Hometown Stories - Season 10 / Year 2020

As a teen, Shin-ya Narusawa became a reclusive shut-in for 6 years, until a cosmic event rekindled his interest in astronomy. Now, at an observatory in central Japan, he's a top expert on extraterrestrial intelligence. In addition, he leads stargazing tours for visitors more than 100 times a year. His mission to share the wonders of the universe was inspired by the passion of a late colleague. "Each little dot has a personality," says Shin-ya, whose own life has been guided by the stars. "Each one is different. Each one is good."

Paralyzed in his lower legs and hands, Takeshi Kukizaki, 68, grows azaleas and runs an azalea garden in Kagoshima City, southwest Japan. 19 years ago, while working at a company, he was suddenly struck by a serious neurological disorder. Suffering from severe aftereffects, he even contemplated suicide. It was azaleas, flowers he had long cherished, that restored his will to live. After leaving the hospital, Takeshi opened his garden and now uses his flowers to give hope and courage to others.

On weekends, customers flock to this traditional restaurant in Murayama city in northeast Japan for a unique taste of soba noodles served on a wooden board. But in February 2019, after the 3rd-generation chef of the restaurant fell ill, his son, Kohei, suddenly had to fill his shoes. Through trial and error, he struggles to master the milling of buckwheat seeds, previously his father's job. As the new fresh-soba season draws near, the family strives to preserve a taste that goes back 100 years.

Japan's indigenous Ainu people, many of whom live on the northern island of Hokkaido Prefecture, have passed down crafts inspired by nature. Now, a new generation is finding fresh ways to express the Ainu spirit. It's thanks to a collaborative effort linking a trendsetting Japanese retailer with young artisans in Lake Akan. The artisans, who specialize in weaving and jewelry making, are trying to preserve tradition while giving age-old techniques new luster. Creating products with just the right balance puts their skills to the test.

The 2011 tsunami devastated the fishing industry in Sanriku, in northeastern Japan. Like others, seafood processor Kenichiro Yagi and local fishermen are trying to recover and rebuild their business. Using a special freezing technique, they deliver fresh local fish to distant customers year-round. They even learned how to make stingray liver, previously thought useless, appeal to a top Tokyo chef. Yagi also goes to Taiwan to tap Asian markets. We follow them as they explore the future of the local fishing industry.

In the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture lost 30% of its civil servants, the highest proportion for any affected municipality. The local government was blasted for its handling of the crisis, and bereaved families were left with painful questions. For a long time, most employees who lived through that day remained silent. Then, the town publishes a record of the disaster that includes first-hand accounts by surviving workers. For a community struggling to find closure, this could be a turning point.

At altitudes of more than 2,500 meters in the mountains of central Japan, a 72-year-old ornithologist, Nakamura Hiroshi, takes on the challenge of saving rock ptarmigans, known as "divine birds," from extinction. Frequent human incursions have depleted their numbers across Japan. Spending more than 100 days a year in the mountains, he works on an unprecedented breeding project to restore a ptarmigan population to one of its former habitats. We follow Hiroshi in his quest to bring back these birds while questioning how humans can best interact with nature.

For Japan's aging apple farmers, finding someone to succeed them is a struggle. In Hirosaki City, a community in Japan's leading apple-producing prefecture of Aomori, more than 500 growers have called it quits over the past 5 years. Now, one man is on a mission to change things. Takahashi Satoshi is working to help farmers pass on their precious orchards to a new generation. He calls it "connecting" the trees to a successor. Teaching aspiring farmers all the required skills isn't easy. But Satoshi is hopeful that his efforts will bear fruit.

In the northern Japanese town of Oma, seasoned fishermen compete to land prized bluefin tuna. Among them is a 57-year-old novice, who moved there from western Japan 4 years ago. After his daughters were grown, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a tuna fisherman. Having made his own choice about where and how to fish, he aims to catch bluefin weighing over 100kg. While others opt for stable jobs, he has taken the risk of pursuing his dream. We follow his journey as he battles through the rough northern waters.

A man bedridden by a genetic disorder. Another paralyzed by a fall. For such people with severe disabilities, avatar robots are opening new doors. They're controlled remotely over the internet, and speak in the voices of their human operators. Their creator was once a social recluse who's working to give the homebound new opportunities. His efforts include a pop-up café where disabled people serve customers, using the avatars. See how humans and robots are working together toward a brighter future.

A hospital near Tokyo gets many patients from abroad, including tourists, local workers and even people in Japan illegally. Dr. Asaka Tomomi is responsible for them. Her overseas experience as a surgeon led to her appointment as head of a new department for foreign patients. Instead of using her scalpel to treat patients as she once did, she now translates, negotiates medical fees and deals with embassies. Though frustrated at the gulf between her ideals and reality, she continues to help alleviate the suffering of people far from home.

A father and son team of strawberry farmers in northeastern Japan faces tough times after the March 2011 tsunami devastates their hometown. To survive, the son decides he and his family must take a chance on farming far away, in Hokkaido Prefecture. 2 generations embark on separate paths, each full of challenges. As the son struggles to adapt to a new environment and to meet buyers' demands, his father works to revive the destroyed fields back home. This program follows their journey, both bitter and sweet, for 9 years.

Onagawa town in northeast Japan was devastated by the 2011 tsunami. The town's only supermarket, which goes back 100 years, has now reopened after a 9-year closure. The relaunch was led by Sato Hiroki, the fifth-generation owner of the family-run store. As he tried to keep alive the wishes of his mother, older sister and grandparents, who died in the tsunami, he was also raising an adolescent nephew, his late sister's only son. The program follows the relationship of the uncle and nephew over the 9 years following the tsunami.

On the small Japanese island of Tokunoshima, 18-year-old Nao Suzuna has dedicated herself to Japanese bullfighting, or "togyu." Every day, she cares for and trains her beloved Chibi Bull. Suzuna was shy from a young age, but her life changed when her father agreed to let her have her own bull. She immersed herself in "togyu," learning about responsibility and the rewards of hard work. Now, in the final months of high school, she's aiming to clinch the island-wide championship. And she has another dream - becoming a hairstylist like her aunt. But to get trained, she must leave her home, and Chibi Bull.

Right after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945, Japanese Red Cross Society nurses, mainly in their late teens and 20's, were sent there from across Japan to care for survivors. Later, some wrote about their experiences in a book titled "In the Shadow of the Flash." Out of about 500 nurses who attended survivors, only 50 contributed accounts for the book. The rest have never spoken of the horrors they witnessed. The program visits some of those nurses to find out about their hidden thoughts and their lives after the war.

Glittering flames swirling up into the sky. The unforgettable eyes of a girl trapped by fire. An abandoned corpse on the road. The feelings stirred by a corpse on the road. Such searing images are based on the eyewitness accounts of survivors of the August 6, 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing. For over a decade, the survivors, or "hibakusha," have been working with local high school students to capture their memories on canvas. The 137 "A-bomb paintings" completed to date are a precious visual record of the physical and emotional toll exacted by the bomb. The paintings have helped some hibakusha face deep emotional scars. And they are an accessible resource for passing on the truth of that fateful day.

For nearly a century, Yawatahama Shimbun reported local news in the small town of Yawatahama in southern Japan. The paper was produced by a husband-and-wife team, who worked as reporter and layout designer. Residents of the town loved its richly informative articles, considering them an essential part of their lives. But the couple eventually decided to bring the paper's long history to an end. The program follows their one-month journey to the final day of the small newspaper company, which they had lovingly kept alive over many years.

In October 2019, Mitsuishi Takae and her husband, Kazumasa, worry that torrential rain from a powerful typhoon could cause a river near their home to flood. Kazumasa heads out to retrieve sandbags -- and never returns. Waiting and worrying, Takae begins sending text messages to her husband. He had forgotten his cellphone at home. Yet Takae continues, hoping to somehow reach him. Her messages are filled with feelings and thoughts she can share only with her beloved husband of more than 40 years. Filmed over 8 months, this program follows Takae as she confronts her sudden loss and tries to move forward.

Businesses in Izumo City have welcomed scores of Brazilian workers in recent years. But due to US-China trade tensions, they're cutting production -- and jobs. For Brazilians out of work, the COVID-19 pandemic is making matters worse. But there's someone to lean on. Known as Paizão, or "big daddy," he's a Japanese-Brazilian who's been in Japan for nearly 30 years. In addition to running a Brazilian restaurant and a nonprofit, he devotes his days to supporting his Brazilian friends. Follow one man's tireless efforts to build lasting bridges between Brazil and Japan.

Yakata Miki, a former pop idol, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. After surgery to remove her left breast, Miki kept a video diary to record her treatment and daily thoughts, even touching on delicate themes such as breast reconstruction and pregnancy. Her self-portrait has evoked a massive response among cancer patients nationwide. Miki's diary records 2 years in her life as she started training to become a voice actor, her lifelong dream, while continuing with the treatment to prevent a recurrence of the cancer.

A charter bus company had lost its major source of income - international tourists - in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CEO spends his days seeking emergency loans, but it's not enough to avert significant salary and job cuts. For the remaining staff, things are tough. With their incomes plummeting, some resort to part-time work. One driver ventures into sales in a bid to drum up business. Meet the members of a small but scrappy company fighting to survive amid the pandemic.

Toyama Bay, in central Japan, is known as a source of abundant seafood such as firefly squid and Beni-zuwai crab - specialties from Toyama Prefecture known across the nation. Behind these local delicacies lies a history of ceaseless efforts by local people to improve fishing gear and methods as well as to come up with ways to eat the catches fresh. There is also an unknown story to the view of the Tateyama Mountain Range across the sea, which is now a popular tourist attraction. This program focuses on the beauty and the bounty of Toyama Bay.

In 2020, an annual manga comic championship for high schoolers goes online for the first time due to COVID-19. The virtual format disappoints students who are eager to meet their peers from around Japan. There are other challenges. The leader at one school's manga club struggles to make new members feel like part of the team. And a student who faced bullying in the past wrestles with self-doubt and anxiety. Yet as they tackle the contest's theme -- life's "new normal" -- the young artists are pushed to reflect, and to grow in new ways.

Aoki Mariko, from northeast Japan, shot to fame after winning one of Japan's prestigious gardening contests in 2018 while still in her 20's. Her gardens have soothed the hearts of many people stressed from the coronavirus pandemic. Plants in her gardens grow without the need for elaborate human maintenance and create beautiful seasonal vistas. She is often late to work, shuts herself away in winter, and works only in spring and autumn. How can she make such beautiful gardens while living just as she pleases? We follow her over a year to find out the answer.