Hometown Stories - Season 6

Mt. Daisen, a peak in central Japan, is celebrating its 80th anniversary as a national park. 5th and 6th graders at the Daisen Elementary School took recording devices and video cameras into the park to make a music video about the mountain. Leading them is Shinya Kiyokawa, a cutting-edge musician who makes music out of natural sounds. He won a Gold Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. We followed Kiyokawa and the children for 4 months: from initial meeting to the unveiling of the video. Discover the children's thoughts on Daisen and their hometown, their feelings about what they record, and how they choose to share their work.

Every spring, large numbers of tourists come to the Gongendo Park in the city of Satte, Saitama Prefecture to view the 1,000 cherry blossoms, stretching to a length of 1 kilometer. The trees, originally planted in the early 20th century was cut down and used for fuel during and after World War II. Since those times, the cherry trees have been replanted and tended with great care by Satte's residents. One tree in particular, brought from a town in Fukushima Prefecture, has taken on a special meaning for Fukushima natives displaced to Satte after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

At the southern end of the Kujukurihama coastline in Chiba Prefecture is Ichinomiya, one of Japan's top surfing spots, and home to many surf devotees. Here, local teenagers take to the waves each day to hone their skills in the build-up to a competition. A young man who put the stress and strain of life in Tokyo behind him now makes a living as a farmer, close to the waves that drew him to the area. And a surf competition organized by a local restaurant marks its 20th anniversary. In Ichinomiya, we meet people whose lives are shaped by their shared love of the ocean.

In Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture is a little diner that opened shortly after World War II. 70 years on, it's still going strong, 24 hours a day. The owner, 91-year-old Misako Mizoguchi, handles the night shift by herself, catering to a loyal clientele. They include office workers and women from local bars and clubs. Misako serves up comfort for their troubles through homemade meals and words of encouragement. She has helped sustain a community, from postwar reconstruction to the present day.

More than 5 years after the tsunami caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake swept away thousands of homes, physical evidence of the communities that existed before the disaster is fading as reconstruction progresses. For those who lost homes and loved ones, rebuilding is erasing places linked with memories of happier times. Now, a group of architects has launched an initiative to draw up the floorplans of lost homes. From these floorplans, nostalgic scenes spring to life, offering tsunami survivors who long to look back the courage to move on.

In Japan, where calligraphy is mainly a girls' pastime, a group of students at an all-boys school belongs to a calligraphy club. Classmates call them nerds, and have labeled them "gloomy characters". To turn things around, their leader comes up with an idea: Become the first all-male team to enter a competition for "performance calligraphy", a mix of brush writing, dance and pop music. We follow the boys' quest to break out of their shells and take on a new challenge.

Takahiro Endo is a 28-year-old architect working in Ishinomaki in northeast Japan. As the city takes shape again following the 2011 tsunami and earthquake, Endo dismantles, designs, and renovates interiors in vacant houses to provide cheap yet chic spaces for young people. The positive, forward-looking energy in Ishinomaki following the disaster drew him to the city. But now that things there are beginning to settle down again, Endo has concerns about his professional limitations. We follow his everyday life as he revaluates his options.

In the years before and after World War II, some 400,000 people emigrated from Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan, including a man who moved to Bolivia. His descendants include a 13-year-old grandson named Makoto, who struggles with feeling like an outsider in the country where he was born. Then, granddad and grandson get a chance to visit Okinawa together. The trip not only deepens their bonds, but also helps Makoto discover his family's roots - and another place he can call "home".

Gaku Sato opened his own shoeshine shop at age 22. With his sharp fashion sense and a chic shop decor, he is exploring a new, stylish image for the shoeshine trade. Sato believes that making people's dress shoes gleam actually lift their spirits. This is the story of a young man polishing his professional skills.

How do you revitalize a hamlet with only 3 grannies? By hand-made cookies! This is a story of how 3 hard working grannies all over 86 take on a challenge of coming up with a new product in their lineup of sweets and crackers. Through trial and error, the grannies pursue the perfect cookie, not only for income, but also for their community, and for their own purpose of life.

Before and during World War II, 270,000 Japanese relocated to Manchuria in China, which was controlled by Japan. After the war, the Japanese government created settlements, where returning families could develop farms and help boost the nation's food supply. But many settlers wound up in remote, mountainous areas where life was harsh and crops didn't thrive. As Japan's economy grew, their lives were again thrown into turmoil. We explore a forgotten chapter of Japan's postwar history.

This time we meet a member of staff working behind the scenes for a women's pro-wrestling promotion in Sendai, northeast Japan. Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling or "Senjo", as it is known consists of 5 female wrestlers, plus one man: Hiroyuki Endo the athletic trainer, who's still getting used to the job. But he's found that so far, his work is mostly sales and office work, and no actual training. "Senjo" is gearing up for a major event to mark the promotion's 10th anniversary. Everyone is busy, including Endo, who now has to juggle his first actual training work with ticket sales and pitching sponsors. We meet a young man grappling with the gap between his expectations and reality in his first job.

In graying Japan, a growing number of elderly people living alone require nursing care at home. Yukiko Senpuku, 81, is a sought-after homecare helper in Osaka who brightens the lives of such people through attentive care and companionship. She says supporting them lifts her spirits, too. She goes the extra mile, learning sign language and polishing her professional skills, to connect with the people she serves. A senior caring for seniors who's a model of fulfillment in old age.

They say giving opens doors. And one grandma knows that well. 80-year-old Hiroko Sogo makes picture cards with simple, warm illustrations and thoughtful messages. When people find a card they like, she gives it away, bringing smiles to their faces and cheering herself up. Her creations have touched the hearts of people in her town and across Japan. It's the story of authentic exchanges between a gentle grandma and people inspired by her illustrations and words.

From ancient times, Japan's imperial court and shogunate have supported and protected Kasuga Taisha in Nara Prefecture as a means of praying for national peace and security. Known affectionately and reverently as "Kasuga-san", the shrine is deeply rooted in the lives of Nara locals who support the traditional rites and provide continuous donations. Some of the shrine supporters introduced in this program include a farmer who, for more than 60 years, has grown specially cultivated rice for offerings; pilgrims who venture deep within the sacred forest surrounding the shrine to offer prayers; and a man who hosts one of the shrine deities in his home in order to bring blessings to the community. The program thus provides an intimate portrait of the close bonds that have developed between the shrine and the local community over the centuries.

The remote island of Nasake is a sanctuary for children forced to live away from their parents because of poverty, abuse, and other problems. But this spring, their foster home was moved to the mainland, forcing all the children to relocate. They leave behind their temporary home and the island's elderly residents, who have become like their substitute parents. Although they are sad and anxious, these kids slowly start to face their new reality. This documentary looks at their close ties to Nasake and captures their emotional farewell.

Katsunobu Yoshida is a 28-year-old graphic designer who makes leaflets, posters and logos by hand, avoiding computers whenever he can. He draws inspiration from elderly locals who themselves make brooms and ropes by hand. Yoshida incorporates what he learns from them in items that he makes from natural materials.

In May 2016, Barack Obama made a memorable visit to Hiroshima -- the first sitting US president to do so. That year, a record number of foreign tourists came to the city, the largest group being from the US. The program follows 2 Americans. A baseball lover on his first visit to Hiroshima deepens his knowledge of the 1945 bombing. An English teacher, who lives there with his Japanese wife and 2 children, remarks on the changes during his 19-year stay. We find out what they discovered.

Yuki Sakaguchi, 28 years old, once led a busy city life working for an international company, but this left him feeling exhausted and ill. He made up his mind to go back home to Tottori Prefecture in western Japan. There he had his first exposure to huge natural-edge slabs of wood, cut from trees more than 100 years old. He fell in love with these items, which were the handiwork of Taichiro Sawa, a veteran wood expert. The 2 men became firm friends, and their common desire to have more people appreciate such impressive pieces of wood led to a decision to set up a company to sell them, but not everything goes smoothly. One proposal that Sakaguchi makes to Sawa is not well received, but together they keep seeking ways to move their business forward.

A construction boom in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is changing the face of Japan's capital. The unsung heroes of this transformation are the skyscraper construction workers who ply their trades at the top floors of these towering buildings. Many young people seeking opportunity flock to Tokyo to work at these dangerous sites. But what drives them? What really makes them leave their families and hometowns? We go to the dizzying heights of these sites to see how these young people are building their futures as they reshape the Japanese capital.

Takahiro Inagawa, 29 years old, heads a start-up company that is developing low-cost rockets. He and a staff of 13 are creating small rockets to carry miniaturized satellites into space. Their plan is to provide the rockets at a fraction of the conventional cost, and this has drawn a great deal of attention. Although Inagawa wasn't able to land a job with Japan's space agency or an aerospace firm, he's now just a step away from achieving his dream of launching a rocket into space. We observe his progress on this challenging journey.

Rumoi in northern Japan was once a flourishing town, but economic stagnation and a shrinking population have taken their toll. 7 years ago, Rumoi even lost its last bookstore. But a group of residents, determined not to let their town wither away, came together and managed to get a new shop opened. Locals cherish the chance to discover new books and hold them in their hands. The bookstore nurtures people's hearts and minds, and brings the community together.

For years, the Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble has been spreading the magic of Japanese "taiko" drumming to the world. It's a small group made up of 30 members. This spring, 9 young men and women joined the Kodo Apprentice Center, each hoping to become a professional taiko performer. During 2 years of communal living, they will learn the importance of joining their hearts together, a concept that is absolutely crucial to creating harmony. However, only a handful can become official members of the group, so creating "one heart" and "one sound" is not such an easy task. Will the young aspiring drummers come together to beat as one?

Susumu Hidaka, 29 years old, is a fisherman in training. He is learning the trade from a well experienced master in a fishing port in Cape Sada on the western tip of Shikoku Island, Japan. After spending 10 years in Tokyo living a carefree life, Hidaka came to this town because he heard he could become an independent commercial fisherman in just 3 years. Things don't go as planned, though, and Hidaka finds the life of a fisherman harder than he imagined. His skills of operating a boat are still a bit clumsy. Despite this, Hidaka enjoys his new world and is excited about where his life is headed.

Back when flower nurseries covered its slopes, Shishijima in western Japan was known as "flower island". Today it's home to only about 20 people, including 82-year-old Takako Takashima. She and her husband, Nagao, supported their family for half a century by raising flowers in a field they created together. He died 3 years ago, but she still climbs a steep slope every day to tend to their field. The work is tiring, but she lovingly nurtures the blooms, while cherishing fond memories.

Takashi Aramoto has been selling his cakes by bicycle for 30 years in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The 62-year-old has no problem riding well over 20 kilometers a day to bring the baked goods to his customers. Rain or shine, brutal winter or scorching summer, Takashi is hard at work. As a result, he's built up a faithful clientele who love his cakes and respect his work ethic. In return, he's loyal to them, including those who lost everything in the disastrous Kumamoto earthquakes in 2016. We'll head out to discover the source of his power and motivation.

Tomohiko Yukihashi, 28 years old, is a clothing designer based in Beppu city in southwest Japan. For more than 3 years he'd been driving about the country, calling himself the "traveling tailor". He now lives in a building set aside exclusively for young artists. We follow Yukihashi who decided to settle down and take on a new challenge.

Recently, a growing number of foreign investors have been opening inns and hotels in a two-century old hot spring resort town in Japan. They've been successful largely due to the fact that they offer services that accommodate the needs of overseas visitors. But some Japanese hotel owners, who have been in the business for years, are concerned because a few foreign entrepreneurs who aren't familiar with local rules are causing problems. This program follows the efforts of both parties to communicate and boost tourism together.

Tetsuyo Ishii, 97, is the oldest person in Minogo, a mountain town in western Japan. Her secret to staying alert and active is to remain "rust-free", like her trusty garden hoe. She lives alone, but finds joy in being self-sufficient. She raises chickens and even grows her own vegetables. She also founded a social club for her elderly neighbors. Through her gregarious and positive personality, Tetsuyo makes the most of life and enriches the lives of others.

Ayumu Shimokuni, better known as Muyua, is a shop assistant and a star in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district. The 19-year-old works at a used-clothing store popular with teenage girls. As most Harajuku shop attendants' popularity wanes in their early 20's, Muyua's colleagues have already started planning their next move. But Muyua himself isn't thinking about the future – he prefers to enjoy the moment. Then, the store's owner, who is worried about Muyua's future, entrusts him with organizing a special event to mark the store's 2nd anniversary. Will Muyua seize this chance to create a new future for himself?

On Japan's Amami-oshima island, 29-year-old Hitoshi Ijuin runs a small lunch box shop. Many of his customers are elderly and live alone. The village has no supermarket or convenience store, making it hard for older people to have proper meals. Every day, Hitoshi and his mother prepare home-cooked lunches, adjust them to individual needs, and then he delivers them to customers' doors. For Hitoshi, supporting local seniors with nourishing, heartfelt meals is a way to give back to the community.

This program follows people who, facing difficult times, have flocked to a World Heritage Site in Japan to try to turn their lives around. The setting is the Omine Okugakemichi, a route that connects the mountains of Wakayama and Nara Prefectures, central Japan. The treacherous, 100-kilometer mountain path is known as the birthplace of ascetic training. It was used for that purpose for more than 1,000 years, but today it's accessible to all, attracting visitors from across the country. Among them, a young woman who's determined to confront her weaknesses and a middle-aged man whose family has fallen apart. They and others take on the challenge of hiking the ancient route in the hope that the physically intense training brings about change in their lives.