He's also a keen judge of seafood who's passionate about research. When he spots something unfamiliar at the market, he buys it and immediately looks it up. If he's still puzzled, he turns to a university professor who's a friend for help. Kadogawa says improving his understanding of habitats and behavior helps make his assessments more accurate. And he's enthusiastic about sharing his wealth of knowledge with the next generation. He makes time to visit clients and offer suggestions to young chefs about the most delicious ways to prepare fish. More than a few customers entrust Kadogawa when they plan special menus. "Unless we pass down Japan's culture, it can't be preserved". With these words, Kadogawa is nurturing knowledge about Japan's fish-based food culture.

Hiroyasu Shoji, Lighting Designer Meet Hiroyasu Shoji, a world-class lighting designer who switches off the dazzle in favor of "comfortable darkness". Through meticulous planning and masterful creative instincts, he crafts interplays of light and shadow that soothe the soul. Japan's Great East Japan Earthquake resulting tsunami led to power cuts and conservation that dimmed the lights of Tokyo - and Shoji's belief in his profession, until a visit to a remote tropical island renewed his sense of purpose. 5 years later, in the autumn of 2016, he sets out to turn a shuttered shop in a historic but fading town into a glowing beacon of hope and revival.

The Masters of Tsukiji Market We focus on some professionals and the challenges they encounter at the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Among them, Hitoshi Fujita (60) is a seasoned Chinese chef who's relatively new to Tokyo, and a self-described Tsukiji "novice". His goal is to secure the best seafood for his guests, but will he succeed? Chef Toru Okuda (47) is said to have mastered the essence of Japanese cuisine. We follow him to Tsukiji as he takes on a new and demanding ingredient - the wild tiger puffer fish. And meet 53-year-old broker and wild tuna expert Hiroki Fujita. He says the feel of the flesh in a tuna's tail tells him instantly if it's good.

Yoshihiko Oshima, Architect Turning 1960's apartment buildings into hot properties, Yoshihiko Oshima (46) is an architect who's in great demand in the world of renovation. He's revitalized all sorts of aging buildings around Japan, including disused housing complexes. He says that if you just try to renovate a property to be trendy, sooner or later it will begin to feel old again, so he adopts a fresh approach that's attracting attention in Japan, where empty homes and apartment units are on the rise. Oshima has even tackled the challenge of bringing out the unique character of buildings on a city-wide scale! His work is rejuvenating the bonds of community.

Noriyuki Hamada, French Chef In a high-rise building in central Tokyo is a premium Japanese-style inn where the head chef is 41-year-old Noriyuki Hamada. In 2013, he took third place at the world's most prestigious culinary competition, becoming the first Japanese to win a medal. And he continues to attract international attention. In Hamada's cooking, high-end fare such as foie gras and caviar are nowhere to be found. Instead, he uses atypical ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms and carp to dream up exquisite culinary creations. Hamada's original and creative menus don't originate with flashes of genius. He learns everything about his ingredients, turning out astonishing dishes by trying out various pairings and cooking methods hundreds of times. "Everyone else just zooms ahead like a jet plane", he says. "But I crawl forward one step at a time. People like me who lack good taste and talent have no choice but to advance step by step. I think only of what's right in front of me, and how delicious and enjoyable to eat I can make it. All I can do is keep trying. That's my only talent".

Taketoshi Ozawa, Home Care Physician Gravely ill individuals who want to spend their final days at home - making this wish possible is home care physician Taketoshi Ozawa. He coordinates with other professionals from more than 160 businesses, including care managers, home care support services and home care nurses to orchestrate 24-hour care and support for patients afflicted with a variety of illnesses, and their families. When working with patients, Ozawa's listening techniques are particularly noteworthy. Rather than relying on intuition, his approach incorporates teachings from clinical ethics and other fields. He devotes almost 1 hour per consultation, but the time is not spent only on addressing medical issues. Instead, Ozawa devotes a lot of effort to drawing out his patients' concerns and wishes, and those of their families. When a patient is terminally ill, even doctors are powerless. But Ozawa accepts and values this. "I don't want to forget the feeling of wanting to help", he says, adding, "I may be powerless, but I'll be by my patients' side".

Katsura Yamaguchi, Auction Specialist Christie's is one of the world's leading auction houses, and Katsura Yamaguchi works with them as a specialist in Asian art—Japanese art in particular. His job is to scour the world for extraordinary items that can be taken to auction. Steering clear of the fakes and forgeries that circulate in the art world, he makes the rounds of a personal network of dealers and collectors. Even when no specific deal is in the offing, he is constantly on the lookout for artworks hidden from the public eye. For Yamaguchi, information is everything, and his treasure hunting is a vital way to uncover new facts. We go behind the scenes in the secretive world of high-stakes art auctions.

Takeshi Yamashita, Tofu Craftsman Takeshi Yamashita is the 5th-generation owner of a small tofu shop founded 145 years ago that sells to households and department stores. Yamashita uses only natural nigari coagulant, creating a tofu with a rich soybean fragrance that's so soft chopsticks can just barely hold it. On the tongue, it breaks apart, allowing the flavor to instantly diffuse. Even fellow tofu makers express astonishment at Yamashita's skills. Making tofu the traditional way is a simple process. Grind soybeans, cook them, then drain off the soymilk, and add nigari to firm up the tofu. But as Yamashita puts it, "The simpler something is, the harder it becomes". He cultivates his own soybeans, and challenges himself to create diverse flavors. Yamashita says that when it comes to simple things, you can't fudge the details. Creating delicious tofu with just the right texture is truly difficult -- but that's what makes it interesting.

Shunputei Ichinosuke, Rakugo Storyteller The traditional art of rakugo storytelling is currently experiencing a boom in Japan. It's been fueled by a popular storyteller named Shunputei Ichinosuke, who works 350 days a year, performing about 900 times. While preserving traditional rakugo, Ichinosuke adds his own verbal touches, including modern-day gags. His work undergoes a constant process of evolution as he reworks his material each time he appears before an audience. Ichinosuke is a brash and bold storyteller who delights his audiences, but his true personality is the exact opposite. Afraid above all that audiences won't like him, he keeps to himself backstage and, grumbling, battles uncertainty and insecurity. No matter how busy his schedule, he always finds time to practice, even if only while walking between gigs. Despite his somewhat difficult personality, he is sincerely dedicated to rakugo and avid in his desire to deepen his art.

Giant Floating Crane Crew At 105 meters long and with a lifting capacity of 3,000 tons, Fuji is a giant floating crane that has pulled off a variety of complex jobs in Japan, including the construction of the Tokyo Gate Bridge and the Tsukiji Bridge. The goal this time is to build the first bridge connecting the island of Oshima in Kesennuma Bay in Miyagi Prefecture with Japan's main island. Island residents have long yearned for such a bridge, and see it as a ray of hope. Taking on the task are Sadami Dannoshita, Fuji's captain, and a crew of skilled professionals. Beginning with the bridge girders, they advance the project step-by-step over a month. Finally, they take on the most demanding part -- constructing the bridge's central span. To do this, Fuji must transport the 228-meter, 2,700-ton span 2.4 kilometers to the construction site, where the crew will install it in one go. The men have plenty of experience, but their window of opportunity this time is extremely limited. That's because Fuji can't be moved during the daytime, when ferries operate in the bay. Instead, they must begin the job at night, and complete it by evening the next day. Working in the dark, the crew encounter various challenges. Can they finish in time?

Ikuya Ueta, Pediatric Intensivist Japan's adoption of pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) has been far slower than other countries. Dr. Ikuya Ueta learned about pediatric intensive care in the US, and has been a pioneer in bringing this form of healthcare to Japan. Ueta has treated 10,000 children whose lives were at risk, achieving a survival rate of 98%. He sorts every treatment he's administered, every medication he's prescribed, and how every patient responded into a mental map. With each new patient, he plots out a path to recovery on that map, carefully observing and then adapting as necessary. Guiding his young patients towards recovery is the essence of Ueta's approach.

Shiro Masuda, Sukiya-zukuri Carpenter Sukiya-zukuri, a traditional style of Japanese architecture incorporating time-honored aesthetics, is simple yet deep. The most celebrated individual working in this style today is 66-year-old master carpenter Shiro Masuda. Over the course of a career spanning half a century, he has worked on the Kyoto State Guest House and other classic sukiya-zukuri structures. He always strives to highlight the wood's "face" by drawing out its beauty to the fullest extent, never cutting corners or accepting compromise. He observes each piece from every possible angle to best capture its unique character, and then uses his finely tuned skills to present the wood in the most beautiful way. Employing precise measurements, and taking into account things such as placement and its effect on both light and shade, as well as the viewers' gaze, he makes adjustments down to the millimeter, subtly changing the width of cut or the angle of a piece. Saying he bows deeply in his heart when engaging with wood, Masuda is a master carpenter with a true reverence for trees.

Hiroyuki Wada, Arborist Hiroyuki Wada is an arborist who has tended to many cherry trees, including one reckoned to be 2,000 years old, in more than 30 parks and other scenic places. He concerns himself not just with the health of the trees themselves, but also with ensuring that they can coexist with the crowds of people who come to see them bloom. He aims to make sure that the trees remain healthy decades in the future. He also applies his expertise to the overall planning of parks. From laying out paths that protect the soil around trees from being trampled down, to arranging optimal sightlines for blossoms, he thoughtfully seeks to preserve splendid scenic vistas for generations to come. Meet Hiroyuki Wada, an arborist who diligently cares for trees each day, with a view to 100 years in the future.

Mureo Kasahara, Transplant Surgeon For children whose lives are threatened by serious liver illnesses, there is one final hope. It's a living-donor liver transplant, in which part of a liver donated by a parent or another close relative is transplanted into a child. 51-year-old transplant surgeon Mureo Kasahara performs more of these operations per year than any other surgeon in the world, and the 10-year survival rate for his patients is more than 90%. Kasahara thoroughly studied ways to cut small, thin sections of liver tissue, and developed a groundbreaking surgical method for difficult cases involving children weighing 5 kilograms or less. His life-saving technique has drawn international attention. Kasahara views living-donor liver transplants as "the gift of life", and says they embody the parents' deep desire to help their child. He braces himself for difficult surgeries, and exhausts every possibility as he fights for the futures of children and their families. Just doing something isn't enough. As Kasahara says, "You have to follow through, no matter what".

Recently, Japan is seeing a new wave of luxury trains. THE ROYAL EXPRESS, completed in the summer of 2017, is one such train. Renowned designer Eiji Mitooka was responsible for designing THE ROYAL EXPRESS, and he recruited artisans from across Japan to help create it. Both the train's interior and exterior are gorgeous, and an amazing attention to detail is present throughout. How did they manage to craft this one-of-a-kind train? Enjoy a behind the scenes look at the creation process.

Shinya Yamanaka, Researcher Shinya Yamanaka, 55, won the Nobel Prize in 2006 for creating iPS cells, a type of pluripotent stem cell. He demonstrated how the addition of 4 genes allows skin and other cells to turn into various types of cells in the body. His discovery opened up tremendous possibilities for both regenerative medicine and the development of new medications. Yamanaka has been leading efforts to use iPS cells in treatments for intractable diseases and injuries, and has teamed up with Japan's largest pharmaceutical company. Together, they aim to create dream medications for cancer, as well as nerve and muscle diseases. Their work is still in the animal-testing stage, but always in the back of Yamanaka's mind are the patients who are waiting. While it may take considerable time, his focus is helping people struggling from untreatable diseases. Even after winning the Nobel Prize, Yamanaka continues on the long and unforgiving road of research, never losing sight of his goal.

Akira Matsumoto is a CEO who's built his reputation on swooping in to revive the fortunes of troubled companies. He describes himself as a "big talker", and he backs up that talk by revolutionizing how his company is run, and then delivering big results. 8 years ago, he took the helm at a major snack food company, which has had growth in sales and profits for the last 8 fiscal years. His management style has won him many admirers. When a typhoon devastates Japan's potato crop, it triggers a plunge in potato chip sales. Meanwhile, the company faces tough conditions in foreign markets. We followed Matsumoto closely as he tackled these challenges…by turning big talk into big moves! Meet a model CEO for the Japanese business world of today.