Nhk Documentary

When the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, also known as the Kobe Earthquake, struck in 1995, more than 400 children lost one or both parents. NHK has followed these children into adulthood, documenting how the tragedy has shaped their lives. A woman who was orphaned at 12 has lived for 23 years with a longing to join her late mom and dad. A young man, just an infant when his parents and sister died, has struggled with the feeling that he must make up for their lost lives. Another young man dedicated his youth to his younger twin brothers, determined to nurture and protect their family bond.

China's new monumental project, "Belt and Road initiative", aims to create a vast economic zone across Eurasia. The Chinese government is building infrastructure and encouraging trade and investment along 2 routes on land and sea. This program focuses on 3 key locations along a rail line being built between China and Europe: Kazakhstan, a vital source of energy and food for China; Poland, a new market for Chinese goods; and Germany, the EU leader China is courting with vigor. The journey helps to paint a picture of the rapidly-expanding economic sphere and westward march of China's "new Silk Road".

Economic disparities are widening around the world. Wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, and the gap between rich and poor is growing increasingly big. Industrialized countries that once powered the global economy are slowing. Will global growth continue? This program considers this question by retracing the roots of modern capitalism, interviewing leading economists, and documenting how governments and businesses are racing to adapt.

The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 turned the surrounding towns into a desolate land, making the area into a "radioactive forest". Without human presence, the land is roamed by wildlife like civets, macaques and wild boars. A project is underway to study the deserted areas by attaching a camera to wild boars to record the conditions of the former farmlands. 5 years after the disaster, we take a close look at how radiation has affected the wildlife, and what it entails for us humans.

A tsunami is approaching from the sea. You start to run, but water rushes in from the river in the opposite direction. During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, such "river tsunamis" charged in from the sea and barreled upstream, claiming many victims. A huge quake in Japan could cause a massive tsunami that would inundate urban areas. Squeezed between tall buildings, the water would rise, increasing its force and allowing no time to escape. With a heightened sense of crisis, officials are responding. This documentary uses computer graphics and eyewitness accounts to explore the dangers of river tsunamis and how people can stay safe.

In August 2016, NHK received a 50-page letter of accusation. The writer raised suspicions of misconduct in research papers by a University of Tokyo professor. The whistleblower alleged that some images and charts may have been fabricated or falsified. We spent over a year interviewing more than 100 individuals concerned. The situation could undermine Japan's attempt to become a leader in the field of science and technology. What is happening in this bastion of academic research? We decided to look into this research scandal at the University of Tokyo.

Keiko Aoki spent 2 decades in prison after being convicted of killing her 12-year-old daughter. In 2015, a court reversed the verdict, and she reclaimed her innocence and freedom. But Keiko quickly finds out that her world has changed drastically. Her son is now a grown man of 29. Her parents are in their 80's and in need of care. Keiko has aged too and is now 51. Overwhelmed by her new reality, she murmurs, "I'd rather be back in jail…" This is a story of rebirth, of how one woman – falsely labeled as her daughter's killer and robbed of 20 years – struggles to reclaim her family and her life.

Schoolboy Asuka Umeda has been filling his "Self-Learning" notebooks for the past 7 years. For the socially awkward Asuka, what started out as a homework assignment in elementary school soon became a joyful obsession, taking him to new places and connecting him to all kinds of people. His unique, engaging writing style, developed through his journaling, has already won him numerous awards. We join him as he reflects on his journey of curious encounters and sometimes challenging self-discovery.

Japanese authorities faced their first large cluster of COVID-19 infections in early February when the Diamond Princess luxury cruise ship returned to port in Yokohama. Of the 3,700 passengers and crew, more than 700 were infected with the novel coronavirus, and 13 people died. NHK conducted an in-depth investigation into what happened inside the ship. It reveals a microcosm of Japan's battle against the virus, and offers important clues for managing the crisis.

Skyscrapers are symbols of big cities. But the mega earthquake that hit Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in 2016 proved that even earthquake-resilient high-rise buildings can shake greatly and suffer severe damage. The culprit is the long period seismic pulse, which is lurking in active faults throughout the world. Simulations of this motion showed that tall buildings shook 3 times more, causing them to tilt. This episode depicts the destructive power of the long period seismic pulse, and the latest counter measures to combat this threat.