NHK World Special Programs

In August, 2018, the ABU Asia-Pacific Robocon was held in Vietnam. With the goal to come out victorious using their shuttlecock-throwing robots, teams from 17 countries and territories gathered from across the world for the 17th edition of the competition. However, many of the teams find their high-tech robots being affected by the extreme heat in Vietnam. Who will overcome all obstacles and rise to the top in the chaotic finals?

Songs from across Asia rang out at this year's General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). From Japan, Eir Aoi performed [IGNITE].

British-born Venetia lives a handcrafted life in Ohara, Kyoto Prefecture. She appreciates fall blossoms in her garden and makes apple compote with her daughter. She then goes to have her broken wooden toy fixed. An admirer of Japanese traditional chests of drawers, or tansu, she takes a trip to Iwate Prefecture and visits a tansu workshop. The elaborate craftsmanship dating from the Edo era impresses her. In Tono City, she visits a couple living like she does and tries cooking a local delicacy, hittsumi with them.

Meet Makoto Kotani, a jovial 34-year-old man without a care in the world. He is a social butterfly with invitations flooding in for dinner and drink parties and has reportedly gained 20kg from his gourmet lifestyle. People come asking for his advice on everything from family relationships to lack of self-confidence. Makoto Kotani is also a homeless man. Why do so many people want to spend time with him? The program director spent 10 days on the streets with him to find out what makes this man so special.

More than 22,000. This is the number of people either dead or missing in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. For surviving family members and friends, the pain and sorrow of losing loved ones do not fade, even after 6 years. Ever since the disaster, NHK has shared on its website photos of loved ones sent in by survivors, along with messages to them. There are now more than 500 of them. Among them are a family portrait from a daughter who lost her parents; a photograph of a woman and her husband, who is still unaccounted for; and one of a smiling wife who lived close to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. We tell the stories of the years since the disaster – stories that should never be forgotten.

Do you know "Rakugo"? Along with Kabuki, it's a traditional Japanese entertainment of dexterous and comical storytelling that covers everything from people's everyday lives, customs, food to unique sceneries. On "RAKUGO NIPPON!", we follow the travels of Rakugo performers in the beautiful land of Japan, and discover how they transform their heart-moving experiences into original English Rakugo performances. This episode will follow English Rakugo Performer Kimie Oshima to Toyama Prefecture, where local splendors such as the Winter Yellowtail of Himi and the traditional cast metal crafts of Takaoka await her. Just what kind of original Rakugo will her journey usher? Sit back and enjoy!

The World Heritage "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" preserve the memory of the Christians who observed their faith during 250 years of religious prohibition. Many of these sites are in the Nagasaki area, where the Virgin Mary was particularly venerated. The secrecy of their faith is evident in objects of worship, including a seashell bearing a human-like image and statues of a Buddhist deity. Both were proxies for images of Mary. These Christians held onto their faith despite the threat of oppression and death, believing that Mary was life. We look at what the prayers of these people can tell us today.

2018 marked the 30th anniversary of My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies. Sadly, it was also the year Isao Takahata, one of the great masters of Japanese animation, passed away. Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki formed STUDIO GHIBLI so they could create their masterpieces. This program will give you an up-close look at some of the studio's most famous films along with the music of STUDIO GHIBLI that continues to have multi-generational appeal. Songs are performed by popular J-pop stars and artists who have worked with STUDIO GHIBLI over the years. Treat yourself to fun and moving performances that pay homage to your favorite STUDIO GHIBLI films, hear rare stories about Hayao Miyazaki, and learn about the history of Isao Takahata and how he became one of Japan's greatest treasures. Filmed at Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum's Ghibli Expo -From Nausicaä to Marnie- exhibition, this 45-minute program is jam-packed with the magic of STUDIO GHIBLI, including famous scenes from your favorite STUDIO GHIBLI works.

An extraordinary journey tracing the footsteps of early Homo sapiens leaving Africa, reaching the easternmost end of the Eurasian continent, and developing unique culture there. The latest paleoanthropological findings and CGI created by top game creators should stun the viewers.

What is involved in creating a groundbreaking film that documents the latest paleoanthropological findings? This film will shed light on the talent, research, and scientific discoveries that made Out of the Cradle possible. The origins of humanity

Robots were created to transform the workplace. Now, they're revolutionizing the way humans communicate. Asian researchers believe robots will soon serve as intermediaries to communicate between elderly dementia patients, autistic children, and their families. But could introducing robots into our homes have unintended effects like hurting family ties or making us lose touch with our humanity? To find out, we traveled around Asia.

Hidetoshi Nakata first made his name on the soccer pitch, as a member of Japan's national team and pro teams in Italy. Now, he's working in a different field, spreading the allure of Japanese sake around the world. Sake has been riding along with the boom in Japanese cuisine. Exports have doubled over a decade. To boost those numbers, Nakata has visited more than 350 breweries and founded a company that promotes Japanese culture through sake.

In February 2019, several months before Emperor Akihito's abdication, a painting went on exhibit at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. It was a portrait of the Emperor and Empress Michiko. The portrait was painted over the course of nearly 4 years by Hiroshi Noda, a master of realistic painting. During the final 6 months before the portrait was completed, our cameras visited Noda's studio and carefully documented his process. Noda has known the imperial couple for 3 decades, and he grappled with the challenge of depicting the humanity and sense of presence they have maintained, in close connection to the Japanese people as the symbol of the nation. The program depicts the completion of the first and only portrait of the imperial couple.

Villagers in the upper reaches of China's Yangtze River once depended on the "Sky Cradle" gondola to cross a deep canyon, though now they have a bridge. The program documents tradition encountering change.

ULTRA-TRAIL Mt.FUJI is Asia's biggest trail running race against the background of Mount Fuji, and more than 2,500 competitors from 40 countries and regions gathered to take on the challenge. The 165-kilometer course takes them through mountainous terrain and forested foothills, with a cumulative altitude gain of 8,000 meters. More than 30 cameras captured the spectacle from multiple angles, including from the air. Tune in to experience some of the highs and lows of this thrilling event.

"Mobile Suit Gundam" is a science fiction anime about a war-torn future where humanity has colonized outer space. Over the decades Gundam has become one of Japan's most iconic media franchises. But when the original series debuted in 1979, ratings were low, and it was initially deemed a flop. So how did Gundam become beloved by generations of people? What was the making of "Mobile Suit Gundam" - the beginning of this cultural phenomenon - like? We spoke with the people who were there to hear the inside story.

Peter Barakan is a broadcaster and a 45-year resident of Japan. In this series, he discovers how Japan is changing, starting with a look at the country's capital: Tokyo. From tucked-away shrines in upmarket Ginza to secluded waterways in Nihonbashi, Peter visits the lesser-known corners of the city. What echoes of the city's history do they reveal? And where will Tokyo go from here? Join Peter to find out. The series features beautiful images created by time-lapse creator Daisuke Shimizu.

This annual ceremony for world peace commemorates the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima. People from around the world gather to pray for the souls of the victims.

This annual ceremony for world peace commemorates the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki. People from around the world gather to pray for the souls of the victims.

For over a decade, NHK has solicited the memoirs of atom bomb survivors in the form of letters describing their experiences. Of the more than 2,200 letters received, 3 were selected as the basis for the anime short films featured in this program. Created by teams of prominent artists, animators, and local university students in Hiroshima Prefecture, the short films present, with the new sensibilities of today's generation, recollections of the war and the catastrophic bomb explosions. Not limited to the horrors of the bombings themselves, they also include refreshing scenes of happy family moments, love, friendship, and other expressions of youth that are universal and eternal, thereby conveying the tragic magnitude of the lives and days that were lost.

In April 2019, 52-year-old Mitsuhiro Iwamoto, who is totally blind, succeeded in crossing the Pacific Ocean in his sailboat. This program documents both his spectacular achievement of being the first blind person to make the brutal 55-day voyage, and the life experiences that led him there. When he lost his sight at age 16, Iwamoto contemplated suicide but was saved by a seemingly impossible dream: to sail across the Pacific Ocean. 6 years before this documented success, he had attempted a crossing with a popular newscaster that ended in failure when their boat collided with a whale. On this successful voyage, Iwamoto teamed up with Japan-based businessman Douglas Smith. The two of them set sail from San Diego, California and arrived, without any stops in between, at Onahama Port in Fukushima Prefecture. The entire journey was filmed using 3 fixed cameras placed strategically on the boat in addition to one hand-held camera.

On the first of May 2019, the Reiwa era dawned in Japan and Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne. As a young man, the Emperor studied at Oxford University and married an up-and-coming diplomat, Masako Owada. Empress Masako became the first Empress of Japan to have had a previous career. Drawing on rare footage and interviews with people who know them, we consider what may lie ahead for the new Emperor and Empress.

Teams of college students from 16 countries and territories competed in the 18th ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest in Ulaanbaatar. The goal this year was to convey a "gerege" -- a traditional Mongolian tablet carried by messengers to grant them safe passage -- across an obstacle course using robots that moved on 4 legs, and achieve Uukhai (victory). The advanced technology in these young engineers' robots is increasingly in need around the world. Tune in to find out who prevailed in the quest to be the best.

Teams of college students from 16 countries and territories competed in the 18th ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest in Ulaanbaatar. The goal this year was to convey a "gerege" -- a traditional Mongolian tablet carried by messengers to grant them safe passage -- across an obstacle course using robots that moved on 4 legs, and achieve Uukhai (victory). The advanced technology in these young engineers' robots is increasingly in need around the world. Tune in to find out who prevailed in the quest to be the best.