Nhk Documentary

Explosive advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible to accurately forecast what is to come. It's already being used to forecast the weather, and to anticipate crime. Doctors are turning to AI to calculate the potential for diseases such as Alzheimer's, and it's even playing a role in life-or-death medical decisions. AI's unparalleled predictive powers come with both benefits and risks. We take a look at its growing impact on society and people's lives.

More than 150 years ago, Tokyo was called Edo. It had the highest population of any city in the world, surpassing both London and Paris. But how did the world's largest city come to emerge in a remote corner of Asia? Clues are coming to light not only in Tokyo but also around the world.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Japan continues to rise, experts warn that deaths could soar, and the medical system could collapse. On the battle's front lines, healthcare workers are struggling to keep up with a surge in patients, while the resources at their disposal are stretched thin. NHK speaks with experts about new measures to combat this crisis and the dire consequences Japan could face unless the public and the government take swift action.

A decade on from its triple core meltdown, we take stock of the mammoth task of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, an undertaking fraught with both technical and social challenges. The Japanese government maintains the process will take up to 40 years, but the schedule has already been revised 5 times, with pivotal elements postponed. Meanwhile, as people return to their homes in surrounding areas, the issue of how to dispose of unprecedented volumes of radioactive waste has become a sore point of contention between residents and the government. We look back on the 10 years since the nuclear disaster and explore the choices that will shape Fukushima's future.

NHK presenter Fumie Ono lost her grandfather on Luzon Island in the Philippines during World War Ⅱ. In 8 months of fighting, more than 200,000 soldiers lost their lives there. Many units were completely wiped out, so there are few records of where and how many soldiers died. In this documentary, Fumie and her mother seek the truth about his death and try to picture what he saw on the battlefield.

In the series Tokyo Miracle City, we unravel the secrets behind some of the capital's most intriguing wonders. In part one, we delve into Tokyo's famed and tantalizing food culture, exploring the role the iconic Tsukiji fish market played in Japan's culinary history. Actor Sato Takeru takes us on a journey back in time as we learn about the lives of the skilled specialists at the heart of the market and discover their unique contribution in the journey of seafood from ocean to table.

Nighttime in late May of 2020. With the lifting of Japan's national COVID-19 emergency declaration, an unprecedented construction project begins at the JR Shibuya Station in Tokyo. Without halting the station's operations, crews will relocate an entire train platform by 350 meters, and move 500 meters of track, all within 54 hours. It's a battle measured in minutes and seconds. Despite exhaustive preparations, unexpected hurdles emerge. Protecting workers against the novel coronavirus adds another layer of complexity. Go behind the scenes of the most difficult and challenging project of its kind in JR's history, and see Shibuya's transformation from a labyrinth to a model of disaster prevention.

Around the world, young activists are using social media to change the world. They're finding new ways to organize and build support, whether for educating disadvantaged kids in Japan, creating jobs in Brazil, organizing essential workers in the US, or reinventing healthcare in Bangladesh. They're attempting to address the contradictions in global capitalism that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light. And their influence is spreading far beyond their local communities.

The brain was once thought to be the body's control tower, issuing commands to the other organs. But scientists are discovering that communication flows between all the organs in our bodies. They transmit messages that can boost immunity, improve memory, strengthen bones and even lengthen lifespan. Innovative treatments are being developed to harness the power of this hidden network. But what happens when there's a communication breakdown? We look for clues using the latest technology.

They are in the prime of their life, but a growing number of people in Japan have all but disappeared. They're the country's missing workers, people who have been unemployed for protracted periods of time and have given up looking for jobs. They're not even included in unemployment statistics. Japan has 1.03 million missing workers in their 40's and 50's, outnumbering the 720,000 unemployed persons in the same age group. These individuals have a similar profile: many are unmarried, and have to take care of an elderly parent, forcing them to quit regular jobs. This riveting report shows the harsh, hand-to-mouth life these people lead and tries to find solutions for this growing problem.