NHK World Special Programs

Stop-motion animation Junk Head has won global praise, but he's turned down offers from Hollywood. Now; he's made a new short just for NHK, and we're bringing you the world premiere!

In 2001, a 15-year-old Mongolian knocked on the door of traditional sumo wrestling in Japan. After 20 years, 69th Yokozuna Hakuho held many of the biggest records in professional sumo, including 45 championships and 1,187 career wins. How did Hakuho overcome tough competition and climb to the top rank, with so many unprecedented achievements? We look back on highlights of the great grand champion's career and ask Hakuho himself about his deep love for sumo.

The Michinoku Coastal Trail reveals both the grand nature of Japan's Tohoku region and the struggles of people to recover from the 2011 earthquake. The 1,000 kilometer path connects 4 prefectures along the Pacific coast, between Aomori and Fukushima. Join Canadian actor Kyle Card on a trek across the trail as he meets residents and ponders what the future may hold for the region and the country.

Climate change is our common crisis. People from all walks of life are reinventing the way they live and work to stop it. In partnership with public broadcasters in the US, we zero in on grassroots actions for a carbon neutral future. Coal has fueled our economy for generations. We've used it to heat our homes, drive our trains and power our grids. Hotter summers pushed many countries away from this burning rock. But some depend on coal for their energy, their industries and their livelihoods. And they're finding it hard to let go. We'll mine how they can mitigate the damage, ease their dependence, and move on to more sustainable sources.

Our oceans help to feed us. They absorb heat from the sun and make it possible for us to live on this planet. But rising temperatures are changing the waters below the surface, warming our oceans, and killing creatures that live there. Scientists expect these marine heatwaves will become longer, more frequent and more severe. We'll dive into efforts to repair the damage and meet innovators who are trying to turn the tide.

Around 1,800 children in Japan are involved in sexual abuse through social media. How does this happen to ordinary teenagers? We worked with support groups and psychiatrists to investigate multiple examples. What lies behind teens' use of social media, and what drives abusers? How can we keep children safe from abuse? A documentary and drama that explores teenage perspectives through workshopping scenarios with young actors.

North of Tokyo, near Mt. Tsukuba. An old-fashioned farmhouse with a thatched roof still sits here, home to a young couple and their 2 children. Thatched roofs are eco-friendly, and a symbol of Japan's traditional farming communities. Under their roof, the Yamada family enjoy the slow life in harmony with nature. They've fostered a mutual aid network who gather for each season's farming milestones and celebrate their successes. The Yamadas' "thatched living" is at once familiar and new.

From the Macintosh computer to the iPhone, Apple founder Steve Jobs masterminded a series of inventions that changed the world. He was also famously interested in Japanese culture, including Zen meditation and traditional cuisine. Less known was his love of Shin-hanga -- a modern take on ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Ahead of the 10th anniversary of Jobs' death, NHK WORLD-JAPAN was granted exclusive access to a list of works he bought in Tokyo. In this special program, experts and old friends look at how Jobs' beautiful collection may have informed his own aesthetic sensibility.

What can artists do in time of war? This series conveys messages from Japanese artists in various fields in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Noted haiku poet Kono Saki creates anti-war haiku while recalling the role of this poetic form during World War II. As both a poet and a mother, what will Kono say in the short space of 17 syllables?

People who have experienced bullying share their stories in each 30-minute "FACES" special. "FACES" is an international collaboration involving NHK and broadcasters all over the world. Suzuki Musashi was born to a Jamaican father and Japanese mother. As a child in Japan, people made discriminatory comments because of his skin color. Wanting the hurtful words to stop, he chose to bottle up his emotions of anger and sadness. A talent for soccer set him on a road leading to Japan's national team. But that success exposed him once again to attack. Suzuki opens up about his painful childhood, how soccer saved him and his perspective now as a seasoned soccer pro.

Be inspired! Introducing 100 passionate stories of efforts and innovations that pave the way towards the UN's 17 SDGs. From the treasure trove of NHK WORLD-JAPAN's rich content library. Everyone has an interest in or a basic awareness of fashion. This episode's theme is sustainable fashion. This familiar part of our daily lives is said to be the world's second leading cause of pollution. Mass amounts of clothes are produced, only to go unsold and end up discarded. We report on unique undertakings within the industry to save the planet, like reusing and remaking old clothes, and one company that makes clothes using traditional Japanese paper which returns to the soil.

An American, Art Lee is a master of the taiko, a traditional Japanese drum. He formed the successful drumming group TOKARA, whose members include his wife, Yukari. In 2002, Art was diagnosed with an incurable liver disease. Eventually he received a partial liver transplant, but his treatment is ongoing. Art and Yukari maintain an optimistic outlook and advocate for diversity through music. We follow them as they plan a special concert in which drummers around the world will take part remotely.

Karakuri are traditional wooden automata. Since their heyday in the 17th century, they have become the source of mechanisms still used in moving toys today, and they are seen as a key step in the evolution of Japanese craft and manufacturing. Tamaya Shobe IX runs a Nagoya workshop that has been building and repairing karakuri since 1733. We join him as he takes on the challenge of recreating a karakuri set thought to be Japan's oldest surviving example, at an estimated 270-plus years old.

Brazilian President Bolsonaro seeks reelection in the October vote. He advocates putting the economy first, leading to increasing deforestation in the Amazon. Standing against this destruction are the Amazon's indigenous people, who use smartphones or drones to expose illegal logging and mining operations. They are led by Sonia Guajajara, who aims for election as federal deputy. She gains support from social media, as the indigenous people who were once scattered now unite in protest, waging a digital war for their homeland.