Nhk 2021

We investigate the emerging threats posed by plastic pollution to life on Earth. The hyper-convenience of our modern way of living produces staggering volumes of plastic waste daily. Scientists now know that this waste breaks down into ever tinier pieces, spreading right across the globe and posing direct health risks, including through bioamplification of toxic additives moving up the food chain. We explore the drastic changes it will take to deliver a sustainable future for our planet.

Mount Omine in central Japan has long been considered the spiritual heartland of the ascetic tradition known as Shugendo. Japan-based American journalist David Caprara lives at the foot of the mountain.

Scarface Yosaburo is one of the most famous plays of late Edo period kabuki. It's a romance between a young and beautiful couple, with shocking twists that showcases Edo style. A chance encounter between the son of a wealthy family and the beautiful mistress of a gang boss transforms their lives forever.

The imperial steelworks established 120 years ago in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Pref., on the southern island of Kyushu, drove Japan's modernization. And coal mined in the nearby Chikuho area fueled this industry. We visit old ironworks and coal mines along the railways that transported the coal, and eat a bento that has delighted travelers for a century. We meet a retired mechanic working to invigorate the area with railroad history and an ex-coal miner preserving its coal mining past for posterity.

Every early spring since the 8th century, Buddhist monks at Nara Prefecture's Todaiji have practiced the Shuni-e ceremony. A series of esoteric rituals, including prayers to Kannon to protect humankind from disaster and disease, it also offers a window into Tang dynasty China. But in 2021, the COVID pandemic threatened to bring a halt to this uninterrupted tradition. Aided by an infectious disease specialist, the monks go to great lengths to hold this ancient practice for the 1,270th time.

We travel the Matsuura Railway through Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures in western Kyushu, where trade between Japan and Europe first began 500 years ago. Remote from the historical economic and political centers of Japan, the region absorbed Western trends and culture which still hold strong today. We go in search of customs and crafts that evolved over centuries in a region that was once at the forefront of culture in Japan.

We travel the Aizu Railway and JR Tadami Line through mountains in the Aizu region of Fukushima Pref. in Japan's northeast. Cruise with us from Aizu-Tajima Station, through an area known to receive a meter of snow in a single day during the winter. In spring, flowers bloom as the snow melts, and emerald green valleys come to life. Aizu is famous for its ultramarine pottery, and traditional red craftwork believed to repel evil. Enjoy the samurai history and scenery of Aizu in the early spring.

In the city of Hiroshima we visit a community where the families who survived the devastation of the atomic bomb in the Second World War managed to revive their traditional farming specialty. In the islands to the south, we meet a potter uniquely making glazes from cast-off oyster shells, and in the mountains, a farmer tells of his passion for making animals happy. The last individual we encounter who has stuck to his own path in life is a carver of traditional instruments seeking the perfect sound.

During World War II, 60% of Japanese forces were lost due to starvation and disease. To combat infection, the Japanese military set up the Southern Army Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department. Japan's monopoly on the wonder drug quinine gave them an initial advantage over the United States in the fight against malaria, but they soon found themselves in a difficult situation. Other infectious diseases were becoming rampant. A vaccine was desperately needed, but Japan's harsh vaccine development process resulted in the deaths of many Indonesians.

A human rights group says Myanmar's military has killed over 1,000 people since carrying out a coup in February. We take a look at the financial links between its top officers and 2 major business conglomerates, and hear from former soldiers who tell us they were trained to view people who support democracy as the enemy.