NHK Documentaries

As authorities worldwide announce ambitious new targets, the internal combustion engine, heart of the modern automobile, faces an uncertain future in the race to zero emissions. Dubbed the "EV shift," carmakers are scrambling to replace gasoline and diesel vehicles with battery-powered models, as they bet on the future of transport. Worldwide EV (Electric Vehicle) market share has seen Japan's automotive giants trailing in the wake of other global brands. Amid the greatest upheaval to the industry in over a century, we turn our lens on how Japan's automakers are riding the wave of change.

In the waters off Hokkaido Prefecture, in Japan's far north, a number of mysterious natural phenomena have been observed in recent years. Echoing the secret truth of an ancient Ainu proverb, the winter sea is transformed into a white expanse overnight, covering several kilometers of coastline. Elsewhere, a large whirlpool suddenly appears in the sea, as if out of nowhere, hinting at a surprising spectacle in the depths; and in a bay off the Sea of Okhotsk, a vast battalion of shellfish appears to march across the seafloor. Employing cutting-edge underwater camera technology, our specialist crew set out to investigate these intriguing oceanographic events.

A Buddhist nun, Goto Mitsuei, lives in a temple located a 40-minute climb up a steep mountain path. In 2016, NHK began documenting her life, how she responded to the changing seasons, and carefully prepared vegetarian dishes for frequent visitors from near and far. But COVID-19 interrupted the flow of guests. In 2021, we visited Mitsuei and found her still engaged in her modest but rich daily life, once again welcoming people with wisdom and ingenuity, and celebrating the joys of mountain living.

Since taking power in a coup last February, Myanmar's military has been suppressing civilian protest by force. Young protesters have taken up arms against the junta and the military has responded with indiscriminate attacks that have killed even unarmed civilians. The UN estimates that more than 730,000 people have been displaced so far. We take a look at how the situation in the country has developed into a conflict with no end in sight.

Young carers, children under the age of 18 who act as caregivers to family members, carry a tremendous burden, one that can profoundly impact their own health, education and life opportunities. Yet social ideals of self-responsibility, and a lack of outreach and support services from local authorities, all contribute to many never even seeking help. As we meet current and former young carers, we learn about the pressures faced both by child caregivers and family members, as well as the efforts being made to better support those who all too often end up bearing such hardships in silence.

In Japan's rapidly aging mountain villages, the animals are taking over. The remaining farmers feel defenseless against wild boars, monkeys and other creatures that eat crops and destroy fields. Many have turned to Masane, a nuisance-animal researcher and expert in wildlife control, whose methods focus on changing human behavior. In some villages, residents are revitalizing the community and strengthening bonds among neighbors by transforming a problem into a community asset.

As the world enters a phase of aggressive competition over untapped ocean floor resources, countries are scrambling to stake their claims. The vast economic potential on offer has made the seabed the ultimate frontier in a new Age of Exploration. China's research vessels in particular have been active in waters right across the globe. Through our exhaustive analysis of huge volumes of Chinese ship tracking data, from sand dredgers to survey vessels, we piece together a puzzle that reveals a new hidden power struggle over increasingly critical submarine resources.

How does life as a journalist change when your own country becomes a war zone? Even as Ukraine's capital Kyiv came under heavy shelling, the national public broadcaster Suspilne stayed on air, running operations out of a makeshift bunker studio. We follow Suspilne's reporters on the ground, working under pressure as they bear witness to the horrors of war and strive to keep the public informed. Yet how to maintain journalistic objectivity when the mindless death and destruction of war is right on your own doorstep?

Japanese swords fascinate collectors around the world. A special kind of steel called tamahagane is required to make them. This miraculous material is strong, flexible, rust-resistant, and produced through the ancient process of "tatara" ironmaking which takes place over three days and nights. Due to the COVID pandemic, there was only one production run in 2022, which was hit by a series of problems. Did the team meet the challenge? This documentary captures the essence of Japanese craftsmanship.

On August 6, 1945, the first-ever nuclear bomb deployed in war was dropped on the city of Hiroshima Prefecture, leaving an estimated 140,000 dead in its wake by the end of that year. Among the victims, one particular age group stands out for the sheer number of fatalities sustained: 12 and 13 year-olds, children of first year junior high school age. We investigate the tragedy of this lost generation, piecing together surviving records and speaking with survivors, for whom the memories of children robbed of their futures that day are still burned deep in their memories, nearly eight decades on.

Every day at the COVID-19 ward of St. Marianna University Hospital is a desperate struggle for life. With no established treatment plan for this unfamiliar virus, the staff are essentially fighting in the dark. But they have faith in their patients' will to survive. The doctors say some have made recoveries that are nothing short of miraculous. An NHK crew spent two-and-a-half years following the staff and patients of the COVID ward. This is the chronicle of one hospital's long battle against the coronavirus.