Document 72 Hours

1. Tokyo Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival for One Million People

Air Date: 2006-10-03

The Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival was held in the middle of Tokyo. The moment when people living in different parts of the metropolis stop moving for a moment and look up at the same fireworks. What thoughts go through their minds? This film looks at the 72 hours between the preparation for the event and the start of normal life again.

2. Tokyo, Yamaya, Backpackers in Tokyo

Air Date: 2006-10-10

The “Yamatani” area, once known as the “workers' town,” is now about to be transformed into a hub for foreign travelers. Word of mouth has spread about the inexpensive 2,500 yen per night simple lodging, and now there are even lodgings where 90% of the guests are foreign nationals. French people are crazy about Japanese youth fashion. An Englishman says Akihabara is his mecca. Accompanying foreign tourists who tour Tokyo while sleeping and waking in a room of only 2 tatami mats, we will explore the charms and wonders of Japan that Japanese people do not see.

3. Tokyo Station Express Bus Terminal

Air Date: 2006-10-17

Express buses connect Tokyo and regional cities at the lowest fares. The Yaesu South Exit of Tokyo Station is the largest express bus terminal in Japan, with more than 70 routes from Aomori in the north to Shimonoseki in the south. The purpose of the passengers varies. Wives and children who have come to see their husbands who have moved away from home. An elderly couple traveling around Japan for the last time in their lives. Couples who are reluctant to part from a long-distance relationship.... The camera is set up at an express bus terminal over a three-day weekend, and the film explores each passenger's earnest "reason for traveling.

4. Blood Donation Room at Shinjuku East Exit

Air Date: 2006-10-24

Japan's largest blood donation room at Shinjuku East Exit, visited by 250 people a day. Blood products made from donated blood last only three weeks. Platelets last only 72 hours. The blood donation rooms offer free hamburgers, ice cream, palm readings, and massages to attract donors, but the inventory is always tight. This film follows the 72-hour process of blood delivery to medical institutions, using the Shinjuku East Exit Blood Donation Room as its main setting, and examines the reality of blood distribution, which is indispensable for medical care.

5. Taxi: Honest Conversation in Tokyo

Air Date: 2006-10-31

Cab cabs are small, intimate spaces. In the cab, away from the hectic pace of business and daily life, the driver and I tend to engage in honest conversation. The driver's real conversation is about the economy, his family's problems, or even his dissatisfaction with politics. What kind of picture would emerge if we were to link these conversations together? The film depicts the true feelings of ordinary people and the state of the world by following conversations in a Tokyo cab during the 72-hour period in which news of the inauguration of Abe's new cabinet was broadcast.

6. Honest Conversations with a Taxi, Sapporo Version

Air Date: 2006-11-07

We follow a conversation in a cab car in Sapporo. Sapporo has been hit hard by the financial meltdown caused by the bursting of the bubble economy. Economic recovery has yet to be realized, and the entertainment district of Susukino continues to decline. On the other hand, there was positive news in 2006, when the local Nippon Ham Fighters team won the championship for the first time in 25 years. In late September, when the new Abe administration took office, we followed the conversations of Sapporo's taxi drivers for 72 hours to get a picture of the real feelings of ordinary people in Sapporo, which are different from those in Tokyo.

7. Yokohama Chinatown, Youth Graffiti

Air Date: 2006-11-14

Yokohama Chinatown, the largest town of Chinese merchants in Japan, is packed with tourists from all over the country on weekends. In October, the town is busy preparing for one of the biggest festivals of the year, the Sohu Festival. The main attraction is the traditional acrobatic lion dance. Young graduates of the Chinese Academy in the center of town practice until late at night. Some have taken over Chinese restaurants, others have chosen to leave the city and live in Japanese society. The three days leading up to the festival provide a glimpse into the bonds of Chinatown and what it means to be an overseas Chinese.

8. Roppongi Hitotsubo Office

Air Date: 2006-11-21

Roppongi Hills has become a symbol of winning. Nearby is a mysterious building. Inside the building are a row of booths, each about 1 tsubo in size, each with only a desk and a telephone. Each of these booths is an egg of a “company” that aspires to become the Hills of tomorrow. In this age of IT, we follow these people from morning till night, as they go about their business, using their feet as poles, for three days, and capture an unknown aspect of the nightless city of Roppongi.

9. Ashigara Service Area, Tomei Expressway

Air Date: 2006-11-28

An hour and a half west on the Tomei Expressway from Tokyo. Ashigara Service Area is located there. Fuji, and even a bath, people from all walks of life stop by this popular rest area. Fuji, tourists with their pets, and truck drivers driving all over Japan. For three days, the camera stays at the 24-hour service area to follow the people who stop by, their purposes for their journeys, and the thoughts and feelings they hold in their hearts.

10. Saitama: The Muslim Next Door

Air Date: 2006-12-05

There are 3,000 Muslims living in the Toda City area of Saitama Prefecture. Although people tend to have negative preconceptions about Muslims after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the true face of Muslims is friendly and pleasant. In October, they observe Ramadan, a month-long period of daytime fasting. During the last three days of Ramadan, we closely follow the lives of these people and hear their frank opinions about their work, families, and faith.

11. Osaka Medical Center, Patients' Consultation Room

Air Date: 2006-12-12

You never know when you might suffer a serious injury or illness. At the Osaka Medical Center, a large hospital in the Kansai region, there is a place that offers help to patients who are at a loss after a sudden surgery or hospitalization: the “Medical Consultation Office” staffed by three young doctors. The consultation services offered are diverse. They offer a wide range of advice, from concerns about treatment and payment to family problems and how to make ends meet after discharge from the hospital. The film follows the patients and their families closely for three days, depicting how they try to live their lives one step at a time, despite their confusion about life in the hospital.

1. Nishi-Ginza Lottery Ticket Office

Air Date: 2007-01-09

Many people purchase “year-end jumbo lottery tickets” in hopes of winning a fortune. One of the most famous ticket offices is located in Nishi-Ginza. The five jumbo lotteries held there in 2006 produced 16 millionaires. For the year-end jumbo lottery, which attracts the largest number of buyers every year, there is a long line of more than 1,000 people. What kind of dreams do people place on 300 million yen? We pick up the dramas of each of the buyers who visited the site during the three days from the first day of the sale.

2. Home Ranking in Shinsaibashi, Osaka

Air Date: 2007-01-16

A batting center that is popular and pressed by game centers and manga cafes. However, there are regulars who swing the bat every day with the aim of becoming the "home run king" there. At the batting center in Osaka's Shinsaibashi, 24 and 70 have competed for the top spot. Why do they keep hitting for the sake of "honor" that can be said to be self-satisfied? Follow the human condition of the batting center at the end of the year for seventy-two hours.

3. Merry Christmas at a Convenience Store

Air Date: 2007-01-23

An indispensable cake for the Christmas family. Convenience stores are rapidly increasing their sales. A convenience store that has spread all over Japan with convenience that can be prepared for everything from food to daily necessities. It is now possible to support family events once a year. What does the change reflect? It is a major chain that closely follows convenience stores in Ibaraki and Kasama City, which boasts the largest sales of Christmas cakes in the Kanto region, and approaches the lives of visitors.

4. Ueno Ameyoko Manga Cafe

Air Date: 2007-01-30

In Ueno Ameyayokocho, which is known for its low-priced sales, there are more and more shops that are slightly different from the image of the city. It's a real coffee shop." The inside of the shop is very different from a regular coffee shop. It is divided into a small space like a box, and customers enjoy manga and the Internet in it. There are few people who stay in the hotel instead. It is said that it was a great success even at the end of the year. What are people looking for? For seventy-two hours, he is closely attached to a manga cafe in Ueno Ameyayokocho, and approaches the secret of its mysterious charm.

5. New Year's Eve: Operation Garbage Collection

Air Date: 2007-02-06

A huge amount of rubbish spewed every day. The amount of garbage generated in Tokyo’s 23rd district is said to be equivalent to nine cups of Tokyo Dome in a year. In particular, the collection volume of Setagaya Ward is the largest in Tokyo. The first collection week of the year when the garbage of the year-end and New Year holidays is served together is the hectic week of the year. In addition to collecting nearly twice the amount of ordinary gas in time, it is also necessary to deal with hazards such as fires caused by the unused gas cylinders. After three busy days of the collection staff, they follow the struggle behind the scenes of their lives.

6. Resort Job: Winter's Tale

Air Date: 2007-02-13

A ski resort where people flock to enjoy the winter holidays. Young people called resort part-timers are supporting it behind the scenes. In the summer, they work separately, and in the winter, they gather from all over the country. They live together with their friends who love skiing and snowboarding, and immerse themselves in playing with their part-time jobs. But somewhere in my heart, I seem to have anxiety about the future. He places his camera at a ski resort in Yuzawa-cho, Niigata, and follows the young people of the resort part-time job who swing to the gap between dreams and reality.

7. Nagoya: Great Success! Recycle Shop

Air Date: 2007-02-20

With the popularity of online auctions, “buying and selling” used goods is becoming commonplace. In Nagoya City, there is a huge seven-story recycle store. The items it handles range from watches, precious metals, and brand bags to clothing, musical instruments, and electrical appliances. The shop is gaining popularity not only as a place to buy popular items at reasonable prices, but also as a place where people can easily sell items they no longer need. This article looks at the relationship between people and goods in Japan's consumer society, following the “reasons for selling” and “reasons for buying” of the people who visit these shops.

8. EFukuoka Jinjo Yatai Street

Air Date: 2007-03-06

Fukuoka City has the largest number of yatai stalls in Japan. Even those who do not know each other can easily get to know each other by standing shoulder to shoulder in a small store of only about 2 tsubo (about 1.5 square meters). Over the course of three days, we will follow the unique charm of yatai and the drama of their owners and customers, as we visit a store that has been a place of relaxation for local businessmen for more than 30 years and a store where young artists' dreams come true.

9. Ferry on a Journey

Air Date: 2007-03-13

The film closely follows the 1,200-kilometer one-way ferry route between Nagoya, Sendai, and Tomakomai. Some travel in groups with casual friends. Some return to their hometowns with broken dreams. And some are making a fresh start as new employees. Why do they choose a 3-day/2-night trip when an airplane is only an hour away? This film captures the various lives that pass each other on a ship.

1. Adatara Service Area on Tohoku Expressway

Air Date: 2012-07-03

Over a year after the disaster, we closely follow the Adatara service area, the gateway to Tohoku. Volunteers, travelers, weekend racers, and families returning home for the first time in decades. What are the thoughts of the people who happen to pass by? And where are they headed?

2. Shin-Okubo: Grocery Store Without Borders

Air Date: 2012-07-10

The film is set in Shin-Okubo, a sacred place for the Korean Wave. Surrounded by handsome cafes and other stores, there is a fruit and vegetable store that is used 24 hours a day by people who have immigrated from abroad. People from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and everywhere in between. They all have different dreams for the future, important family members, and various other concerns. There is a human touch to the downtown area that Japanese people have almost forgotten.

3. Sapporo Susukino 24h Giri Meshiya

Air Date: 2012-07-17

The stage is an onigiri restaurant in Sapporo Susukino, the most downtown area in Hokkaido. People who come around for twenty-four hours in search of a taste of fresh rice and warmth. In the midst of the recession that still covers the countryside, salaried workers who have been cut bonuses and young people in the water business who are thinking about the future discuss the truth and regain their smiles.

4. Fukuoka Hakata: A Giant Cruise Ship Arrives

Air Date: 2012-07-19

The setting is the Port of Hakata, Fukuoka. One after another, the largest passenger ships in history arrive from Shanghai, and 6,000 Chinese passengers land in Hakata. They have to eat, shop, and go sightseeing by the minute, and then return safely to the ship. The events happen one after the other. An unseasonably large typhoon is also approaching. What is the story behind the riot?

1. Close contact: The Sleepless Flower Shop in Kabukicho

Air Date: 2013-04-05

The setting is a 24-hour flower store in Shinjuku Kabukicho, Tokyo. Who comes to buy flowers late at night and under what circumstances? An unfulfilled wish for a one-sided love. A thank-you note to a mentor approaching retirement. A surprise for his wife who is expecting a new baby. The graduation ceremony of a mother who has been studying on her own, or the parting of friends who have worked hard together to achieve their dreams. People live their lives today by entrusting flowers with feelings that cannot be conveyed in words alone.

2. Farewell Shibuya, Kamaboko Station Building

Air Date: 2013-04-12

Shibuya Station in Tokyo is used by 3 million people every day. Overnight, the platform of the Toyoko Line, a private railway line, was moved from the second floor above ground to the fifth floor below ground. The platform, which has a history of 85 years, holds many memories. People watched the last train leave the station with cheers. It is a tribute to a time that will never return.

3. Osaka Kushikatsu Elegy

Air Date: 2013-04-19

A small, standing kushikatsu store that is attached to the wall of an underground passageway in Osaka's Umeda Station, it is always packed, sometimes with a long line of customers. The restaurant is always packed, and sometimes there is even a line of people waiting to get in. The customers, who are not related to each other, rub shoulders with each other at the counter, and soon become friends. They discuss their work problems, their families, and their hopes and fears for tomorrow. As their moods change, they are strangely empowered to face the challenges of tomorrow.

4. Yokosuka Air Base, Operation Matchmaking

Air Date: 2013-04-26

We closely follow the special three days that Yokosuka, a Maritime Self-Defense Force base, welcomes. In spring, most of the naval vessels gathered at Yokosuka base for the annual promotion examination. The 8,000 personnel do not hide their joy at being reunited and living ashore for the first time in a long time. From the submarine crew to the cooks who are masters at making curry, there are other reasons for the uplifting atmosphere. The day after the test, a “meet-and-greet” party is scheduled for 300 people. This is one of the few chances to get to know people of the opposite sex. Will you be able to meet the man of your dreams?

5. Departure from New Chitose Airport

Air Date: 2013-05-03

New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido has the Haneda-Chitose Line, which has the largest number of users in the world, and visits the local airport Dantotsu every year. In the spring, the drama of meeting and parting is repeated. At the time of the milestone of life such as school and transfer, the camera is installed in the lobby. A surprise prepared by a friend who is going to Tokyo. The tears of a large family that reunited after twenty years. Draw each of your thoughts.

6. In the City of Closed Factories

Air Date: 2013-05-10

The factory of a major manufacturer in Gifu Prefecture closed its 33-year history. At its peak, it had four thousand employees and had sent out products such as game consoles, but it ended its role in globalization. A skilled engineer who spares the heat of the past, a temporary employee who looks for a job from tomorrow. The end of the large factory will also completely change the atmosphere of the area. What do people think and what steps will they take in the last days?

7. Enthusiastic Singing! Hitori Karaoke

Air Date: 2013-05-17

Hitorikara" is the art of singing karaoke alone. Recently, specialty stores have also appeared. At a 24-hour restaurant in Shinjuku, Tokyo, 48 private rooms are available, and on weekends there is a long line of people waiting for their turn to sing. What are they trying to get rid of by singing? Young people who want to sing enthusiastically without worrying about others. Housewives who are busy raising children or working part-time. College students job hunting or looking for a new job. This is a microcosm of repeated “struggles” of people seeking a place where they can be at ease and take a step toward tomorrow by singing.

8. Kyoto Engiri Shrine

Air Date: 2013-05-24

Near downtown Gion, Kyoto. There is a place visited by people from all over Japan who are troubled by their relationships. It is Yasui Konpira-gu Shrine, known as a "shrine for severing relationships. People who wish to break off bad relationships and take a new step forward write their thoughts on ema (votive picture tablet) and o-fuda (votive card). These include relationships between men and women, between parents and children, between siblings and other family members, and between people in the community, at work, and at school. From illness, injury, accidents, and disasters to computer and alcohol addiction, there are a wide variety of issues that confront us in our modern lives. What is the future that those who are confronted with bad relationships hope for?

9. The Endless Battle for Nighttime Emergency Medical Services

Air Date: 2013-05-31

Saitama Prefecture has recently experienced another fatal case due to a case of “tarai” (a kind of “double death”). An emergency clinic specializing in weekend and nighttime care was established in Kawagoe. Volunteer doctors and nurses gathered to improve the current state of medical care. Emergency patients who were refused by other medical facilities are brought in one after another. The film was shot during a major holiday weekend in May. For the patients, there was no other place they could turn to. The staff takes turns taking breaks and tries to hold on through the stormy days. The reality of medical care is a conflict between a sense of mission and a breaking point.

10. Net Live Broadcasting People

Air Date: 2013-06-07

If you have a personal computer, anyone can send it to the world from anywhere on the Internet live broadcast. " A single broadcaster” broadcasts itself, which broadcasts itself, is said to reach a hundred thousand a day. How do people feel about broadcasting? Once a year, they go to the event venue where fans of the live broadcast gather and follow various "broadcast owners". Friends connected via the Internet. I see a new society there.

11. Familyless Life Theater

Air Date: 2013-06-14

Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture, is a bedroom community about an hour from central Tokyo by train. A 24-hour family restaurant in a corner of the city never ceases to attract customers from early morning to late at night. Elderly people go there every day to eat alone. Some businessmen are enthusiastic about acquiring qualifications, perhaps because of the recession. Single mothers who want to give their children as many happy memories as possible. This film delves into the charms of family restaurants, a mysterious space where various lives intersect at back-to-back tables.

12. The Youth of ”Underground Idols

Air Date: 2013-06-21

Akihabara, Tokyo, is now a world-renowned mecca for otaku. Here, many girl groups who dream of success perform on stage. Many fans have become new famous landmarks, eager to attend. However, the environment surrounding the girls is harsh. Their income is meager. They face fierce competition from rival groups. They face an age limit in the idol industry, where youth is a weapon. This is a coming-of-age story about girls who never give up and are hungry to achieve their dreams, and the people who support them.

13. Dreams Bloom at Kochi Racecourse

Air Date: 2013-06-28

Kochi Racecourse once produced the racehorse Harurara, whose dedication to his sport drew sympathy despite a losing streak of more than 100 races. It is still a “sanctuary for losers,” so to speak, where horses released from racetracks all over the country end up. The people who come to watch the races also associate their own lives with these unknown horses. Some continue to visit the racecourse to inspire themselves while battling cancer, while others are looking for a fresh start in a place where their dreams have been shattered. The film listens to the voices of those who have not been defeated and who have met at the racetracks.

14. In Front of a Giant Manbow

Air Date: 2013-07-05

The round, dull eyes are disproportionate to the huge body. The way they drift humorously and leisurely in their tanks. The sunfish is a mysterious creature that gives one an unrealistic sensation when gazed upon. At present, Japan's largest sunfish, measuring 1.8 meters, is being bred and exhibited at Hakkeijima Island in Yokohama. Many visitors come from all over Japan to see it, hoping to forget, even for a moment, their busy lives. What do people think and talk about in front of the giant sunfish? What do people think and talk about in front of the giant sunfish?

15. From the Last Shelter

Air Date: 2013-07-19

Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture. More than 100 victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake still live in an abandoned school in a corner of the city. They moved with the town office two years ago from Futaba Town in Fukushima Prefecture, where the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered a serious accident. Although they cannot return to the town itself due to radiation, the town office has decided to relocate to another location in Fukushima. Will he go with them or stay with them? They are now at a crossroads. The residents of the town, who are mainly elderly, are in agony. This is a record of people who are far from their hometowns, but are searching for hope for their lives.

16. Mount Fuji climbing port

Air Date: 2013-07-26

In the summer, many people from all over Japan come to Mt. Fuji. This year, due to the influence of the World Heritage registration, it has already shown so much congestion that it can be said to be a “rush”. The point where both the climber and the person who comes down from now pass each other is the Yoshida trailhead. When you talk to the people who pass by, the lives that each person carries emerges. A company employee who regrets a life that has never been achieved by himself. A university student who prays for the success of a job search ... A human pattern that intersects at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

17. Rain or Shine: A Laundromat Tale

Air Date: 2013-08-02

Chigasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture's Shonan area is a symbol of summer. In a corner of the area often associated with “youth” and “fashion,” there is a 24-hour laundromat that is full of life, and under the rainy season sky in June, people visit one after another with large loads of laundry to spend their time idly waiting for it to dry. Businessmen exhausted from their daily work. People who have lost their beloved spouses and live in solitude. Each of them waits for the “sunshine” that is sure to come in their lives someday.

18. The Happiness Theory of Healthland

Air Date: 2013-09-06

For a low fee, you can enjoy to your heart's content a spacious bath and massage room, as well as a place to eat and take a nap at this health spa in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. During the day, it is a social gathering place for the elderly. At night, it is a place for workers to stay after work. On holidays, families line up at the entrance from morning for affordable leisure. What kind of future do these people look forward to as they go about their daily lives? In late July, when the nation was in a state of excitement over the Upper House election, I thought about the “happiness” of the Japanese people at a 24-hour health spa.

19. Nishinari, Osaka - Locker Blues for rent

Air Date: 2013-09-13

The Airin district of Osaka. In this area, where thousands of people live each day as day laborers, an indispensable item is the "monthly rental locker. Many of them live in cramped, simple accommodations where they can barely sleep, and they have nowhere to put their valuables. Each locker is filled with a life of its own. August is the month when the rush to return home begins throughout Japan. This film closely follows a long-established locker store that attracts customers to drop off and pick up their belongings, and looks at the Obon season that the city of laborers welcomes.

20. Midsummer Grave Visit Dialogue with Foreigners

Air Date: 2013-09-20

Yanaka Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Tokyo. During the Obon vacations, many people visit the cemetery, making the quiet downtown area a different scene from usual. Each person has his or her own style of mourning for the departed. Some people finally took time out of their busy schedule to lay their hands on a grave. An old man who never stops drinking water while talking to his companion's grave. A person who sits at the grave of a loved one and reminisces. The camera is set on three days at the grave, a space where life and death mysteriously interact, and captures the “life” of both the deceased and those who live in the present.

21. Fly! Epsilon

Air Date: 2013-09-27

In August, a small town on the outskirts of the peninsula of Kagoshima attracted the world's attention. The launch of the state-of-the-art rocket “Epsilon” carrying a planetary observation satellite. The town was inundated with inquiries from early on about a tour of the launch site. The parking lot on the hill overlooking the launch site received more than 20 times as many applications as it could hold. Then came the day of the launch. People from all over the country rushed to the launch site in search of romance. Local residents entrusted their dreams of revitalizing their town. What did they see in the midst of all these mixed feelings?

22. Yoshimoto: Summer Training Camp at the critical moment

Air Date: 2013-10-04

Yoshimoto Kogyo attracts aspiring young comedians from all over Japan. They believe that they are the funniest, and there is a place where they are first sifted through the ranks. Every year in September, a three-day, two-night “mountain retreat” is held. Three hundred people, divided into buses, gather at a lodging facility in Shizuoka. The participants go through a curriculum that can be described as a “comedy immersion” program, aiming to be selected on the last day of the camp as the best of the best. While some emerged as standouts, others found themselves at their limits. This is a coming-of-age graffiti of people who bet on laughter.

23. Sweat and Tears in a 24-Hour Gym

Air Date: 2013-10-11

The number of users of 24-hour gyms is rapidly increasing. They are relatively inexpensive, and the convenience of being able to use them anytime and as much as they want is appealing to today's busy people. A closer look at gym users reveals a variety of reasons for working out. Some need to maintain their current physical shape to keep their jobs, some are working hard to improve their physical fitness to take care of their parents, and some are running to face their own problems. Each person's life lies beyond his or her muscles. We looked at the human characters who go to the gym from early in the morning to late at night.

24. Grab What? Giant Game Center

Air Date: 2013-10-18

A six-story game center located at the west exit of Yokohama Station. While the latest games are being introduced one after another, the “crane game” is the one that has remained unchanged for a long time. It accounts for 40% of the store's total sales. From early in the morning until late at night when the arcade closes, there is no end to the number of people who throw in money and struggle with the crane to grab a prize. Businessmen come to relieve stress. Students looking for a job. Students studying for an entrance exam. What do they really want to grab beyond the prize in front of them?

25. Powder Room: A Woman's Honne

Air Date: 2013-10-25

Osaka Station is a huge terminal representing the Kansai region. In this corner of the station, the powder room, or restroom, is always crowded with women. People who have just alighted from a long trip without makeup, or who have important business or private matters to attend to, apply their makeup here and head off to their respective destinations. Work, love, future.... What kind of reality do these women live in and what do they think about when they apply makeup to their faces? We spent three days in the “women's garden,” which is forbidden to men, listening to their thoughts.

26. In Search of Hiroshima Taro

Air Date: 2013-11-01

There is a street person who is said to have no one in the center of Hiroshima who is said to be unknown. His name was "Hiroshima Taro." God's demons are dead. He runs through the city on a bicycle to wear a flashy costume. It is said that many people are given "healing" and "encouragement" by their mysterious appearance and words and actions. What kind of person is Hiroshima Taro? Why are the people of Hiroshima attracted to him? I listened to the hearts of people living in regional cities while following the footsteps of one person.

27. Hitchhiking in the Seto Inland Sea

Air Date: 2013-11-08

Hitchhiking on the sea" is a way of traveling through the Seto Inland Sea by boat only. The starting point is Shodoshima Island, and for 72 hours, the group will aim westward. That's the only rule. The destination is simply left to the wind. As they call out to people they meet at ports and frantically search for a boat, they discover the diverse and rich lifestyles of people living with the sea. Businessmen who spend their post-retirement lives on yachts. A father and son are proudly engaged in the fishing industry. A couple who never wants to leave their remote island, where the population continues to decline. Three days of encountering life on the sea.

28. Called by the Dunes

Air Date: 2013-11-15

Sand and more sand as far as the eye can see. A vast world of “nothingness” spreads across the Tottori Sand Dunes. The extraordinary nature of the dunes attracts as many as 2 million visitors a year. The purpose of their visit varies. Elderly people who want to feel the passage of time. Businessmen who want to escape for a moment from their days of dealing with detailed numbers in a cramped office. Others come from far away to reflect on themselves in the darkness late at night. The program looks at the “inner landscape” of visitors as well as the fantastic scenery of the dunes. 　

29. Shinjuku Giant Travel Counter

Air Date: 2013-11-22

One floor of a building in the Shinjuku subcenter. On one floor of a building in the Shinjuku subcenter, there is a travel counter that handles cheap overseas airline tickets, which is crowded with many people every day. While more and more people are buying tickets online, the 100-meter-long consultation counter is always crowded with people who want to consult in detail in order to realize their dream travel plans. Some people take their time to ask questions and make careful preparations, while others rush in and request "a place I can leave tomorrow. For 72 hours, we listened to the reasons for each person's departure.

30. Postmarked 24-Hour Mammoth Post Office

Air Date: 2013-12-06

In this age of the Internet and e-mail, there are still those who insist on using the postal service. The Shinjuku Post Office is one of the largest post offices in Japan and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is one of the largest post offices in Japan and is known as a place that accepts mail 24 hours a day without a break. If you observe closely at the counter, you will see many different scenes. Some people continue to push their resumes until the very last minute before the postmark of the deadline. People who stop by to send a package to a loved one who lives far away. This film records the lives that intersect at a post office in a corner of a large city.

31. Riding the ‘Engimusubi’ (match-making) Train

Air Date: 2013-12-13

Shimane's Izumo-taisha Shrine has long been known for its blessings for matchmaking. This year, the shrine will be relocated for the first time in 60 years, attracting more tourists than usual. The “Sunrise Izumo” overnight train from Tokyo to Izumo is fully booked in November, the month of “kamizai” (October on the lunar calendar), when the gods gather. People of the right age, men and women who are eagerly looking for marriage, and those who wish to break off bad marriages from work and make new good marriages spend the night together in the same car. We listened to the earnest wishes of these travelers.

32. Walking in a Giant Bookstore, a Forest of Printed Matter

Air Date: 2013-12-20

Magazines, novels, art books, and specialty books. Various worlds are condensed into one place in a bookstore. Even with the proliferation of online shopping, there is no end to the number of people who visit bookstores in search of chance encounters with books. The best-selling items lined up in the bookstores offer a glimpse of today's Japan. Change Yourself. People on their way home from work flock to the educational books that are sold one after another with such words as “change yourself,” while those who are tired of their daily lives pick up “spiritual” books. We looked into the lives of people we met in the forest of the printed word.

1. Local Wrestling, 3-Day Traveling Tour

Air Date: 2014-01-10

Hokkaido is suffering from a prolonged recession. Ten years ago, a salesman who saw his hometown's exhaustion launched a professional wrestling organization that he loved. In December, the group will hold its winter tour. In December, a winter show will be held, lasting three days. The tour will take place in three locations, including Yubari, where the local government has collapsed. I will accompany the tour and observe people living in rural areas while supporting each other.

2. Huge Share House for 260 People

Air Date: 2014-01-17

Last year, Japan's largest share house opened in Kamata, Tokyo. It accommodated a whopping 260 people. When the share house was open to both men and women, it was filled in no time at all. Foreigners who came to Japan for short-term work or study. Some are aspiring artists. Everyone has different goals. Late at night in the common space, one can see people listening to each other's problems. For three days, we placed a camera in a huge share house where various lives are living side by side.

3. The Fierce Battle! Entrepreneur Contest.

Air Date: 2014-01-24

An “Entrepreneur Contest” was held last year under the auspices of a global IT company to discover talents who can give shape to innovative ideas more quickly. The duration of the contest was three days and two nights. Participants were divided into teams and worked frantically to come up with new ideas, and then worked tirelessly to brush up their ideas for a presentation on the final day of the contest. The contest not only tests the participants' ability to come up with ideas, but also their ability to coordinate and execute their teams. If they win the competition, they will advance to the world competition and can expect to receive funding from sponsors. This is a coming-of-age story of young people struggling to achieve success.

4. At the Northernmost Bus Stop

Air Date: 2014-02-28

The far north of Hokkaido, with a view of Sakhalin in the distance. At Cape Soya, where a severe snowstorm blows, there is "Japan's northernmost bus stop. In winter, there are few visitors to the bus stop, and the only view is of the Sea of Okhotsk, but for a few days during the year-end and New Year's holidays, many people gather there. Company employees rethinking their lives, cab drivers returning from migrant work, motorcyclists who have traveled hundreds of kilometers in the snow...these are just a few of the people who gather at the bus stop. For three days, they put aside their usual titles and huddle together as "travelers. What are they seeking in their journey to the north?

5. Okinawa: The Barbershop that Never Sleeps

Air Date: 2014-03-07

In downtown Naha City, there is a barbershop that is open 24 hours a day, a rarity in Japan. Customers include children with shaved heads, employees of nearby restaurants, and office workers who can only get their hair cut at night due to their busy work schedule. The three days leading up to the coming-of-age ceremony in particular draw crowds of newcomers who want to enjoy a one-day hair style. Some have returned to Okinawa after having broken their dreams of working outside the prefecture, and others are bidding farewell to their teenage years of wild fun... What are the true feelings of Okinawan men that cannot be experienced on a sightseeing trip?

6. Fukushima: From a Super Market in Early Spring

Air Date: 2014-03-14

Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. Along the road to the nuclear power plant, there is a supermarket that has seen a significant increase in sales since “that day”. The main products are boxed lunches and side dishes. In the evenings, many workers at the nuclear power plant and decontamination workers come to the supermarket on their way home from work. The city is said to be conversely bustling with people who have come to the area since the accident to help with reconstruction. The program looks at Fukushima today at a supermarket where “local housewives buying ingredients for dinner,” “people who evacuated from villages near the nuclear power plant,” and “workers helping with the recovery” pass by.

7. Close Encounters! Street Corner Photo Printing Machine

Air Date: 2014-04-04

With the spread of digital cameras and smartphones, everyone takes photos with ease. Printing machines at electronics mass merchandisers make it easy to print out the photo data they have taken. People continue to take photos of the food they cook every day. Two people in a long-distance relationship exchange photos of each other. People visit the machines to keep photos of their deceased relatives. We listen to the thoughts of these people who want to print and keep the time they spent with their loved ones and the irreplaceable memories that will never come again.

8. Life route of a huge ferry

Air Date: 2014-04-11

In Japan, which is surrounded by the sea, it takes time, but it is a ferry that can be moved cheaply. In particular, the route between Nagoya and Sendai and Hokkaido boasts two hundred thousand users per year. In the spring when people start a new life, the ship is filled with a variety of "facts" such as workers moving to Nagoya, which is booming, university students who complete a graduation trip in a cheap and easy country, and a group of dispatched employees who boarded in search of "a relaxing time". What is the current situation in Japan that emerges from the encounter on the ship for three days?

9. Consumption Tax Increase! 24 Hour Discount Store

Air Date: 2014-04-18

The Shinjuku store of a major discount store boasts a selection of 40,000 items. Customers, including shoppers and residents of the nearby downtown area, are constantly pouring into the store 24 hours a day. The program closely observes the store in the last week of March, which is bustling with “rush demand” before the tax hike. Some shoppers bought large quantities of consumable goods, while others were carried away by the momentum of the rush and grabbed unnecessary items. Then, on the eve of the tax hike, a man rushes into the store... In a corner of the city shaken by the tax hike, we consider what shopping means to us and what consumption means to us.

10. At the Foot of the Skytree

Air Date: 2014-04-25

The Tokyo Sky Tree, Japan's tallest structure, opened two years ago. At the base of the tree, which is visited by 100,000 people a day, people are pressing their shutters in various positions to capture the giant tower on their cameras. Some are students who have saved up enough money to climb the tree someday, while others are foreigners who are visiting Japan for their golden wedding anniversary. And at night, young people from all over the Kanto region gather here. Three days at the foot of the giant radio tower, a new landmark in Tokyo that continues to attract people.

11. Youth Hello Work Youth

Air Date: 2014-05-02

The economy is on the upswing, and the job offer rate for university students has exceeded eighty percent this spring. However, in Shibuya, Tokyo Wakamono Hello Work = so-called "Wakahalo", more than two hundred young people seeking jobs flock to each day. The popular "regular employee who is rewarding, not dispatch". In addition, the 30s of the Ice Age generation who are trying to change jobs with the driving force of the booming economy .... It is said that a third of university graduates quit within three years of joining the company, and they are closely connected to the consultation desk specialized for under-35s, which is rare in Japan. I looked at the work of young people today.

12. Ueno Park, Under the Cherry Trees in Full Bloom

Air Date: 2014-05-09

Ueno Park is a huge park representing Tokyo. Surrounded by offices, downtown, and residential areas, people spend their time in this vast park. During the cherry blossom season, the park is said to attract 2 million visitors from all over the country. This program closely observes the three days of the weekend when the park is at its busiest. Some locals do exercises while watching the cherry blossoms every morning, some businessmen put all their energy into their company's cherry blossom viewing event, and some people look back over the flowers and think about their farewells in the old days.... Various lives intersect amidst the dancing snowstorm of cherry blossoms.

13. Midnight Public Restaurant in the Big City

Air Date: 2014-05-23

ShareHelped TwitterFacebook "Utsuya Station" has the fewest passengers on the JR Yamanote Line. During the day, the streets are sparse, but at night, the atmosphere changes completely, and the neon lights of countless love hotels and sex shops shine out. The stage is a popular restaurant that has been open for more than thirty years in the Tokudani. A man and a woman with various circumstances come to the restaurant where you can eat a warm set meal at any time for twenty-four hours to satisfy a small belly and taste the humane. In this city, which has quietly accepted the desires of the people, you can see the drama of adults.

14. Trunk Rooms: Another Secret Room

Air Date: 2014-05-30

The trunk room is rapidly increasing throughout Japan, saying, "You can store things that cannot be placed at home." It is close to one of the largest stores in the Kansai region near Shin-Osaka Station for three days. In the store, which is lined with rooms of various sizes, people who secretly deposit "secret items that can not be said to anyone" visit every time for twenty-four hours. However, it is difficult to interview only in the hidden world.

15. Osorezan: Place of the Dead

Air Date: 2014-06-06

When people die, they go to the mountains. It is set in Mt. Osoreyama in Aomori Prefecture, which has been attracting the faith of the people of Tohoku since ancient times. In May, a large-scale consecutive holiday, Mt.Osa, opened the mountain after a half-year winter, and various people from all over the country visited the shrine aiming for a huge sacred place. A couple who visit every year for their lost daughter, "Seijo Girl" who wants to see the red seal. In the unique atmosphere that continues with rocky places, there are also people who suddenly shout the names of the deceased. A power spot that involves all visitors and makes you feel strange. Three days of life and death.

16. On the Road: “Happiness Theory” on Route 16

Air Date: 2014-06-13

Yokosuka - Machida - Hachioji - Kasugabe and "National Route16" connects the Kanto suburbs. The townscape where there are only large shopping malls and chain stores is attracting attention as "a landscape that symbolizes modern Japan". It took three days to run on the 250km ring road. Listen carefully to what people you meet on the road are happy. A young man who does not want to leave his comfortable hometown, and a homeless man walks silently on the way late at night. What is the happiness of Nippon seen from the 16th Line?

17. Tropical Nightless City, 24-Hour Supermarket

Air Date: 2014-07-04

The western edge of Kagoshima. In Akune City, a city with vast forests and fields and an elderly population of over 40%, there is a huge supermarket that is famous throughout Japan for its wide selection of goods. The store, which is open 24 hours a day, is visited by 80% of the city's population every day. Elderly people standing around in depopulated towns looking for someone to talk to, young people gathering late at night to ask if they can find a good job.... Behind the city's booming economy, the daily lives of people in the countryside who gather for a little entertainment.

18. Shonan, Reasons to Gaze at the Sea

Air Date: 2014-07-18

In June, the Shonan coast overlooking Enoshima Island. On a clear day, people who cannot wait for summer to arrive come to see the sea. Families frolic in the water by the waves, couples huddle together. Among the happy people, there is one figure that stands out: a solitary person staring at the sea. Tired office workers, women in love. Even at night, people with various circumstances appear one by one on the quiet beach.... What do people think about on a beach where there is nothing but the sea and the sky? A story of three days waiting for summer. 　

19. At a Gas Station in a Drenching Downpour

Air Date: 2014-07-25

It was a weekend in June when the Kanto region was hit by heavy rain with the onset of the rainy season. At a 24-hour gas station in Kanagawa Prefecture, soaking wet people rushed in one after another. Construction workers who had to take the day off from work because of the rain, people going to see their children who live far away, men going to work late at night to support their families.... Where do people drive to in the pouring rain? This is a story of people taking a breather at a gas station and waiting for the rain to stop.

20. What Dreams I Have at the Fishing Pond Late at Night

Air Date: 2014-08-01

Along a national highway in the suburbs of Saitama. There is an indoor fishing pond where men dangle their fishing lines until late at night. Twenty species of fish, including carp and Hakurei, swim in the 20-meter-long pool. You can rent a Saomote, but it is not easy to catch the fish, as they are used to being caught. Visitors include businessmen looking for new jobs, young people discussing their future, and mysterious men in sunglasses who appear late at night. What are the thoughts floating in the minds of these men as they wait patiently for the float to sink? Three days in which life can be seen beyond the fishing line.

21. Veterinary Hospital in the City that Never Sleeps

Air Date: 2014-08-22

There is a long-established veterinary hospital in Hatsudai, Tokyo, where emergency patients rush in 24 hours a day. It opened 46 years ago. Every day, about 100 animals are brought in from all over the Tokyo metropolitan area, including dogs attacked by stray cats, hamsters with broken bones, and cats involved in traffic accidents. It has long been called a pet boom, but what stands out is the number of people who take the time to cuddle with a single animal. A housewife caring for a dog with dementia, an elderly man who has lived with a cat for 23 years.... This is a story of people and animals who are bound by a bond stronger than that of family.

22. Kabukicho Nail Salon: Behind the Scenes of a Woman's Dressing Room

Air Date: 2014-08-29

The glamorous world of women spreads out in a room of a building in Kabukicho. It is a nail salon that stays open all night until 8 am. Some are cabaret girls who go there to “please customers,” while others draw pictures of the sea or sunflowers to "give their nails a summery look. Their goal is to enjoy “girl talk that you can only talk about here” in addition to having their nails done. During the three hours it takes to get their nails done, they enjoy chatting about everything from work complaints to relationship advice, which they would not be able to talk about in front of a man. The true faces of the women are revealed through their beautiful nails during these three days.

23. Summer: The Closest Station to the Nuclear Power Plant

Air Date: 2014-09-05

Naraha Machi, Fukushima, is located within 20 km of the nuclear power plant that caused the accident. Railroads had been out of service since the earthquake, but finally reopened in June this year. The town is now connected to the city by train. There are still only 9 services a day. Many residents are not allowed to stay overnight in the town and have evacuated to other areas. Even so, people from all walks of life now pass by Tatsuta Station, which is located in the center of the town. Former residents on furlough, workers at the nearby Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant. And visitors from afar, hoping to catch a glimpse of the disaster-stricken area. This is a story of three days at a small station.

24. “On the Shore with a View of the Atomic Bomb Dome

Air Date: 2014-09-12

It was August 6 when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. While the familiar annual solemn peace ceremony is broadcast live on TV, people from all over the world flock to the area around the event site, making their own arguments and performances. Young people singing songs about the atomic bombing, religious groups offering prayers, foreign tourists in a tourist mood, people shouting radical ideas.... Sixty-nine years have passed since the end of the war. In a corner of the park overlooking the A-bomb Dome across the river, three days were spent looking at different forms of peace.

25. A Small Convenience Store in a Large Hospital

Air Date: 2014-09-19

Kamogawa, Boso Peninsula. Three years ago, a 24-hour convenience store was opened in a huge general hospital where emergency patients are brought in from midnight to early morning. With a full lineup of hospital supplies and sugar-free meals, the convenience store is constantly crowded with customers throughout the day. A young man who had a car accident and lived for the rest of his life. A hospital patient who cannot sleep at night comes to buy a newspaper early in the morning. Late at night, doctors on the night shift rush in between surgeries to stuff themselves with cup noodles. This is the human side of the convenience store, a beloved “oasis” in a hospital where life and death intersect, isolated from everyday life.

26. Haneda Airport: From Summer to Autumn

Air Date: 2014-10-03

On the last weekend of summer vacation, Haneda Airport is crowded with travelers and people returning home. I spent three days in front of the departure and arrival counters, holding my camera. A girl is excited to travel alone for the first time during her summer vacation. An elderly couple reuniting with their son who has left their hometown for the first time in a long time. And there are those who are flying off to faraway places to start their new lives in September. People who are taking a new step forward and those who are seeing their departures off. This is a story of encounters and partings captured at one of the world's largest airports, used by 68 million passengers annually.

27. Deep Asakusa, Midnight Coffee Shop

Air Date: 2014-10-10

Asakusa is a world-renowned tourist attraction. North of Sensoji Temple, in the deep “back Asakusa” area that does not appear in guidebooks, there is a coffee shop that has been in business for over 40 years. Its specialty is Neapolitan. The store opens at 9:00 a.m. and stays open until 5:00 a.m. The store is full of locals, including Asakusa entertainers who live nearby, former innkeepers, and rickshaw drivers. At midnight, the store is rented out to cab drivers who take a break.... This is a story of Edo nikko (people of Edo) whose true feelings are exchanged without any pretense of decoration.

28. Ueno Ameyoko, Multinational Underground Market

Air Date: 2014-10-17

There is an unknown “multinational market” in the basement of Ameyoko, Ueno. As you go down the stairs, the aroma of spices wafts through the air. The smell of spices wafting down the stairs, Chinese, Tagalog, and English with an African accent, Shanghai crabs, edible frogs, and vegetables and seafood never before seen on the shelves....... We took a look into the true feelings of foreigners living in Japan at this market that supports the stomachs of people living far from home.

29. What to Hit: Boxing Gym in a Mixed-Use Building

Air Date: 2014-10-24

In front of JR Gotanda Station, where offices and bars line the streets. From a room in a small building, you can hear the sound of a boxer hitting a sandbag. It is a long-established boxing gym, open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight. The gym is famous for having produced a number of world champions, but people come to the gym for a variety of reasons. Some are company employees who come to relieve stress from work. A junior high school student who comes to the gym because he admires his father, a former professional boxer. A former delinquent boy who is determined to make a fortune.... What are these people fighting against in this corner of the city?

30. Koenji, What to Expect at the Public Baths

Air Date: 2014-10-31

Koenji, Tokyo. An old-fashioned wooden building stands in an alley past a pure shopping street. It is a long-established public bathhouse that is open until 2 am. The baths are filled with workers returning from construction sites, young people living in cheap apartments and pursuing their dreams, parents and children who have been going there for 60 years, even a mysterious long-haired man... Men and women of all ages who happen to be there sweat in the same bath, talk about trivial matters, and drink coffee milk in one gulp. Once they hit it off, they went to an izakaya across the street for a quick drink. This is a story of an old-fashioned public bathhouse that is disappearing from the city.

31. A Walking Trip Around Yamanote Line - ”Happiness Theory“ in the Center of Tokyo

Air Date: 2014-11-07

The Yamanote Line is the most famous loop line in Japan. It is a short train ride, but the city has a completely different look at each station. Recently, more and more people are walking or biking along the line in order to experience it. This time, the program staff also spent three days walking the 35-kilometer route around the city. How is the image of the town as “Shibuya for young people” and “Shinjuku for adults” changing? And what do people look forward to in their daily lives? The real Tokyo of today was recorded while walking along the railroad tracks.

32. Kisarazu, Wangan, Big Lunch Box Store Blues

Air Date: 2014-11-21

Hey," he said! Hey!“ ”Is this bento ready yet?“ ”A big bowl of rice!" The men shout with authority at a 24-hour bento shop in the port of Kisarazu, Chiba. The store is crowded from early morning to late at night with workers from ports and steel mills. An elderly man who comes to the restaurant every day and spends all his time there receives a special soft rice ball.... Three days in a corner of Tokyo Bay, a bento shop fills people's hearts.

33. Wandering Shakebai

Air Date: 2014-11-28

Shibetsu Town, Hokkaido, Japan, is a place where the wind blows with a steady breeze. Every autumn, during the salmon fishing season, a group of young people gather from nowhere. They have dreadlocks and large earrings. They are known as “Shakebai,” an unusual-looking group. They work part-time at a salmon processing plant in response to a call from the fishery cooperative, which is short on staff. Backpackers travel the world with the money they earn as “shakelabai,” and seasonal workers travel all over Japan, from Okinawa to Hokkaido. What is their new way of life as they wander and work?

34. Osaka Minami, Midnight Underground Tenement

Air Date: 2014-12-12

There is a leisure building in Osaka's Minami district that is familiar to anyone in the Kansai region. The Ajien Building was once home to a huge cabaret that was said to be the best in Japan and a dance hall where Pink Lady used to take the stage every night before her breakthrough. The cabaret was closed due to the prolonged recession, but young people opened small izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) one after another in its place. It has become a center of Osaka's underground culture, including comedy and cosplay. Three days in the old and new “mecca of nightlife”.

35. Shinjuku Ni-Chome: A Taste of Mother's Home Late at Night

Air Date: 2014-12-19

Shinjuku Ni-Chome is one of the deepest spots in Japan. In a corner of the area, there is an unusual teishoku-ya (set meal restaurant) that opens only late at night. The popular menu consists of hamburgers and grilled fish. The menu includes hamburgers and grilled fish, which are popular with gay and lesbian customers, who enjoy a bowl of white rice with these dishes as a side dish.

1. Birth Rush! Japan's Best Obstetrics and Gynecology

Air Date: 2015-01-09

3,400 babies per year. In Kumamoto Prefecture, well known for Kumamon, there is an obstetrics and gynecology clinic that boasts the highest number of births in Japan. Mothers fight day and night against labor pains and give birth to a new life with all their might. The program set up a camera in the waiting room of such a hospital to listen to the voices of families anxiously awaiting the birth of their newborns. A young father weeps in the hallway, nervous and moved. A little brother is bewildered by the arrival of his new family. The story of each family member who can only watch over their mother, but pray hard for the birth. 　

2. Farewell! Bowling Alley in the Center of Tokyo

Air Date: 2015-01-16

At the end of last year, the long-established bowling alley “Milano Bowl” in front of the Shinjuku Koma Theater closed its 47-year history. It had gained popularity for its all-night hours of operation until 6:00 a.m., but its closure was decided due to a decline in the bowling population that could not be halted. People gather to lament the last days of the bowling alley. Young people drop by to say goodbye after a night of drinking. Elderly men come first thing in the morning. Some are in tears when they learn for the first time that the restaurant is closing.... And those who met by chance at the bowling alley played the "last game.

3. Nagoya, Underground Streets, Lost and Found on a Holy Night

Air Date: 2015-01-23

The setting for this episode is Sakae, Nagoya, at Christmas time. With the bustling downtown area booming with economic activity, there is a place where people rush into in a panic. This is the “Lost and Found” counter, which handles lost and found items left behind on Nagoya's buses and subways. It handles more than 100,000 items a year. The most common items are umbrellas and gloves, but there are also unexpected items such as dentures and sotoba. At the end of the year, the lost-and-found warehouse is overflowing with lost-and-found items during the year-end party and Christmas season. Who in the world comes to pick up forgotten items and for what reason?

4. Student Dormitories in the Northern Land

Air Date: 2015-01-30

Awake, my lost dream, wake up." The residents of the student dormitory at Hokkaido University, which has a history of more than 100 years and is home to 400 students, are one of the few self-governing dormitories in the country that are run entirely by the students themselves. Rent is about 10,000 yen per month. Some stay up late at night drinking with their friends, others devote themselves to their studies, and so on. Recently, many students enter the dormitory for financial reasons, but some gradually fall in love with it and end up staying. This is a coming-of-age story of the “bunkaras” who still live and breathe in the northern lands of Japan.

5. Happiness Seized at Money Shops

Air Date: 2015-02-06

Since the bursting of the bubble economy, a saving boom has taken root. People who want to reduce their expenses as much as possible are flocking to ticket stores. A dispatched worker comes to buy a subway ticket to save 10 yen; a woman enjoys eating out at a department store with a gift certificate that costs 36 yen less; and a man buys an expensive gift certificate and buys it at the same time. On the other hand, there are also foreigners who buy expensive gift certificates in bulk. What kind of happiness do people dream of beyond saving money? A story of people and money in a small storefront.

6. Handyman, Running in the City

Air Date: 2015-02-13

Slugs in the bathroom.“ ”Assemble the plastic model by tomorrow!" Calls for help ring out throughout the night from a Tokyo handyman, who receives 300 requests a day, many of which are small matters that he could have asked his family or friends for in the past. Many of the 300 requests a day are for small things that one could have asked family or friends for in the past, such as “just a little companionship,” or "buy a cake from the store I remember. The number of one-person households is on the rise, and neighborhoods are becoming less friendly. What are the real wishes of modern Japanese people hidden under the seemingly trivial advice?

7. Akabane Oden Restaurant Elegy

Air Date: 2015-02-20

Akabane is known as a sacred place for non-humans with its unpretentious izakaya (Japanese style pubs). In one corner of the area, there is a “standing oden shop” with a long line of customers standing in line from morning. The customers range from security guards on their way home from the night shift who enjoy a morning drink alone, to mothers who buy oden for their families, to businessmen who enjoy a night out in Akabane by visiting a number of izakayas. Chewing on their signature hanpen and drinking a cup of sake with hot broth and “dashiwari,” a drink made from a cup of sake, will keep your body and soul warm and refreshed. This is the story of a man and a woman who huddle together under a cold windy sky and enjoy oden. 　

8. Kobe, January, See you at Pai-Yama

Air Date: 2015-02-27

Pai-yama," as it is commonly known, is located in front of Sannomiya Station in the heart of Kobe. An object resembling a boob in the center of the square has become a landmark for people waiting to meet. In January of this year, 20 years after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the atmosphere of the plaza changed drastically. Countless people headed for the memorial service even in the dim light of day. Young people began to talk about their own experiences of the disaster in front of the cameras.... What are people thinking as they live their lives in this city that has recovered?

9. Akita: In Front of a Vending Machine in the Midwinter

Air Date: 2015-03-06

Akita Port in January, with gusty winds blowing. In a corner, there is an old vending machine. After 25 seconds of waiting, hot soba or udon noodles come out. The machine was installed 40 years ago. It was very popular as the original fast food, but recently the machine has become old and broken down, and the taste has become weak. However, the warmth of the noodles keeps customers coming in 24 hours a day. A mysterious father and son slurping noodles in a snowstorm. A man working as a driver looking up at the starry sky late at night. Numerous lives emerge from the udon noodles eaten in the extreme cold.

10. Driving school, each journey

Air Date: 2015-03-13

Trucks, buses, excavators.... A driving school in the suburbs of Chiba where you can get a license for all kinds of vehicles. Every spring, people rush to the school to get a driver's license in preparation for their new lives. A former hairdresser is seeking a large-size driver's license for a new job. A Filipino woman came to get an automatic transmission license to use for nursing care work. The number of people who want to get forklift and other certifications to increase their salaries is also increasing rapidly. This is a story of people who are trying to grasp something by getting a license at a turning point in their lives.

11. Tanning Salon: The Reason for the Wheat Color

Air Date: 2015-03-20

Men lying naked in the blue light.... A cold wind blows in February in Ikebukuro. In a tanning salon inside a multi-tenant building, men in wheat-colored tanning suits are sweating, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a tropical country. The men close their eyes and say, "Tanning is vitality. Their minds are filled with thoughts of their failing jobs, their estranged wives, and their uncertain futures. What will people grasp by getting dark skin here?

12. Capsule Hotel Wonderland

Air Date: 2015-04-03

Capsule hotels are suddenly popular these days. Through word of mouth, travelers from all over the world come to these hotels to stay, and the languages of countries around the world fly about the inns night after night. Japanese students studying for entrance examinations are often seen in the hotel. Some young people talk about their dreams for the future, while others are unable to return home for some reason or another. For three days, we set up our cameras in this urban wonderland, where each small room is filled with a completely different kind of life.

13. Taxi Honest Conversation - Fukushima Iwaki Version

Air Date: 2015-04-10

Four years have passed since “that day” in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. In this episode, we listen to the unpretentious conversations between passengers and drivers that take place in cabs. A person involved in the nuclear power plant goes out for a drink in between hard work. Fishermen gather at a snack bar because they are unable to go fishing due to the disaster. As reconstruction progresses, the number of people moving to Iwaki from the surrounding areas is rapidly increasing. What kind of conversations are going on in the cab cabs driving through the ever-changing city? The tweets inside the cabs reveal the real daily life of the people. 　

14. A Building Exclusively for Cosplay: Their Dream Castle

Air Date: 2015-04-17

A study, a ritual room, a school infirmary.... People dressed in anime and game cosplay pose and shutter each other in various settings. The cosplay building in Koto-ku has 80,000 members, and more than 20 studios are visited daily by women who come to take pictures of themselves in a completely different way than usual. Some of the women say, “I want to erase myself to become a character,” or "I'm cosplaying in memory of my deceased lover. What are the thoughts of these women in their gorgeous costumes?

15. Life Begins with a Used Car

Air Date: 2015-04-24

Spring. There is a place where many people rush to buy their own cars to start a new life. Among the 30 dealerships lining the national highway, the used car sales area is the busiest. A man buys a car for his son who is getting a job, and a young man buys a sports car with a loan. A young man buys a sports car with a loan. Each used car reveals a different aspect of a person's life.

16. Following the Cherry Blossoms Upstream: A Three-Day Trip Along the Tama River

Air Date: 2015-05-01

In April, Kanto was intoxicated by a blizzard of flowers. One of the most “famous places for secret cherry blossom viewing” is the Tama River, which runs 138 kilometers from Haneda to Okutama. In this program, the participants loaded their bicycles with cameras and rode along the riverbanks in search of cherry blossoms admired by the locals. Fishermen in Haneda look up at the cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms in Setagaya, where he has fond memories of his children. The young men we met late at night along the 2-kilometer-long row of cherry trees in Fussa. This is a three-day flower journey in search of cherry blossoms that are not well known to everyone, but are important to each of us.

17. Yakushima: People Gathering at Giant Trees

Air Date: 2015-05-08

Thousands of years old giant trees tower in the forests of Yakushima, a World Heritage Site. Many people from all over Japan are now visiting the island to see the “Jomon cedars,” which can only be seen by climbing a half-day mountain trail 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. A young man says he visits whenever he feels lost in life. Fathers travel with their sons who are on the verge of adulthood. The 30-meter-high giant tree sometimes glistens in the drizzle, sometimes glows red in the morning sun, and changes its appearance from moment to moment. What do people think when they see the awe-inspiring Jomon cedars? 　

18. Candy Store: Children's Small Universe

Air Date: 2015-05-15

“I won gum!” How was your class change?" The lively voices of children echo in a candy shop in Hyogo Ward, downtown Kobe, where a girl, clutching a 10-yen coin, ponders what to buy. A boy spends his time at the store until his working parents return home. At night, young people who used to be regular customers come to the store to soak up the nostalgic atmosphere. They eat candy, fight, make up again, and grow up. The camera is set on the small but profound "world of children.

19. Kebab Shop, Roppongi, Crossroads of Gentiles

Air Date: 2015-05-22

At the foot of Tokyo Tower. Near the Roppongi intersection, there is a kebab shop where people from various countries come and go 24 hours a day. The staff are all Turkish. Because they are inexpensive and quick to eat, foreign businessmen visit the restaurant during the daytime, and in the evening, people from all over the world who work in the nightlife district visit the restaurant to fill up on food. The bustle of the city reaches its peak when the last train runs out... For three days, we listened to the unknown thoughts of foreigners who have left their hometowns and wander the night streets of Tokyo.

20. Mt. Takao, Why wander into the mountains of the city?

Air Date: 2015-05-29

Three days in Mt. Takao, an “easy mountain” that can be reached in an hour from central Tokyo. During the season of fresh green leaves, the summit is crowded with people who have escaped from the urban hazards. People drinking beer with the city in the distance, children on excursions, people contemplating.... At night, however, the atmosphere changes drastically. Couples aim for the summit in the darkness as flying buzzards fly overhead. A man walks alone along a dark mountain path. We listen to the hearts of city dwellers on Mt. Takao, which is said to have the most climbers in the world.

21. Container Karaoke in a Seaside Town

Air Date: 2015-06-05

In April, a huge container was brought into a small port town in Iwate, where bare land from the tsunami was noticeable. It is an impromptu mobile karaoke box loved by the locals who have few entertainment options. Some mothers bring their children to the box because they cannot speak out loud in their temporary housing. A young craftsman sings Go Nagabuchi songs with his friends. A former fisherman who sings only songs about the sea.... What kind of feelings will people entrust to the songs in the six-room container box?

22. Dreams to be drawn at a video rental store on a major holiday weekend

Air Date: 2015-06-12

The May holidays were a time of excitement in Japan, with people traveling abroad and returning home. In the residential areas of central Tokyo, where the number of people had decreased, there was one place that was secretly bustling with activity: a 24-hour video rental store. Couples who dare to spend this time of year in the heart of the city, enjoying their free time. Women who stay home to watch horror movies instead of returning to their hometowns. Men who work tirelessly to provide for their wives and children who live far away from home relax with dramas set in foreign countries. Somewhere other than here.... We looked at the people who visit these places in search of the “other world” that fiction invites them to.

23. American Drive-In of Okinawa and Reminiscence

Air Date: 2015-06-19

Oldies playing from the jukebox. An old lady chomping down on steak and an American soldier chomping down on fried rice. This is an old drive-in along Route 58, which runs through the main island of Okinawa. The restaurant, which began serving U.S. soldiers during the occupation, still offers the same nostalgic scene as it did in the U.S. in the 1960s. Some came from Taiwan during the Vietnam War, while others followed their loved ones to the United States. What is the soul food of the Okinawan people who have lived with the swell of the times?

24. Uwasa's cat and shopping street

Air Date: 2015-06-26

Near Mito Station, there is a shopping street with a rather unusual signboard cat. His name is Hachi. The “figure eight” pattern on its forehead has made it very popular, with people saying that it brings good luck and that its pitiful face is cute. The tobacco store where he tends to his store is inundated with people who come to buy lottery tickets and make wishes. Whether he knows it or not, Hachi sleeps at his own pace or retreats to the back of the store.... The people of the shopping street are happy or sad as they make their wishes on the “cat that brings good fortune” over the three days of the festival.

25. “Hanacaba” Life Theater

Air Date: 2015-07-03

Along the national highway in Hitachi City, the castle town of a giant corporation, there is a mysterious retro space that seems to have slipped back to the Showa period. It is commonly known as Hanawayama Cabaret, a row of tin taverns and other establishments along a narrow unpaved alley. It has been about 50 years since it was born during the high-growth period of Japan's economic boom. More than a dozen establishments have hung their signs in the area, providing a place for factory employees and local residents to relax. Some are fun and boisterous, some are open to complaints, and some are like a relative's home. This is the story of three days in the life of the customers and mothers who are attracted by the atmosphere of "Hanakaba.

26. Kurume, Fukuoka: The Story of Tonkotsu Ramen

Air Date: 2015-07-10

Kurume is the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen. There is a ramen restaurant along the national highway that is visited by 3,000 people every day. On holidays, a couple always sips “morning ramen” together. A truck driver stops by on his drive from Aomori to Kagoshima, and an industrial worker who has been coming here after night shift since he was 15 years old and will soon reach retirement age. Founded in 1958 when Tokyo Tower was built. We listen to the stories of each of them as they tell us about their ramen lives at the restaurant, which was one of the first in Japan to open for business 24 hours a day and has continued to warm the stomachs of its customers.

27. Dance Hall for Men and Women in Downtown Tokyo

Air Date: 2015-07-17

Gentlemen and ladies dance gracefully to the sensual melodies played by a live band. The stage for this program is a dance hall in downtown Tokyo, where the heat of the Showa period still lingers. As one of only two remaining authentic dance halls in the city, it is visited by 500 people a day on weekends. The ladies enjoy the feeling of a princess as a reward after work. A young man is polishing his steps for a competition. Men enjoying conversation and drinks with female teachers in the salon after lessons. We listen to the hearts of the people who gather at this adult social gathering place.

28. Rocking on the Streetcar

Air Date: 2015-07-24

Hiroshima's streetcars are still active in people's daily lives and boast the highest number of users in Japan. People with various dramas ride the streetcars, which run slowly at an average speed of 10 km/h. A grandmother on her way to the hospital after giving birth to her grandson, a student stuck in his job search, and a Carp fan basking in the afterglow of victory. The train reopened three days after the atomic bombing, marking the first step toward reconstruction. This is a story that unfolds over three days on board the tram, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, and has been in the lives of the citizens of Japan.

29. Oasis Hotel in the Rice Paddies

Air Date: 2015-07-31

There is an old-fashioned but very popular hotel for men in the middle of rice fields in the Niigata Plain. Its charm is not only its cheap price. The first floor is a 24-hour drive-in with retro vending machines selling toasted sandwiches and other items, attracting enthusiasts from all over the country. There is also a game corner, where people from all walks of life come to enjoy "a lot of fun for 100 yen. Peddlers who save money on lodging. People relaxing after a long day of work or nursing care. People discussing their lives with a can of coffee in one hand. Three days in a mysterious hotel.

30. New York: Laundromat Theater

Air Date: 2015-08-21

The first overseas feature on "72 Hours! The setting is a 24-hour laundromat in a corner of New York City. Many people of different races and nationalities come to New York, where many people live without washing machines due to housing conditions. Immigrants from Central America who came to the city in search of a more affluent life. An elite lawyer who leaves everything from folding clothes to taking care of the laundry. An otaku who loves Japanese anime. What is the real America as seen through three days at the laundry?

31. Dalian, China - At a Japanese Foods Supermarket

Air Date: 2015-08-28

This is the program's first overseas feature! The second installment is a Japanese food supermarket in Dalian, China. Many Japanese companies have established operations in Dalian, where there is a high fever for learning Japanese, and 6,000 Japanese people, including expatriates working in call centers, live there. They all use this supermarket to buy everything from Japanese candy to air-freighted fresh fish. For three days, the camera will be on the people living in Dalian, China.

32. In a Cemetery Looking Up at the Great Buddha

Air Date: 2015-09-04

The 120-meter-high Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is located in Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture. One of the largest cemeteries in the Kanto region spreads out at its foot. During Obon, many people come to visit the graves of their loved ones. Parents share their memories of their sons who passed away from cancer, young people visit the grave of a friend who died in an accident, and children polish the grave of their mothers who raised them alone with gratitude. The film closely observes the cemetery looking up at the Great Buddha for three days in midsummer before the fireworks display for the memorial service. We listen to the mysterious dialogue between the living and the deceased.

33. Summer Comic! Japan's “Best” Convenience Store.

Air Date: 2015-09-18

The setting is a convenience store that attracts the largest number of customers in Japan among a certain chain of stores for three days in mid-summer. Many people are on their way to the Comic Market (Comiket), a subculture festival held nearby. The store serves as a front-line base for buying drinks and other items. Young people immersed in the dream world of anime cosplay and office workers who make it their life's purpose to meet up with their game-loving comrades come and go. The human drama of the convenience store is agitated by the "Summer Comic Market.

34. Summer's End: On the Streets in Front of the Diet

Air Date: 2015-10-02

On the street in front of the Diet, where the future of the country is decided. In the center of Japan, where the Prime Minister's official residence, the Diet Members' Building, and the central government offices also gather, people from all walks of life come and go. Tourists and students on school excursions visit the National Diet Building, a popular tourist spot. Residents enjoy walking their dogs or running along the lush green streets. People expressing their thoughts and feelings by participating in demonstrations over the security bills and nuclear power plant issues. In September, when the bills were being debated, we spent three days and three nights in the vicinity of the National Diet, from early morning to late at night. What do we see?

35. Long-established Hotel: Till We Meet Again

Air Date: 2015-10-09

The main building of a long-established hotel in Tokyo, which has been loved by both domestic and foreign guests, has been closed for reconstruction. The Hotel Okura, which has served as the “face of Japan” for more than half a century, is currently operating in its annex. During the last three days, many people with precious memories came to the hotel. Families who reserved rooms out of filial piety. An elderly couple warming the memory of their wedding day. An architect with his eyes glued to the interior design that blends Japanese tradition and Western modernity. The drama of life unfolds in the reborn Honkan before the next Tokyo Olympics.

36. Traveling Fisherman: A Life of Squid Fishing

Air Date: 2015-10-23

There is a port where fishermen gather from all over Japan in pursuit of the finest squid. It is the port of Kottoi in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The squid caught offshore is known for its clear, shiny beauty and delicious taste, and is served at restaurants for several thousand yen per fish. Away from their hometowns, the fishermen sleep in cramped cabins, hoping to make a fortune at each catch. Some are veterans with 40 years of experience, while others are young Indonesians who have come to learn the art of fishing. The film follows the drama of these men in a small port where squid fishing is booming in the summer.

37. Deep Tokyo: In a Corner of Little Manila

Air Date: 2015-10-30

There is a town in Tokyo called "Little Manila. It is a corner of Takenotsuka, Adachi-ku, where about 50 Filipino pubs are concentrated. There is a famous one that is open 19 hours a day from early morning to late at night. In the morning, it is a diner that welcomes drivers coming off the night shift with a salmon set meal, in the afternoon it is a place of relaxation for pensioners who enjoy conversation at the bar, and in the evening it is a paradise for adults who come to drink because it is cheaper than in the city center. We closely observe this mysterious restaurant where people of all ages, genders, and sexes gather. We spent three days observing the human characters woven into the fabric of the place.

38. Street Corner Dubbing Shop: Reviving Images

Air Date: 2015-11-06

The stage for this program is a dubbing store on a street corner where old video and audio files that can no longer be played are brought in. Films, VHS, cassette tapes, etc. are transformed into DVDs and CDs and brought back to life one after another. A female office worker sends footage of her college days to a friend with whom she has shared her dreams; a father reminisces about his daughter when she was a baby; a woman finds a family member who died at a young age. A woman gazes at the image of a family member who died at a young age. We listen to the thoughts of people who are trying to revive treasures that are etched with a time that will never return.

39. Cheap Airlines: At the Airport That Never Sleeps

Air Date: 2015-11-13

Kansai International Airport is the gateway to the sky that never sleeps 24 hours a day. It is one of the largest hubs in Japan with 16 low-cost carriers (LCC). People from all over the country and abroad come and go with cheap tickets in their hands. Young foreigners arrive in the middle of the night and spend the night waiting for the first train. Businessmen make hectic one-day business trips on early morning and late night flights. We looked at the human intersections at the terminal over the three days.

40. Kabukicho Midnight Dispensing Pharmacy

Air Date: 2015-11-27

In Kabukicho, Shinjuku, there is a dispensing pharmacy that is open only at night. People rush in one after another to the store, which stocks everything from nutritional drinks to birth control pills that require a doctor's prescription. A woman in the water business drinks down a drink that is said to be effective for the liver. A young man who had a headache while working late at night. And a restaurant owner who returns to his workplace only to make small talk. The store has become a kind of “infirmary” in the town, where people look forward to talking with the pharmacist. The film depicts the human drama of the nightless city.

41. Welcome to the World's Largest Labyrinth of Old Books

Air Date: 2015-12-04

The world's largest antiquarian bookstore district in Kanda, Tokyo, is home to more than 160 stores, where you can find amazing treasures such as medieval books priced at 10 million yen and unpublished manuscripts of great writers. A company employee buying his favorite boys' manga, a mother searching for an out-of-print picture book for her child, or a job-hunting student picking up a philosophy book in search of inspiration. Together, they slip back in time to the labyrinth of old books. We took a peek into their deep world for three days. 　

42. Fortune Teller's House: Crossroads of Fate

Air Date: 2015-12-11

Fortune tellers are said to draw long lines in times of anxiety. People from all walks of life come to the store in the heart of the city to have their future predicted based on their palm readings and date of birth. Office workers who have fallen out of love and are waiting to meet the man of their dreams, single mothers who are busy with work and child-rearing, and people who have been working overtime day after day and are looking for a new job. A single mother who is busy with work and childcare; a man who is beginning to think about changing jobs after working overtime day after day. What do these people who confide in the fortune teller about their problems that they have been carrying around all by themselves reveal?

43. At Akihabara's Secret Workshop

Air Date: 2015-12-18

A collar that changes color according to the dog's feelings. A keyboard instrument that produces the sound of a saxophone. There is a place in Akihabara where such outlandish things are being created one after another. The members-only workshop offers free use of a 3D printer and other equipment for a monthly fee of 15,000 yen. People from all walks of life, from amateur radio enthusiasts to inventors aspiring to be Jobs, visit the workshop. A mysterious workshop has sprung up in a mecca of otaku culture. We went undercover there for three days.

1. Yokohama All Night Tonkatsu

Air Date: 2016-01-08

The stage is set at a 24-hour tonkatsu restaurant in Yokohama's entertainment district. From early morning to late at night, people from all walks of life come to scarf down the meat. A man is on his way to the neon district to get himself in shape. A cabaret girl who has come to finish off her drink. There are also men taking a break at dawn after working all night. The year 2015 was filled with flashy news, such as soaring prices of condominiums and increased profits of major corporations. How are people celebrating the end of the year? We spent three days at a tonkatsu restaurant in a nightless city, looking at the human condition of people in all their sorrows and joys. 　

2. Tokyo Kappabashi: Food Tool District

Air Date: 2016-01-15

The stage is set in the “tool town” in Kappabashi, downtown Tokyo. It is a specialty store district that offers everything from Japanese, Western, and Chinese cooking utensils to lacquerware and food samples, and is a rare place in the world where all kinds of food-related tools are available. The eyes of professional chefs examining kitchen knives and young people shopping for a complete set of utensils to start their own business are serious. We took a look at the shopping of people who have reached a turning point in their lives, such as marriage or moving to Tokyo, over the course of three days in Japan's No. 1 town for tools, where 170 stores are lined up.

3. Sapporo: Bus Terminal on Holy Night

Air Date: 2016-01-22

Sapporo, a big city, is celebrating Christmas. The express bus terminal that serves as the gateway to the city is the setting for this episode. Long-distance buses connect Sapporo with towns scattered throughout Hokkaido. Many people use the buses from early morning to late at night because of the reasonable fares. A young man takes the bus for five hours to spend Christmas Eve with his girlfriend. A woman commutes to her parents' house hundreds of kilometers away to take care of her aging parents. There is also a busy businessman who takes a night bus for a business trip. We spent three days at the terminal in the middle of winter, listening to the circumstances of each traveler.

4. The First Dream at Tokyo Tower

Air Date: 2016-01-29

Tokyo Tower, where the New Year's Eve has arrived, is the stage for this episode. Many people come to the observatory to pray for the first sunrise and make wishes at the shrine on the observatory. Office workers praying to meet their fiancé this year, families wishing for the healthy growth of their children, and foreigners wishing for world peace. Foreigners praying for peace in the world. Outside, young men and women, eager to make a leap forward in their careers, brave the northern winds as they climb the fire escape. For three days between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the dreams of the New Year intersect in the tower in the sky. We asked people what was on their minds.

5. At a bench in Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Arcade, Osaka

Air Date: 2016-02-19

Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street is said to be the longest shopping street in Japan. This time, the stage is a bench in a corner of the shopping street. Listening to the stories of visitors over the course of three days on this bench, where people are constantly sitting, a variety of human dramas emerge. Some are anxiously waiting to meet someone, others use the bench as a place of work, and still others observe people on the street. Everyone takes a break on this bench, laughs, and then gets up to walk again. Seventy-two hours on this mysterious bench where people rest their wings.

6. Tokyo in the middle of winter, the name is ”Hanako“

Air Date: 2016-02-26

In a small zoo in Kichijoji, Tokyo, there is the oldest elephant in Japan. Her name is "Hanako. At 69 years old, Hanako is visited by all sorts of people. They all have their hearts set on Hanako's huge body and call out to her in their own way. Hanako is a mysterious elephant who attracts many people. She accepts her loneliness and continues to stand in the square every day, even when she is old, until she has only one tooth. People take a step forward with a little cheer from Hanako. We listen to her voice for three days in the zoo in the middle of winter.

7. Winter, Tsugaru at the 100 Yen Onsen

Air Date: 2016-03-04

In the middle of rice fields in the snowy Tsugaru plain, there is a public bathhouse “100 yen Onsen” where you can enter for only 100 yen. The rule here is to show the coin to the person taking a bath before you and put it in the fare box. The bathhouse attracts a wide variety of people, including elderly people who start taking a bath at 5:00 a.m., young people who take a bath after work in the evening, and housewives who enjoy chatting with each other about all sorts of things. The film depicts the human condition in Tsugaru, where people support each other and live together in the harsh cold weather, in a small hot spring that warms both body and soul.

8. In Love with Valentine Shrine

Air Date: 2016-03-18

There is a shrine dedicated to the god of love in Fukuoka, which is rare in Japan. The approach to the shrine and the torii gate are filled with hearts, and people come from all over the country to pray for the fulfillment of love, marriage, and marital bliss. On Valentine's Day, the shrine attracts more than 1,000 visitors. What stands out here these days are people who say they have never fallen in love with the opposite sex. People who are “in love with love” offer prayers in hopes of finding the ideal encounter. In the three days leading up to Valentine's Day, we will listen to the thoughts and feelings of these people as they entrust their hopes to the god of love.

9. 72 Hours Japan-Korea Comparison SP

Air Date: 2016-04-01

In Korea, there is a fixed-point observation program similar to “Documentary 72 Hours” in Japan. The name of the program is “Documentary 3 Days”. This time, the program is a collaboration with the “3 Days” program. Crews from Japan and Korea will each go abroad to film 3 days around the world. Korea's KBS filmed three days at the “World's Largest Chinese Restaurant” in China, while NHK introduced a specially edited version of “New York Laundromat Theater,” which was broadcast last year. Program watchers Osamu Suzuki and Anne Suzuki speak passionately about 72 Hours of Japan-Korea.

10. Drawn to Showa Songs

Air Date: 2016-04-08

The stage is set at a store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, that specializes in Showa-era songs. The store is visited by a wide variety of people, including middle-aged and older adults who have overlapped their lives with idol songs, young people who discover new charm in the clarity of the songs and lyrics, and foreigners who become enamored with the rhythms of the Showa era. The store has 30,000 records and CDs. Rare songs are sometimes priced at tens of thousands of yen. While sales of new CDs are sluggish, Showa-era songs are once again attracting attention. What kind of feelings do people put into these songs? The program will look at the human patterns projected in the songs for 72 hours, along with nostalgic classics.

11. Daitokai: Dog and Cat Shelter in the Big City

Air Date: 2016-04-15

In a small building in Yoyogi, Tokyo, there is an “animal shelter” that takes in dogs and cats from public health centers and protects them. So far, they have sheltered 1,300 animals. Dogs and cats come to the shelter for a reason. The circumstances vary from those who are too old to keep the animals to those who are forced to give them up because they have moved away. On the other hand, people who want to take in pets come to the “transfer meeting” held once a month. This three-day exhibition looks at the current state of society as reflected in the lives of people and pets.

12. Farewell! Our Funabashi Auto

Air Date: 2016-04-22

Auto racing is a sport in which motorcycles race at speeds of 150 kilometers per hour. The stage for this episode is Funabashi Auto, the birthplace of auto racing. Last month, the curtain came down on 65 years of history at this traditional racetrack. We closely followed the three days when the last race was held. The spectators were in an uproar at the appearance of the famous racer. The heated races create an unprecedented excitement. A wide variety of people came to the race, from parents and their children who have been going to the race for two generations, to those who were chasing the good-looking racer, to customers who were looking for the famous motsu-nikomi (stewed pork belly). For the last 72 hours, an unimaginable drama takes place!

13. Akita: In front of a vending machine in midwinter, a regretful farewell

Air Date: 2016-04-29

A udon vending machine for 200yen per cup at a store in Akita Port. In March, he introduced the 72nd hour of the human condition of the people who gathered there, and the response exceeded expectations was received, and it also ranked first in the popular vote of viewers for the year. This machine will be removed with the closing of the shop. Then, many people from all over the country rushed to the vending machine, not only the local area but also from all over the country. So this time, we will deliver an enlarged version of the document until the removal and the people I met last time!

14. Donburi Mei Monogatari in the North

Air Date: 2016-05-06

A twenty-four-hour public dining hall in Sendai. The catchphrase is "Donburi rice from the time you were born". It is a paradise for people who like rice. The bowl rice is four cups of ordinary rice and tea bowls, and it has filled the stomachs of the locals for many years. After the earthquake, it has been used as a table for people who are involved in reconstruction work by leaving their families in their hometowns. Five years after the earthquake, in the reality that it is impossible to rebuild life, what do people think in front of the bowl rice bowl meal? I listened for three days.

15. Carrying a Stamp in a Foreign Country

Air Date: 2016-05-13

The stage is a long-established stamp store in the Korean town of Shin-Okubo. Most of the customers are foreigners. In Japan, hanko are used in many situations. In April, when new life begins, many foreigners rush to this stamp store. Although they are bewildered by the Japanese “hanko culture,” these foreigners are trying to follow their dreams and take a new step forward. This 72-hour film looks at the reality of Japan's gradual internationalization from the perspective of a single stamp.

16. Gunma, Isesaki, at the usual food court

Air Date: 2016-05-20

Isezaki, Gunma where the wide plains of the wide area continue forever. Suddenly, a huge shopping mall like a spaceship appeared in the field. This time, the stage is the most crowded place "food court". The price is cheap and you can relax forever, making it a valuable space for many people. There was an unimaginable drama of life when I listened to the voices of the people gathered here. Seventy-two hours of showing various human patterns in the usual food court.

17. The Severely Travelled Highway 439

Air Date: 2016-06-03

National Highway 439 runs from Tokushima across the Shikoku Mountains to Kochi. The road is only 2 meters wide in the mountains and is called “Kudo Yosaku,” which means "terrible road. Fans of Kudoku Road come from all over Japan to enjoy the rugged mountain road, which has a legend of the fallen Heike warriors. Along the 340-kilometer-long “Josaku,” there are people who live on a subsistence diet of wild vegetables, river fish, and even pit vipers. In three days, they will travel along the “Josaku” and encounter the original landscape of Japan.

18. Volcanic Island: Ferry Rides Back and Forth

Air Date: 2016-06-17

This time, we take a look at the Sakurajima Ferry in Kagoshima. The ferry runs 24 hours a day between Kagoshima City and Sakurajima, which is still very active. The 15-minute one-way trip is crowded with commuters from Sakurajima in the morning and with people on their way home from work in the evening. More than 10,000 people a day use the service, which supports the daily lives of the islanders as a means of transportation for daily life and in emergencies. The 24-hour ferry is the stage for a slightly mysterious 72 hours of the day, in which the ordinary and the extraordinary blend together.

19. Asakusa: Adult Roller Coaster

Air Date: 2016-06-24

This time the stage is a roller coaster at Hanayashiki, a long-established amusement park in Asakusa, Tokyo. It has been running for 62 years with a maximum speed of 42 km/h, rattling and creaking, and is gaining popularity for its unique thrill. The most conspicuous visitors are adults. They surrender themselves to the slow ride and cheer as if they are regaining their youth. Why are people drawn to old roller coasters? This 72-hour film looks at a variety of human characters in a slightly mysterious space.

20. Kyoto: Kamo River Delta in Youth

Air Date: 2016-07-01

The setting is the Kamo River Delta, commonly known as “Kamo River Delta,” a relaxing spot located upstream of the Kamo River in Kyoto, Japan. Away from the sightseeing spots, the waterside has been the setting for many novels and movies. Crossing the stepping stones somehow liberates one's mind. Students enjoying their youth, people reminiscing about their younger days.... This 72-hour program will touch the hearts and minds of the people of Kyoto as well as the beautiful spring scenery.

21. Trapped in the Magic of Go

Air Date: 2016-07-08

In Shinjuku Kabukicho, the largest entertainment district in Japan, there is a 24-hour Go club, which is rare in Japan. It has been in business for 34 years, and the sound of Go stones echoes from midnight to early morning. Since it is open 24 hours a day, meals and drinks are served. The extensive menu is just like an izakaya (Japanese-style pub). On weekends, people who have finished work stay over to play Go. What is the drama that unfolds over three days as people are captivated by the magic of Go?

22. Hiroshima: On the Street Corner Waiting for the President

Air Date: 2016-07-15

In May, U.S. President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima for the first time as the incumbent president. How did the people of Hiroshima feel as they welcomed him on this day that caught the attention of all of Japan? The program closely followed the plaza near Peace Memorial Park where people were coming and going. Some were young people who said they had no interest in the event, and others were a couple from Denmark who came to Hiroshima for the occasion. What was the discussion that started late at night in the square? The program brings to light the thoughts and feelings each person had in their hearts on this historic day.

23. Nagoya: Welcome to Retro Cafe

Air Date: 2016-07-22

Anko-filled Ogura toast and a value-priced morning meal. This time, the stage is set for a deep "Nagoya coffee shop. The culture of the tea ceremony has long flourished in Nagoya, and 40% of all restaurants in the city are coffee shops. It is not uncommon to see people spending time with their families early in the morning or visiting several times a day. Once you sit back and relax on the deep red sofa, you are already a Nagoya native at heart. For three days, you can relax in the good old retro atmosphere of a long-established coffee shop located in one of Nagoya's most popular shopping streets.

24. Assault! Secret Internet Auctions

Air Date: 2016-07-28

Internet auctions are where all kinds of goods and services are bought and sold, from used ambulances to grave-services. It has been about 20 years since they first appeared in Japan, and they are now a huge market with more than 100 million transactions a year. Some people are just looking to make some extra money, while others are looking to make a living through auctions for a variety of purposes. What kind of people are using the Internet? For this issue, our team of reporters will go behind the scenes to interview sellers from all over the country! For three days, we will travel through the real world behind the Internet.

25. Brazil: Prayer-Filled Secret Sanctuary

Air Date: 2016-08-04

Brazil is booming with the hosting of the Olympic Games, a symbol of modern capitalism. Behind the backdrop of a developing society, people are said to be entrusting various wishes to traditional “black magic”. In this program, for the first time ever, a Japanese TV station will be in close contact with a “sacred place of witchcraft” located in the suburbs of Sao Paulo. Love, marriages, employment problems.... What do people pray for when faced with problems that cannot be solved no matter how much society develops? This special edition is set in Brazil just before the Olympics.

26. Women's Prisons: The Real Faces of These Women

Air Date: 2016-09-16

Women who have dabbled in methamphetamines, women who have wronged others for a reason.... The number of women who have committed crimes and are in prison has doubled in the past 20 years. How do these women spend their days and what do they think about? This program closely observes Wakayama Women's Prison, one of the largest prisons in Japan with 485 inmates. They work in a factory called “work,” and have leisure time to watch TV. What do the women say at the “parole ceremony” for model prisoners? Three days in a women's prison separated by high walls.

27. Nagasaki: Obon at the Fireworks Store with a Flamboyant Flair

Air Date: 2016-09-23

Once a year, relatives gather to welcome the deceased during “Obon”. Nagasaki's Obon is a very extravagant event. Following the Chinese custom of “using sound to drive away evil spirits,” visitors set off rocket fireworks and firecrackers in front of graves. A child buys only one firework for his grandmother, who took care of him. A man buys 400,000 yen worth of firecrackers to send his father who passed away this year. The program closely follows a long-established fireworks shop in Nagasaki City. What are their feelings for the deceased told through explosions and tears?

28. Fukui: Unattended Ice Shop in Midsummer

Air Date: 2016-09-30

An ice shop in Fukui that is open 24 hours a day, a rarity in Japan. The slowly frozen ice, ranging from huge sheets of ice to ice scraps, has a reputation for being "delicious and melting slowly. In the early morning, the store is crowded with anglers heading to the sea, and in the afternoon with people buying large quantities of ice for summer festivals. At night, bar-goers and drinkers from the nearby downtown area come to the ice shop to buy ice. One new mother of a snack bar says, "I'm getting divorced and I'm going to be independent, so I'm going to use this ice to make a water mix. Three days in summer, touching on “each happiness” born beyond the ice.

29. Big City, in a Park Boiled by Monsters

Air Date: 2016-10-07

This summer, that game where you catch monsters with your smartphone became a big boom. A park in Kinshicho, Tokyo, where many rare monsters appear, is called a “sacred place” and is crowded with people day and night. Adults were playing on their smartphones while children were playing on the playground equipment. Some stayed up all night playing for 10 hours or more, while others were elderly couples on dates, and some even started picking up girls.... Three days spent in a mysterious park in a corner of the big city.

30. Hiratsuka Multinational Butcher Shop

Air Date: 2016-10-14

A butcher store in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa. At first glance, the store looks ordinary, but the meat on the shelves ranges from “cow kidney” to “pig's blood,” all of which are rarely seen. Visitors to the store for its diverse selection range from Peruvians who buy meat in bulk for tens of thousands of yen to Filipino women who prepare meat for their large families. Meat purchased in large quantities is quickly transformed into dishes from various countries in the kitchens. This is a story of people living in a foreign country with a full belly full of meat dishes.

31. Shikoku: At a Small Station by the Sea Only

Air Date: 2016-10-21

From Matsuyama, Shikoku, it takes one hour by a small train. Shimonada Station, a small unmanned station along the Seto Inland Sea, is quietly gaining popularity. It all started with a photo posted on the Internet by a tourist. Men and women, young and old, flock to the station to take in the spectacular view of the endless expanse of sea, with only a roof and a bench standing still. A student uses a self-timer to take a picture of himself slumped over against the setting sun. A man stops by on his way home from work when he feels down. What do people think about at the station where everyone stares at the sea?

32. Twilight Golf Outing

Air Date: 2016-10-28

Located in Adachi Ward, this is one of the largest “golf courses” in Tokyo. Open all night, all year round, and visited by 1,000 people a day, it is not what one would expect of a “rich person's sport,” but rather, a diverse array of visitors. Mothers come to play late at night after their children have gone to bed, and elderly people gather early in the morning. The most conspicuous among them are the men who swing their clubs silently and alone. They say they have no place at home, so what do they put into the ball? 　

33. Dreaming Giant Art Materials Store

Air Date: 2016-11-04

The stage is set at a huge art supply store that boasts the largest selection of art supplies in Japan, from pencils priced at 50 yen each to paints, comic supplies, sculptures, and more. Every day, 4,000 people visit the store, which fills five floors of the building with all kinds of art supplies. A Frenchman who dreams of selling fanzines at Comiket, an aspiring manga artist who has just made his debut, and a man who says, "My family says I'm in the way, but I can't help but draw... In these three days, we will travel through the microcosm of the mind to find out why people feel the need to express something.

34. Tent Village in the Sky in the Northern Alps

Air Date: 2016-11-11

Countless multicolored lights twinkling in the darkness. This is the scenery of a huge tent village in the mountains of the Northern Alps in Nagano, Japan, which appears only during the season of autumn leaves. Some people do not aim for the summit, but simply admire the scenery. A man says, "It was my dream to stay in a tent with my young child. Each of the tents pitched on the rocky terrain at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level was filled with stories of its own.... Three days in the sky, immersed in a “different time”.

35. Midnight Nursery School in Nakasu, Fukuoka

Air Date: 2016-11-18

In Nakasu, Fukuoka, one of the most popular entertainment areas in Japan, there is a daycare center that is open from 7:00 am to 2:00 am in a corner of the town with 2,600 stores. During the day, parents working in the nearby office district drop off their children, and at night, Nakasu's workers, both men and women, visit the nursery constantly. The rush to pick up children at midnight is at midnight. Kappo proprietresses come dressed in kimonos to pick up their children, and single parents work hard to provide for their children. This is a story of parents and their children who live with the support of a small daycare center.

36. Village Chief Election: The Traveling Ballot Box

Air Date: 2016-11-25

In October, a somewhat unusual village chief election was held. Following the nuclear accident, many villagers in Iitate Village, Fukushima Prefecture, were forced to evacuate. To accommodate those scattered across various locations, the ballot box traveled to temporary housing facilities and other sites ahead of the election date. The key issue was whether to lift the evacuation order early and aim for a return to the village. Some voters expressed uncertainty about safety and reluctance to return, while elderly residents expressed concerns about not wanting to see the village come to an end during their lifetime. What were the thoughts of the 5,200 voters reflected in the traveling ballot box?

37. Roppongi Halloween: Confessions of a Mask

Air Date: 2016-12-02

From the world-renowned U.S. President-elect Trump to national anime characters. At the end of October, 20,000 people of various nationalities and ages wandered around the Roppongi intersection during Halloween... Young people wearing masks repeatedly hitting on others. A former pub owner who says, “I made the costume while going to the job center.” Halloween, which naturally emerged in Roppongi, a area with many foreigners, over a decade ago. What are the true faces hidden beneath their costumes?

38. From Okinawa to the World and Back

Air Date: 2016-12-16

In the streets of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, the air is filled with a dozen foreign languages as people dance the samba and hula in the "Worldwide Uchinanchu (Okinawan) Festival." Around 7,300 Okinawan descendants have returned home from around the world to participate. They are those who went abroad for various reasons, some to find work and some driven from their homes after WWII. Others are 2nd and 3rd generations of Okinawans, and have come to learn more about their ancestral roots. We pay a visit to Kokusai Street, the heart of the festival, to listen to their voices.

1. Narita Airport Immigration Checkpoint on Christmas Eve

Air Date: 2017-01-13

Narita Airport on Christmas Day. We spend three days closely observing the immigration checkpoint, where the passports and travel purposes of foreigners arriving in Japan are checked. Young people on vacation visiting their lovers, Nepalese people confused because they don't understand the language. Some are refused entry and have to turn back... As the airport reaches its peak in terms of passenger traffic, efforts to prevent illegal entry and terrorism intensify on Christmas Eve. From this massive human intersection where tens of thousands of people come and go, the current state of the world emerges.

2. Why Omiya? The Café is Waiting

Air Date: 2017-01-20

Omiya in Saitama, where trains connecting the city and the north come and go. Behind the bustling downtown area lies a slightly unusual café. The interior is crammed with mysterious antiques, and all 300 menu items are served in large portions. Customers include friends enjoying the signature spaghetti napolitan, local Saitama residents who love their hometown, and even snack bar staff returning from work. For those from the Tohoku region, it's the gateway to the city, and for those working in the city center, it's a place to relax. This is the story of three days at this mysterious café.

3. The Sounds of Miyazaki's Street Piano

Air Date: 2017-01-27

In the tropical city of Miyazaki, there is a mysterious piano placed in a bustling corner of the city. Anyone can play this “street piano” freely at any time. An elderly man waiting for the bus plays a children's song with one finger, while a young man plays the theme song from a drama. Since it was placed there three years ago with the aim of bringing vitality to the city, this spot has quietly gained popularity. People gather to applaud the music played by a man who has been visiting daily since the piano was installed and practicing on his own. What are the feelings of the people reflected in the piano melodies echoing through the streets?

4. Beppu: A Century of Hot Springs

Air Date: 2017-02-10

Beppu, the hot spring paradise. The stage is a 138-year-old traditional hot spring, known as the face of the city. The hot spring, which has only one old-fashioned, weathered bath, is visited by people enjoying a “bathside meeting” before work, those who came for hot spring therapy and ended up staying, and travelers passing through... In Beppu, where many people do not have baths at home, some visit multiple times a day. For three days, people from around the world gather in search of the ever-constant hot spring water.

5. At a park in Yokosuka with a view of warships

Air Date: 2017-02-17

The setting is a park in Yokosuka with a close-up view of huge warships. Passersby include local residents taking a stroll, families of US military personnel letting their children play, and enthusiasts who come to see the US Navy's Aegis destroyers and Japan Self-Defense Force escort vessels. During the three days in late January when the new President Trump was inaugurated across the sea, we listen to the voices of people moving through this place where “daily life” and “extraordinary events” intertwine.

6. Cheap Underwear: Searching for Warmth

Air Date: 2017-02-24

Tokyo's Kita Ward. A three-day look at a cheap underwear store in a traditional shopping district that attracts 1,000 customers daily. Socks, underwear, and nightwear are priced at an unbeatable 60 yen or 80 yen. Among those who visit daily to enjoy the ever-changing selection are local housewives, a snack bar owner who says, “You really have to be careful about underwear,” and underground idols striving to save money. Women push large carts with excitement, enjoying conversations with staff. Over three days, the underwear they choose reflects the lives of women.

7. Wishing Upon Golden Kushikatsu

Air Date: 2017-03-03

Chiyobo Inari (commonly known as Ochobo-san) is the god of commerce in Gifu Prefecture. There is a kushikatsu restaurant that shines like gold on the crowded approach to the shrine. The shop is decorated in gold from the walls to the tables for good luck, and on some days, it sells 40,000 skewers of katsu at 90 yen each. On the once-a-month all-night operation day, various people visit, from cabaret club staff wishing for business prosperity to clam fishermen praying for a bountiful catch, and single mothers hoping for remarriage. What are the wishes of the people who visit “Ochobo-san” and enjoy the katsu? 　

8. A Walking Path Where You Can See Giraffes

Air Date: 2017-03-10

Since the Kumamoto earthquake in April last year, the zoo has been closed. During the suspension of animal exhibitions, a walking path where you can see giraffes and elephants basking in the sun from outside the zoo has become a popular spot. Residents jogging by to peek through the fence, people visiting regularly to watch the growth of a giraffe born after the disaster, and those sending photos of the animals to family members living far away... Over three days, people sought to regain a sense of normalcy while observing the giraffes and elephants leisurely going about their day.

9. Welcome to Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong

Air Date: 2017-03-17

Hong Kong, a city of the near future. Located on the city's main street is the somewhat suspicious giant building known as Chungking Mansions. Maze-like passageways are lined with currency exchange offices and restaurants, while the upper floors are packed with cheap guesthouses. People from more than 100 countries, including black and Indian people, come and go, making it a veritable giant human intersection. In recent times, with news of anti-immigrant sentiment spreading around the world, this three-day program explores the possibility of coexistence through the diverse community of Chongqing Mansion.

10. The Fateful Seven-Way Intersection

Air Date: 2017-04-07

The stage is a rare “seven-way intersection” in Ota Ward. Seven roads converge here, with bicycles, cars, and pedestrians constantly passing through. With so many roads, traffic lights cannot be installed, yet surprisingly, accidents are rare, perhaps because people naturally yield to one another. At each of the seven corners, various shops—from produce stores to snack bars—line the streets, bustling with people from dawn until late at night. This intersection, known as “Seven Crossroads,” emerged during land reform in the Taisho era. What kind of lives lie beyond these crossroads?

11. Spring at a Bag Store on the Street Corner

Air Date: 2017-04-14

Three days at a long-established bag store in Ameyoko, Tokyo. Parents and children excitedly shopping for school bags, a man choosing a huge bag to hold his survival game gear, and a woman returning from the spring equinox holiday who says, “I'm looking for the last bag of my life as part of my end-of-life preparations...” Stories of people who pack their lives into bags and set out on new journeys during this season of change.

12. A Small Funeral in the City

Air Date: 2017-04-21

Three days at a funeral home near Shin-Yokohama Station. The services they handle are simple, intimate funerals for small groups. People following the will of the deceased who didn't want to burden their family with a large-scale ceremony, and those spending a quiet night with their family in a room within the building... Over the few days leading up to the funeral, the family repeatedly visits the deceased, gradually coming to terms with their feelings. They were present for the final moments with their loved one.

13. Live Camera at the Summit of Mount Kongō

Air Date: 2017-04-28

An hour's drive from Osaka Station, Mount Kongō is equipped with a ropeway and is perfect for casual hiking. Among its attractions, the live camera installed at the summit is particularly popular. The camera takes a photo every hour, capturing the images of hikers on the internet. Some people make it a daily routine to check the camera at a set time, while others visit to show their loved ones back home that they are doing well. Some even strike up friendships with strangers they happen to meet in front of the camera... Over the course of three days, people from all walks of life gather at the summit, each trying to capture a fleeting moment.

14. Yoru no Mori: Sakura Tunnel

Air Date: 2017-05-12

The Yoru no Mori area in Fukushima is famous for its cherry blossoms, with old trees lining a 2.4-kilometer stretch. Since the nuclear accident, few people visit, but in spring, former residents gather and the area bustles with activity for a short time. This year's cherry blossoms are a little special. In April, the evacuation order for part of the “cherry blossom tunnel” was lifted. Some people are returning to the village to restart their lives in sync with the cherry blossoms, but the remaining 80% of the tunnel remains in the “difficult-to-return zone,” where residency is still prohibited. For three days, people gather under the full bloom of the flowers, reminiscing about their hometown.

15. Fabric, Buttons, and Me

Air Date: 2017-05-19

From colorful fabrics to stylish buttons and wigs for cosplay, this large craft store in Shinjuku offers a selection of 500,000 craft and fashion items. People buying Gobelin-woven mats for cherry blossom viewing, a woman spending hours searching for “simple white fabric,” a British man looking for materials for doll clothes... Over three days, people hold small buttons and fabrics in their hands, letting their imaginations run wild.

16. I Tried Zen Temple Training

Air Date: 2017-05-26

Over 1,000 people a year come to this Zen temple in Kyoto to try training. The secret to its popularity is how easy it is to join. You can book from a few thousand yen per night for as many nights as you like, and since it shows up high in internet searches, modern people looking for a quick reset keep coming back. Monastic life runs from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., beginning with meal etiquette, followed by zazen meditation, and work duties (cleaning), creating a continuous series of cultural shocks. What is the mindset of those who seek to reflect on themselves through this somewhat rigorous training?

17. The Secret Marriage Counseling Room

Air Date: 2017-06-02

On one floor of a building in Shinjuku, awkward conversations between men and women can be heard from booths partitioned off like a net cafe... These “private room-style marriage counseling rooms” have been popular for about 10 years. Parties tailored to specific needs, such as “for plus-size women,” “for women who want to become mothers within three years,” and “for otaku,” are held one after another. The program delves into the true feelings of the men and women who visit, such as “I want to do marriage counseling without others overhearing my conversations” and “I want to have both a fulfilling career and personal life.”

18. Let's Meet at the Mosque in Shibuya, Tokyo

Air Date: 2017-06-09

In a residential area of Shibuya, Tokyo, mysterious sounds can be heard from a pure white dome. This is Japan's largest mosque, “Tokyo Camii.” Those who visit include Bangladeshi sushi chefs, Turkish kebab shop owners, and Japanese women drawn to the unique culture of Islam. Among them, Friday is a sacred day. Over 500 people gather from across the Kanto region, and after prayers, they enjoy free meals while engaging in lively conversations. In the corner of the city, people from dozens of countries come together in this mysterious mosque for three days.

19. Enticed by the Gentle Movement of Jellyfish

Air Date: 2017-06-16

Along the Sea of Japan coast in Yamagata Prefecture, there is an aquarium known for having one of the world's largest collections of jellyfish. Among them, the most popular attraction is a 5-meter-diameter tank containing 5,000 moon jellyfish. While watching the jellyfish float like stars in space, a high school student dreams of a future building rockets. Another person stares at baby jellyfish for 30 minutes straight. At night, some people participate in the “Overnight Aquarium” program, spending the night inside the aquarium. What kind of feelings do people have for jellyfish, which float aimlessly without brains or hearts?

20. Solo Truck Journey: Blown by the Wind

Air Date: 2017-06-30

In Tosu, Kyushu, where large trucks come and go, there is a place where drivers gather in a city lined with large warehouses. A “truck station” with parking for large vehicles, dining facilities, and baths. The voices heard there are unexpected. “Though it's often seen as a ‘black industry,’ after driving for four hours, a 30-minute break is mandatory.” “In the past, we used to drive non-stop, but now the company doesn't allow it, so our take-home pay keeps decreasing.” Over three days at this key logistics hub, we reflect on working conditions and the fulfillment of the job.

21. The Closed Room in the Sky: The Rooftop Ferris Wheel

Air Date: 2017-07-07

On the rooftop of a department store in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, there is a Ferris wheel that every citizen knows. It takes 15 minutes to complete one full rotation, and once you reach the top, you can see the entire city. Visitors include high school students during exam periods, young people who have decided to work outside the prefecture, and an elderly woman living alone who always stops by while shopping. Why are people drawn to this mysterious closed space where they simply go up and come down? A 15-minute drama unfolds as each person spends their time as they please.

22. Kitakyushu Kokura ‘100 Yen Bar’ Blues

Air Date: 2017-07-14

Kitakyushu City has prospered as a steel town. The bar is located on a slightly retro and slightly shady street off the entertainment district. At the center of the bar is a machine that automatically pours alcohol. Amazingly, it's only 100 yen per drink. Attracted by the cheap, well-chilled drinks, the 24-hour establishment is bustling with unique patrons. A frugal couple discussing their future. A man who has escaped the underworld, savoring ordinary happiness—. From the tables piled with coins, the blues of each individual echoes.

23. Giant Housing Complex: Hello and Goodbye at a Secondhand Shop

Air Date: 2017-07-21

Tama New Town, located in the suburbs of Tokyo, is home to over 200,000 people. The setting for this episode is a giant secondhand shop with a sales floor area of 1,500 tsubo (approximately 5,000 square meters) towering over the center of the town. Most of the 600,000 items filling the floor are things that have been brought in because they are no longer needed. From brand-new trendy items to a father's heirlooms, music equipment filled with memories of youth, and a “takoyaki maker” once enjoyed with children—each item holds a story. What do people think when they let go of these items?

24. The Elderly Care Facility with a View of the Sea

Air Date: 2017-07-28

The elderly care facility is located on a hill overlooking the sea in Kanagawa Prefecture. With an average age of 84, over 450 residents live quiet lives here. Some have spent over 30 years here. A 90-year-old former engineer says, “I never expected to live this long.” A 90-year-old couple who met after losing their spouses. An 80-year-old woman who dedicated her life to work now spends her days alone on the sofa, watching people come and go. In the era of a 100-year lifespan, the question arises: “What is happiness?”

25. The Never-Sleeping Restaurant in the Mountains

Air Date: 2017-08-25

Along a national highway running through the Chinese mountains. Late at night, there is a mysterious family restaurant that glows with seven colors. The exterior is said to be modeled after a “bandit's fortress,” with bold cuisine and flashy decorations. They use every trick in the book to entertain their customers. During the day, the restaurant is bustling with families, but at night, it transforms completely. Young people are drawn to the lights and gather one after another. Locally, it is said that once you get your driver's license, this is the first restaurant you should visit. What is the reason people go out of their way to cross the mountains to visit?

26. Summer Koshien: Another Youth

Air Date: 2017-09-01

Summer Koshien. In Fukuoka, where strong teams abound, the prefectural East Chiku High School secured the representative spot for the first time in 21 years. Expecting a lively atmosphere, I headed to the town where the school is located for the first game. A barbershop that has been cutting the hair of baseball players for over 30 years. A couple who purchased an apartment with a view of the field to watch practice. A former baseball team member who works at a local bank, wiping sweat from his brow as he visits clients. What does the players' battle bring to the town? On the day of the decisive match, another drama unfolds.

27. Midsummer Akita: Longing for Baba's Ice Cream

Air Date: 2017-09-15

It's the height of summer in Akita. From supermarket parking lots and national highways to tourist spots and even rocky areas where no one goes, colorful parasol stalls suddenly appear all over the prefecture. What they sell is ice cream served by women called “baba” using spatulas, commonly known as “baba-hera.” With over 50 years of history, Baba Hera is a summer tradition in Akita. What do people returning home for Obon think of this nostalgic taste of their hometown? A three-day documentary following the elusive Baba.

28. WheWhen Men Polish Their Shoes

Air Date: 2017-09-22

Tokyo's Yurakucho district, bustling with businessmen. Here, there is a now-rare “street shoe polishing” shop. Under the skilled hands of the craftsmen, even the most worn-out shoes can be polished to a shine in just 10 minutes. The reasons why men obsess over the shine of their shoes vary. There are salesmen who want to make a good impression on clients by dressing stylishly, men who bring in shoes given to them as gifts by their wives, and those who believe that shoes are a “mirror reflecting a man's pride.” A three-day exploration of the lives of men today, viewed from the soles of their shoes.

29. The Base Town Adult Rock Festival

Air Date: 2017-09-29

Fussa, Tokyo, home to the U.S. military's Yokota Air Base. In this area where American culture has taken root through music and fashion, there is a rock festival that has been going on for over 30 years. What sets it apart from other festivals is that the musicians performing on stage are a bit older. Most are in their 40s to 60s and work locally. What do the young people who once shouted “Love & Peace” shout now? What do their songs bring to the audience? A three-day documentary on a handmade rock festival at the end of summer.

30. Born to be Wild: Motorcyclists' Road to Happiness

Air Date: 2017-10-06

Riding a motorcycle might be hot in summer and cold in winter, but many riders would never consider any other mode of transport. Some even cut back on buying a daily coffee to save money for their bike. There is a large parts store in Tokyo where riders come to seek new accessories or simply to show off their prized vehicle. Among the steady stream of riders drawn to this store are a 75-year-old man who started a part-time job to buy a new bike, a hydroelectric power plant engineer whose career was inspired by a bike, and a man who liked bikes so much he became a courier on 2 wheels. For 3 days, we spoke to these people about why they can't get enough of their motorcycles.

31. Life Without a Smartphone

Air Date: 2017-10-20

Could you get by if your smartphone stopped working? Our stage this time is a smartphone repair shop in Shibuya, Tokyo. The customers range from a young man wanting to restore precious photos of a summer spent with friends, to a female student worried about being unable to contact anyone. Their phones are filled with personal connections and the memories of daily life. What do they choose to save? What connections are most valuable to them? We spend 3 days filming this repair shop to catch a glimpse of what people keep on their phones.

32. Kyoto's Too Quiet Library

Air Date: 2017-10-27

Kyoto welcomes the autumn holiday. The setting is a library in a tourist area where talking is strictly prohibited. People head to their booths, maintaining absolute silence. Their reasons vary. Some are striving to survive in a rapidly changing industry. Others dream of finding new employment. Even elementary school students have clear future goals... Regulars who have been coming for over a decade say there's an odd sense of camaraderie among strangers. They want to be alone, but they don't want to be lonely. From the quietest place in program history, we glimpse the “distance modern people keep from loneliness.”

33. Spain's Canary Islands: Tuna Fishermen's Short Vacation

Air Date: 2017-11-03

The Canary Islands are located 10,000 kilometers away from Japan. In September, Japanese-registered tuna fishing boats dock at the island's port. They repair their boats and refuel in preparation for fishing in the North Atlantic. The fishermen eagerly await their first vacation on land in months. The island offers a variety of restaurants open late into the night. For fishermen who lead a harsh life at sea, this is a precious time to relax and recover from their travels. The program follows the fishermen from their arrival in Japan and around the world until they set sail again three days later.

34. “See You Again at the English Conversation School

Air Date: 2017-11-10

An English conversation school in Osaka's Umeda district that prides itself on one-on-one instruction. From the rows of booths, you can hear the slightly awkward English of people with various goals. A salaryman who was suddenly ordered to transfer overseas and started attending in a hurry. Others who believe that mastering English will lead to changes in themselves and their lives. Globalization, reforms in English education, the Tokyo Olympics... As the distance between people and English continues to shrink, we follow three days in the lives of those seeking their own unique paths.

35. Guest House: A 3,000 Yen Per Night Oasis

Air Date: 2017-11-17

3,000 yen per night. The setting is a low-cost accommodation facility called a “guest house.” Located in Kawasaki, this guest house can accommodate 200 people and is easily accessible to the city center. It is not only popular with travelers but also with working people. Construction workers moving between sites in the developing city center. Job seekers aiming for full-time employment using the guesthouse as a base. People who miss the last train after a drinking party and choose not to go home even though they have a place to stay. A space of about two tatami mats separated by curtains. This program delves into the guesthouse where diverse lives intersect.

36. Muscle Stiffness

Air Date: 2017-11-24

Saitama City, a bedroom community with a population of 1.3 million. At a “massage parlor” in a residential area, customers with tired bodies rush in day and night. The causes of their muscle stiffness vary. An elderly woman overwhelmed by caring for her grandchild. A delivery driver constantly pressured by speed and efficiency. A regular customer who says that simply being touched by someone gives them the energy to move forward. What are the causes of both physical and mental stiffness? Over three days, we listened to the honest murmurs that slipped out from the comfort of the space.

37. “One More Copy Tonight: 24-Hour Print Shop

Air Date: 2017-12-01

In today's increasingly digital world, there is a place that consumes more than 10,000 sheets of paper a day. It is a 24-hour print shop in Ikebukuro. Offering complex printing services like posters and bookbinding that are difficult for individuals to handle, the shop attracts a steady stream of customers day and night. Businesspeople rush in to print important presentation materials, while regular customers come to add to their end-of-life notes as a hobby. What is it they want to convey or leave behind? The thoughts and feelings embedded in each printed item.

38. Ogasawara Islands: Weekly Delivery Service

Air Date: 2017-12-08

The setting is Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara Islands, a 24-hour boat ride from Tokyo. The approximately 2,000 islanders look forward to the weekly delivery service. Thanks to the rapid expansion of online shopping, even this island, 1,000 kilometers from the mainland, receives all kinds of goods. Recently, the number of people moving to Chichijima from the city has been increasing. Who receives what items? For approximately three days until the deliveries are completed, we follow the delivery truck closely. We look into the lives of the people behind the small packages.

39. Bento Tales from a Northern Fishing Town

Air Date: 2017-12-15

When the herring season starts and winter's icy grip tightens on northern Japan, the locals in the fishing town of Nemuro turn to a convenience store offering warming, satisfying meals with a difference. The 24-hour store close to the port is busy day and night as customers are seduced by its freshly baked bread and extensive range of handmade bento meals. It even sells 150 servings of its signature grilled meat "yakitori" bento each day. Nemuro boasts Japan's largest catches of saury, but the 2017 season was hit by a record-breaking poor haul. What are customers thinking about as they reach for a piping-hot bento at this convenience store? For 3 days, we listened to their personal stories at a store that warms the hearts of many people in Nemuro.

1. Shinjuku Hanazono Shrine: Dreams Come True at Night

Air Date: 2018-01-12

Hanazono Shrine is located near Kabukicho in Shinjuku. In late November, just before the end of the year, the shrine grounds are bustling with activity. This is the “Tori no Ichi” festival, which attracts 600,000 visitors every year. People purchase rakes symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. As their businesses expand, companies continue to buy larger rakes each year. A self-made businessman says, “It's for peace of mind.” Families entrust their modest dreams to small rakes. Over three days, we listen to the wishes of merchants at this Shinjuku shrine, which has weathered the economic storms.

2. The Never-Sleeping Bakery: A Gift for Christmas Eve

Air Date: 2018-01-19

In a residential area in Koto Ward, Tokyo, is a bakery open 24 hours a day. Their Danish Bread, rich with butter and fresh cream, sells over 1,000 loaves each day. Many people come to buy this bread not only for themselves, but as gifts for others as well. From people sending it as a casual present to friends and family, to businessmen buying it as a thank-you gift, we spend 3 days looking at who buys this sweet, delicious bread.

3. Tsugaru Strait New Year's Eve Ferry

Air Date: 2018-01-26

It's midwinter at Tsugaru Strait, where a huge ferry connects the 120 kilometers between Aomori Prefecture and Hakodate, Hokkaido. With showers, a game center and even suite rooms with beds, the spacious ferry can carry 600 passengers. At the end of each year, crowds of people head back to their hometowns on this boat. From a father living away from his family for work, to a couple excited about their new life together, everyone has a different reason for crossing the strait. We spend 3 days traveling between Aomori and Hakodate, and take a look at the stories of the people we meet.

4. Legendary Game Center: Adults' Battles

Air Date: 2018-02-02

In Tokyo's Takadanobaba district, there is a game center known as “the gamers' holy land.” On weekdays, 500 people visit, and on weekends, up to 1,000 game enthusiasts gather. What catches the eye are the rows of fighting games. Strangers engage in intense battles, and a strange sense of camaraderie fills the store. A salaryman who wants to feel the thrill of “winning or losing.” A woman who says, “The serious battles transcending age and gender are irresistible.” Three days following the unknown battles of gamers.

5. COOL! Downtown Asakusa Batting Center

Air Date: 2018-03-02

Just a short walk from Asakusa's Kaminarimon Gate, there's a new hotspot that's been getting more and more visitors over the past few years. It's a batting center with a giant glove sculpture as its landmark. For some reason, it's popular with foreigners too, with hundreds of people coming every day to the small space with only five batting cages. A man who visits for health reasons swings the bat at both left and right batting cages, saying, “Even if I miss, it's okay.” Next to him, a group of foreigners experiencing the batting cages for the first time cheer with each pitch. Discovering Cool Japan in an unexpected place, exploring its charm.

6. Shibuya: Spring Flowers and Bartering

Air Date: 2018-03-16

What kind of people and things will you encounter if you take a single flower into town and continue bartering with people you meet by chance for three days? This time, we challenge a “72-hour bartering journey.” A young man aspiring to be an actor brings out a teapot he has used for 10 years. A YouTuber says, “I want to keep doing what I love.” A young man who brought out a brand-new notebook—what was he planning to write in it? The unexpected dramas revealed through bartering. What will he end up with after 72 hours?

7. A Park Where Dreams Take Wing

Air Date: 2018-04-06

Located near Narita International Airport, Sakuranoyama Park offers visitors close-up views of planes arriving at and taking off from this major gateway to Japan. At times, several hundred people visit the park each day to catch awe-inspiring glimpses of huge aircraft flying overhead. Among the visitors were avid photographers, an elderly man who has never been on a plane, and a man fondly recalling the days when he flew all over the country on business trips. People at the park superimpose their own lives and dreams on the planes flying to distant corners of the world. For 3 days in early spring, a season for new beginnings, we listened to the stories of park visitors gazing at the planes up in the sky.

8. Metropolitan Rat Patrol

Air Date: 2018-04-13

We followed a rat extermination company in Tokyo. In early spring, they receive as many as 1,000 requests per month and work around the clock to exterminate rats. Calls come in from restaurants in bustling areas, apartments, schools, hospitals, and even temples and embassies. In severe cases, rats chewing on wires can cause phone and internet outages. The “rat problem” is said to be exacerbated by redevelopment projects and vacant housing issues. This report follows the exterminators as they work to address the issue, offering a glimpse into “Tokyo today.”

9. Searching for Spring in Tohoku: Traveling Along National Route 45

Air Date: 2018-04-20

Route 45, a national highway that snakes along the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region, is a vital link between areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Starting on the disaster's 7th anniversary, we travel from south to north to meet people living near this road. Over 3 days, we talk to people including an elderly woman taking a break near the spot where her house once stood, and a researcher who moved from Tokyo to study Tohoku's natural environment. Reconstruction is progressing well in some areas, but not so in others. As signs of the long-awaited spring appear, what thoughts are on the minds of residents here?

10. Street Corner Legal Consultation Office

Air Date: 2018-04-27

This time, the setting is a “legal consultation office.” People with problems they cannot solve on their own rush to the consultation office in Shinjuku, Tokyo. From serious concerns involving money, such as “I am troubled by high charges on the internet but cannot talk to my family about it” and “My relationship with my neighbor has deteriorated due to noise problems,” to domestic disputes. The issues brought to the lawyers reveal the pitfalls of daily life and the fragility of human relationships. Over three days, we examine modern society through the lens of the issues that flood the city.

11. Traveling Beauty Salon

Air Date: 2018-05-11

“Beauty salon delivery” is rapidly expanding. “Visiting beauty services” provide haircuts and perms at the homes of people who find it difficult to go out, such as those in nursing care facilities. Mothers who say, “At least during my time at the beauty salon, I can be selfish,” and elderly people who bring photos from their youth to request their favorite hairstyles. When they see themselves with neatly styled hair, their expressions soften. Despite their aging bodies and daily fatigue, these people wish to be beautiful. This program explores the hope that lies beyond “beauty.”

12. Running Library to the Island and Mountains

Air Date: 2018-05-18

A truck carrying approximately 2,800 books travels around Matsuyama City. It is a “mobile library” with over 40 years of history. It crosses the sea by ferry from the sparsely populated mountainous areas to the island, delivering books to the people. While mobile libraries have become rare nationwide, for some reason, the number of users in Matsuyama is increasing. A couple who started visiting after retirement to find a hobby. Elderly people who come because they “want to keep learning.” Who borrows what books? We follow the mobile library closely to explore the drama surrounding books.

13. Spring Japan Sea: Waiting for Firefly Squid”

Air Date: 2018-05-25

For a few days in spring, the normally quiet fishing town of Toyama Prefecture becomes festive as people gather from throughout the country. Their goal: to await the firefly squid. Around the new moon, when conditions are right, the squid will inundate the coast in massive numbers, covering the nighttime shore in their dazzling pale blue light. With baskets and nets in hand, young and old alike wait in the darkness with determination. Will they see the miraculous sight of the squid? We spend 3 spring days with them, waiting for the arrival of the squid.

14. Osaka, Nishinari: 24-Hour Family Restaurant

Air Date: 2018-06-01

Nishinari, Osaka, is undergoing redevelopment. In one corner of the town, there is a restaurant that has been open 24 hours a day for over 40 years. The restaurant's selling points are its large portions and its attentive owner and manager. Customers come here to talk about their complaints and worries to the two of them. A male temporary worker who came to Nishinari in search of work. A single mother struggling with childcare. A man who once worked part-time at this restaurant says he hopes his children will also work someday. Human dramas unfold across the small counter.

15. The Joys and Sorrows of 1-Yen Pachinko

Air Date: 2018-06-08

Along the national highway near Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, there is an area densely packed with pachinko parlors. Inside, rows of low-cost pachinko machines, such as “1-yen pachinko,” line the floors. A 70-year-old woman who moved in with her son's family after the earthquake but started playing pachinko because she felt uncomfortable at home. A man job-hunting who says, “Pachinko doesn't require talking to people.” Some spend the day in the rest area without even approaching the machines. The world of pachinko, incomprehensible to outsiders. Listening to the whispers amid the clamor.

16. The Women on the Cosmetics Floor

Air Date: 2018-06-15

Sales at department stores have been sluggish in recent years, but the stores' cosmetics sections are providing a ray of light with their robust growth. In 2017, sales at these sections jumped 17% from the previous year and topped 500 billion yen. Each day, about 2,000 customers buy their preferred makeup products at one long-established department store in Nagoya offering an array of famous brands. These customers include an 88-year-old company executive who never goes without makeup, a young woman setting on a new path in life by changing her job and her makeup, and an art dealer who considers cosmetics to be a vital part of her "combat uniform" worn during business battles. How do women want to present themselves and to be seen? For 3 days, we watched the customers quietly – but excitedly – finding their ideal makeup.

17. People Gathering at Akita's ‘Hot Spring of Life’

Air Date: 2018-06-22

Akita's secret hot spring, Tamagawa Onsen, is said to heal various illnesses. Upon entering, a barren landscape of rocks unfolds, with steam and hydrogen sulfide gas emanating from various points. Many of those who visit here are cancer patients undergoing treatment. People from across the country spend about a week here for rock bath therapy. Their expressions and conversations carry a certain brightness. Having come to this place to heal their illnesses, they eventually confront the question of “why and for whom they live” through repeated visits.

18. Backflip Class: Jump Toward Tomorrow!

Air Date: 2018-07-13

A full rotation backward. The setting is a “backflip class,” which is currently gaining popularity. Mixed in with the children are office workers and housewives struggling on the mats after work. A man in his 40s who has always admired Jackie Chan. A father who wants to show off to his daughter. A young woman who started attending because she thought it might be useful for her job. If you can do a backflip, will your life turn around? Three days at this slightly unusual class.

19. The Japan Derby Grand Parade

Air Date: 2018-07-20

The Japanese Derby is an annual race that draws over 100,000 spectators. Many fans start lining up near the entrances to Tokyo Racecourse several days – the first ones more than a week – before the race, which lasts just two and a half minutes. Among those lining up are a man for whom the racetrack brings back happy memories of his late wife, and a man who recently quit his job due to office politics. As the clock ticks down to the race, a special sense of unity develops among those waiting in line. What do they think about, and how do they spend their time, during the tremendously long wait?

20. Transporting Lives: The Relocation of a Large Hospital

Air Date: 2018-07-27

We cover an old hospital, built in the year of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as it moves to a new building. The new hospital is only 250 meters away, but to ensure treatment is uninterrupted, all patients must be moved in a single day. What's more, the movement of beds and medical machines must also follow a tight schedule, transferred to the new building one truckload at a time. In preparation for this day, the doctors and nurses started holding meetings over 6 months before. Just how will this massive project turn out?

21. Goodbye! My Beloved Department Store

Air Date: 2018-08-03

In June, a long-established department store beloved by the local community in Nagoya closed its doors after 75 years of history. Once the largest department store in western Japan in terms of sales floor area, it had fallen on hard times after the bubble economy collapsed. Regular customers lamented the closure of the store they had grown accustomed to. Meanwhile, many employees were left with uncertain futures, harboring mixed feelings. Most customers described the store as “friendly,” and for citizens, it was “a place that had always been there.” We follow the final three days leading up to the closure, as the store prepares to close its doors.

22. Tokyo Bay Midsummer Sea Fishing Park

Air Date: 2018-08-24

In a corner of a major industrial zone on Tokyo Bay sits a park from which people can fish at any time of the day or night. More than 20 kinds of fish, including horse mackerel and sea bass, can be caught from the waterfront park, which attracts fishing fans around the clock. Among the people who come to drop a line in the water are a shipyard worker from the Philippines, a freelance illustrator hoping to catch a big fish with her brand-new fishing rod, and a young man who has worked in construction since he was a teenager to support his family and dreams of becoming a photographer. For 3 days in July, as Tokyo sweltered in record-breaking heat, we asked the people at this park about why they went fishing there.

23. Kanmon Strait Undersea Tunnel

Air Date: 2018-08-31

It is 780 meters long, dead straight and has few distinguishing features, but the undersea pedestrian tunnel running 60 meters underneath the Kanmon Straits in southwestern Japan attracts a steady stream of visitors. Many people use the tunnel to travel between Fukuoka Pref. and Yamaguchi Pref., but others have different purposes in mind. The visitors are diverse: from a woman in her 20's who brought her boyfriend to the tunnel that is filled with childhood memories, a man who comes to secretly train for a marathon, to a woman who walks there every week with old friends no matter how busy she is. What draws them to this nondescript tunnel that remains unchanged, day after day? We spend 3 days looking at who walks through this underground passage.

24. Coast Guard Academy

Air Date: 2018-09-07

Coast Guard officers protect Japan's maritime security. They enforce regulations against illegal fishing and sometimes rescue people from danger, acting as the “police of the sea.” The school that trains these officers is the setting for this program. At the academy in Maizuru, Kyoto, more than 500 men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 live together in a communal setting. These young people train rigorously day and night. A teenager who has dreamed of becoming a Coast Guard officer since childhood. A woman who is working hard to overcome her dislike of swimming. At the end of July, when long-distance swimming training takes place, we get a glimpse into the lives of the “Sea Monkey” candidates.

25. Surviving the Summer with Fresh Juice

Air Date: 2018-09-21

Shimbashi, Tokyo, where office workers thrive. When they need refreshment, they head to a local, long-running juice stand. Ingredients range from peach and watermelon, to turmeric and aloe. Over 150 customers come each day, seeking colorful juice made with seasonal fruits and vegetables. A businessman rushes in before a negotiation, a woman in her 30's comes by to care hungover. Another man, in his 70's, has been a regular customer since before he retired. We spend 3 days in this oasis, listening to the thoughts of people who come here for a break.

26. From the Remittance Office with Love

Air Date: 2018-09-28

Our stage this time is a remittance office in Okubo, Tokyo, where 40% of the population is international. Foreign workers visit this office in an endless stream, where money can be sent to 150 different countries for a fee of about 1,000 yen. An Indonesian woman sends tuition money for her sister's children, while a man from Africa transfers money to fly his son in to live with him. We listen to customers' stories as they send money, and love, to the people they hold dear.

27. To Shibuya, the ‘Holy Land of Amura

Air Date: 2018-10-05

On September 16, the “Princess of the Heisei Era,” Namie Amuro, retired. At the fashion building in Shibuya once known as the “holy land of Amura,” a special shop opened, attracting large crowds of fans every day. Many of them were women in their 30s and 40s. Even those who once wore platform boots now lead busy lives juggling work and childcare. A former Amura nurse and single mother raising two children. What kind of lives have these women, who say they were inspired by Amuro-chan, led?

28. Hakodate's Hamburgers of Happiness

Air Date: 2018-10-26

About 5 million people visit Hakodate in Hokkaido Prefecture, but in recent years this picturesque northern city has become known for another down-to-earth attraction: a hamburger restaurant that offers huge servings. Its unique hamburgers include fillings such as deep-fried chicken and crumbed pork cutlets. Many customers who come for a hearty lunch get so full that they do not need to eat dinner. Although Hakodate often tops surveys of attractive places to visit, the city also suffers from a falling population and high unemployment rate. For 3 days, we asked customers at this restaurant that has been loved by locals for decades about what they define as happiness.

29. Tokyo Station: Meet me at the "Silver Bell"

Air Date: 2018-11-02

Each day, more than 1.8 million people pass through Tokyo Station. For 50 years, the Gin-no-suzu (silver bell) waiting area inside the station has been a popular landmark and a favorite spot to meet up with others. Countless reunions and farewells take place under this huge bell that adorns the center of the waiting area. The people waiting there include a group of elderly men who meet there on each other's birthdays before heading off to celebrate, and far-flung fans of a pop band who met online and are going to a concert together. But for some, finding Gin-no-suzu inside the sprawling station is not so easy and rendezvous plans do not work out as expected. For 3 days, we talked to the people waiting at this iconic spot -- and to the people they were meeting.

30. Farewell to Tsukiji Market: At the Usual Standing Soba Noodle Shop

Air Date: 2018-11-09

Last month, Tsukiji Market closed its doors after 83 years of history. The setting is a standing soba noodle shop located on a street outside the market. Despite the early morning darkness, the shop is packed with people. Men working at the market are slurping down soba noodles in preparation for the upcoming auction, heading off to work. Some have lived in Tsukiji for years, while others have ended up there for various reasons. What kind of place was Tsukiji Market for these workers? Over the final three days, we listen in at a nearby soba shop.

31. 3,333 Steps: Beyond Japan's Longest Stone Staircase

Air Date: 2018-11-16

In the quiet mountains of Kumamoto lies a stone staircase that is 2.1 kilometers long, with 3,333 steps to the summit, making it the longest in Japan. It takes an average adult about an hour and a half to climb. People gather here for various reasons, choosing to challenge themselves with this arduous task. A hairdresser who was entrusted with managing the shop. A group of university students who took different paths after graduation. A regular man who makes multiple trips up and down the stairs in a single day... People pushing their limits with grim expressions. Three days of facing the 3,333-step stone staircase.

32. Shiga/Kusatsu Giant Parking Area

Air Date: 2018-11-30

One hour by car from Osaka toward Nagoya and Tokyo. The stage is the Shiga/Kusatsu Parking Area, which boasts the largest parking space in western Japan. With facilities such as a 24-hour food court, gas station, and coin-operated showers, approximately 10,000 people stop here every day to take a break. Young people repeatedly hitchhike in search of “something.” A man returning home after 30 years... People with various circumstances along the way. Where do they come from, and where are they heading?

33. New Town Home Center: DIY Enthusiasts

Air Date: 2018-12-07

Our stage this time is one of the largest home centers in Japan, located in a suburb east of Tokyo. From daily necessities to building and gardening materials, every product imaginable can be found here. A couple with a shared love of DIY (Do It Yourself) pick out lumber to rebuild a fence destroyed in a typhoon. Meanwhile, a woman working in rehabilitation looks for materials to make a device to help a patient. We listen to the stories of these people as they attempt to improve their lives through DIY.

34. Hiroshima Workwear Store

Air Date: 2018-12-14

The stage is set at a workwear store in Hiroshima frequented by craftsmen from various industries. The store offers sturdy, user-friendly tools and denim workwear, which is currently popular. A man who runs an interior design company orders workwear embroidered with his company name and name. “The embroidery on the chest serves as my business card,” he says. While a veteran struggles with labor shortages at construction sites, a young person from a completely different industry has chosen the path of carpentry. In an era where “how we work” is being questioned, we asked those who sometimes face danger while working, “What does it mean to work?”

1. Shinjuku Music Studio: Why We Formed a Band

Air Date: 2019-01-11

The setting is a 24-hour music studio in Shinjuku. Not only amateur musicians, but people of all ages and occupations come here. Office workers gather after work to prepare for a colleague's wedding reception. A group of housewives who used to be in a “girls' band.” Young people who are shy around others but love to sing. Who are they, what are their motivations, and what songs do they play? We spend three days immersed in the loud studio.

2. Sendai: Seeking Connections at the ‘Seating Lounge

Air Date: 2019-01-18

The setting is Sendai's “co-seating lounge,” where people of various ages and occupations gather in search of love. A 30-something office worker who has dated before but struggles to maintain a relationship. A college student who finds it difficult to talk to men and comes to practice conversation. In an era where social media makes it easy to connect with others, they lament the lack of opportunities to meet new people. What kind of connections are they seeking? A three-day love game between men and women around Christmas.

3. Narita Airport's Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Terminal

Air Date: 2019-01-25

Narita International Airport at the end of the year. We take a close look at the “Third Terminal,” which opened in 2015 and is dedicated to low-cost carriers (LCCs). The distance from the Second Terminal, which has a nearby station, is about 600 meters. Moving around with a lot of luggage can be difficult, but the low cost, which is about half the price of regular flights, has made it popular, and the number of passengers has been increasing every year. The departure lobby, which also features a food court, is open 24 hours a day and sees approximately 20,000 people pass through daily. As the final year of the Heisei era comes to a close, where are all these people heading with their budget tickets in hand?

4. Winter Camping Ground with a View of Mount Fuji

Air Date: 2019-02-01

On the first weekend of the new year, we visited a campground at the foot of Mount Fuji. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, people kept arriving and setting up tents. Winter camping is popular because “the air is clear and the scenery is beautiful” and “there are no bugs.” A company employee came alone for “solo camping.” A 50-year-old veteran camper showed off his favorite gear. The campground is buzzing with excitement over the boom that has returned after more than 20 years. What are everyone's thoughts as they gaze at Mount Fuji?

5. Winter in Tokyo: Taiyaki Elegy

Air Date: 2019-02-15

The redevelopment of the area around the station in Yotsuya, Tokyo, is progressing. In an alley off the main street, there is a small taiyaki shop that has been in business for 60 years. Every day, dozens of people line up, and the colder it gets, the longer the line becomes. The flavor is “grain-based red bean paste” only. The taiyaki, baked using the same mold that has been in use since the shop's founding, sells for 150 yen per piece, with 2,500 pieces sold daily. As Tokyo undergoes constant transformation at the end of the Heisei era, this traditional taiyaki shop continues to operate without changing its style. What kind of people, with what kind of thoughts, enjoy eating it?

6. Bartering in Dotonbori, Osaka

Air Date: 2019-02-22

In Osaka's Dotonbori district, what kind of people and things will you encounter if you spend three days bartering with passersby while holding a doll of the “god of luck”? A Frenchman who fell in love with the warmth of Osaka and decided to stay. A university women's soccer team on their graduation trip to Osaka. A elementary school student and his father heading to a national karate tournament... From one item to another, people who were never meant to connect begin to connect. After 72 hours, where will the “God of Good Fortune” end up?

7. Asahikawa Lottery Ticket Sales Office: Dreams Seen in a Blizzard

Air Date: 2019-03-01

A lottery ticket sales office in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Despite sub-zero temperatures, people continue to flock to the office. This is a “legendary sales office” known for producing many big winners. Over its 70-year history, it has produced 38 millionaires, with total winnings exceeding 10 billion yen. In the past, there was a 50 million yen winning ticket hidden among the losing tickets, and there was also a small business owner who won 10 million yen just before his company went bankrupt. What kind of dreams do people entrust to the lottery? The story of those who dream of striking it rich.

8. A Realtor in Fukuoka: Opening the Door to New Lives

Air Date: 2019-03-15

This episode focuses on a small real estate agency near Fukuoka Prefecture's Nakasu entertainment district, the biggest in Kyushu. Despite being tucked away on the 3rd floor of a multitenant building and displaying no signage, this agency receives a steady stream of customers who have seen its online listings. This agency offers everything from dirt-cheap apartments where monthly rent costs less than 20,000 yen (about US $180) to commercial properties seeking new tenants. The growing range of properties handled by this real estate agency reflects the recent increase in Fukuoka's population. Moving to a new apartment or home can herald the start of a new chapter in life. What sort of people come to this real estate agency, and why do they want to rent a place?

9. Close-up! Giant Job Fair

Air Date: 2019-04-12

In February, we took a close look at the “Giant Job Fair” held in Tokyo. Over 300 companies participated during the three-day event, attracting over 10,000 job seekers from across the country. People considering a career change due to the gap between their ideal job and reality, those who left abusive companies, and those forced to change their work hours due to family circumstances—the reasons for attending varied widely. For companies, it was a fierce competition for talented individuals. They desperately promoted their company's potential. Over the three days, the fair supported people standing at a crossroads in their lives as they took their “next step.”

10. Osaka Ferry: A One-Minute Journey Through Life

Air Date: 2019-04-19

The bay area of Osaka City, surrounded by rivers and canals. This episode focuses on the city-operated ferry. The fare is free, and it serves as an indispensable mode of transportation for local students and factory workers. A woman says she uses it to visit her tea-drinking friends. Someone uses it daily to care for their parents. A foreigner mentions heading to a night shift. Amidst the diverse daily lives of its passengers, the time spent on this ferry is a precious moment to switch one's mindset. In just one minute, what kind of stories will unfold?

11. Close-up! ‘The Rental Do-Nothing Person

Air Date: 2019-04-26

“I rent myself out to do nothing.” There is a man who offers this strange service. Despite the fact that he does nothing but simply be present, requests for his services continue to pour in, and his Twitter followers exceed 100,000. People ask him to accompany them when filing for divorce, to observe their civil court cases, or to attend their weddings... These are requests that cannot be made to family or friends, but who are the people who need someone to simply be there?

12. Nagasaki Goto Islands Farewell Ferry

Air Date: 2019-05-10

Spring, the season of farewells. On Fukue Island, the gateway to the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, there is a scene that has become an annual tradition. People from all over the island gather to bid farewell to those leaving the island. People leave the island for various reasons, such as employment, further education, or marriage. At the terminal lobby, they embrace family, colleagues, classmates, and students, exchanging tearful words before boarding the ferry. Over three days in late March, they watch as those embarking on new beginnings in unfamiliar lands set off on their journeys.

13. Takadanobaba, the Student District: At the Rotary Where Youth Once Gathered

Air Date: 2019-05-17

Takadanobaba is one of Tokyo's leading student districts, home to dozens of universities, prep schools, and vocational schools. The stage for this episode is the lively rotary square in front of the station, which is bustling day and night as a gathering and dispersal point for young people heading to clubs and drinking parties.

14. Tree Burial: To You Under the Cherry Blossoms

Air Date: 2019-05-24

The setting is a large cemetery in the suburbs of Tokyo. Among the stone graves, there are scattered cherry tree burials. Tree burials, which have spread nationwide, fulfill the wishes of the deceased to “return to nature.” In spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom, many people come to pay their respects. A man visits weekly to meet his wife, with whom he shared many hardships over the years. Brothers reunite at their father's grave during cherry blossom season. A woman who lost her husband at a young age speaks to the cherry blossoms while holding a beer, her late husband's favorite drink.

15. The Giant Cargo Terminal That Never Sleeps

Air Date: 2019-05-31

The setting for this episode is Tokyo Cargo Terminal Station. It is Japan's largest logistics hub, transshipping and dispatching enormous amounts of cargo collected from all over Japan. Due to the expansion of online shopping and a shortage of truck drivers, the amount of cargo handled by railways is increasing year by year. From train drivers, maintenance workers, forklift operators, and drivers to new employees who stay overnight in the facility. Various people work here to support logistics. This program explores the unknown work of people who sweat 24 hours a day behind the scenes of affluence and convenience.

16. Shibuya Post Office: The ‘Heisei Era’ at the Corner of the Street

Air Date: 2019-06-07

The setting is a post office in Shibuya, Tokyo. In recent years, due to the cross-generational popularity of flea market apps, the volume of packages handled by this post office has been increasing. A woman selling nearly new clothing. Young people exchanging idol merchandise with friends on social media. Meanwhile, there are also people diligently writing postcards at desks inside the office... Who is sending what? As the era transitions from “Heisei” to “Reiwa,” this program explores the thoughts and feelings behind the postcards and packages at a bustling post office in the heart of the metropolis.

17. People Who Live for ‘Saba-ge

Air Date: 2019-06-21

As you drive through the farm roads of Chiba Prefecture, a mysterious spot suddenly appears. People dressed in camouflage uniforms run around a vast field with air guns in their hands. This is survival gaming, commonly known as “Saba-ge,” which is currently gaining popularity. It's not just children and young people who are hooked. There's an older man who came to find a hobby after retirement. There's also a woman who came alone, away from household chores and childcare. What is it about this activity that captivates adults?

18. Fasting: Beyond Hunger

Air Date: 2019-06-28

Amid the health craze, “mini-fasting” is gaining attention as a method for weight loss and improving physical condition. At a facility in Shizuoka's Izu Highlands, many people visit not only to improve their health but also to clear the “fog” in their minds. A woman from Ginza who visits regularly to heal her mental fatigue. A man struggling with his relationship with his daughter, who is a recluse. People who drink smoothies and miso soup without toppings in the morning and evening, hoping to “change something.” What lies beyond hunger?

19. Tokyo, Asagaya: By the Goldfish Pond

Air Date: 2019-07-05

Tokyo, Asagaya. In front of the station, surrounded by buildings and apartments, there is a slightly unusual place. It is a fishing pond specializing in goldfish that has been in operation for over 90 years since the Taisho era. For 600 yen per hour, including a fishing rod and bait, it's easy to drop by without any preparation, and people come and go all day long. There are regulars who have been coming for over 50 years, salarymen with extra time on their hands due to work-style reforms, and even women who catch nearly 100 goldfish in a single day. What do they all think as they gaze at the pond filled with countless goldfish?

20. Shinjuku Wig Specialty Store

Air Date: 2019-07-26

Shinjuku Kabukicho. The setting is a “wig specialty store” located in a corner of the underground shopping street. For over 40 years, the shop has catered to the needs of people of all ages and genders who require wigs for various reasons. A 40-year-old woman concerned about her receding hairline opts for a partial wig. A woman visiting for a dance performance selects a long wig that reaches her waist. Each customer chooses according to their individual circumstances. A “secret item” that transforms both appearance and mindset. What kind of self do they aspire to become?

21. Walking Through Kobe's Bargain Shoe Store

Air Date: 2019-08-02

The setting for this episode is a “giant shoe store” located in the suburbs of Kobe City. The 1,000-square-meter sales floor features approximately 100,000 pairs of shoes. What's surprising is the price. Sandals for 499 yen, pumps for 980 yen, and business leather shoes for 5,000 yen for two pairs... the store is filled with ultra-cheap items. Customers flock to the store daily in search of affordable shoes. At the beginning of summer, people are seen walking out in their new shoes.

22. Climbing Gym: Look Up and Climb

Air Date: 2019-08-09

The setting is a climbing gym in Kawasaki City. Here, you can try “bouldering,” climbing a wall about 4 meters high, and “rope climbing,” where you use a safety rope to climb heights over 10 meters. From beginners to national team athletes, people of all ages and genders sweat it out here. Many users say, “In everyday life, we rarely challenge our limits. Here, we can challenge our limits and feel ourselves growing.” Who are the people who visit? We listened to the voices of those who stoically challenge the walls.

23. Okinawa Driving School: Dreams Beyond a Driver's License

Air Date: 2019-08-30

Okinawa is seeing an increase in tourists every year. Construction of hotels and department stores is booming throughout the city. Behind the scenes, driving schools where you can obtain truck and bus licenses are also bustling. A woman in her 20s is changing careers and aiming to become a large truck driver. A man who retired and moved to his dream destination of Okinawa, now aspires to become a bus driver. A college student who is attending driving school with money earned from part-time work dreams of becoming a civil servant in the future. What are the dreams they envision beyond obtaining their licenses?

24. Farewell Tokyo! Relocation Consultation Center

Air Date: 2019-09-06

Amidst the ongoing population concentration in the Tokyo metropolitan area, there is a place where people considering relocation to regional areas gather. It is the Relocation Consultation Window in Yurakucho. Consultants from 39 prefectures across the country provide free consultations on all matters related to relocation, including employment and housing. Seventy percent of the consulters are from the younger generation, under 40 years old. A man who came to find a new home after divorce, and a woman who wants to move to Hiroshima because of her love for the Carp. What kind of ideals do they all have when they visit here?

25. At a coin car wash after the rainy season

Air Date: 2019-09-13

The setting is a self-service car wash in Shinagawa, Tokyo, where people line up to wait their turn. Using spray bottles filled with water and detergent, they take their time polishing their beloved cars. A woman who bought a car for work but has since become so fascinated by it that weekend drives have become indispensable. A couple who wash their car instead of going on a date. A man in his 70s who is considering returning his driver's license. Each with their own circumstances, they silently wash their cars. At the end of July, after the rainy season ended, what do they want to wash away along with the dirt on their cars?

26. Visiting Nurses Walk the Streets

Air Date: 2019-09-20

In today's aging society, hospital beds are chronically insufficient. On the other hand, more people are choosing to receive home healthcare, with the desire to “spend their final days at home” or “care for their loved ones at home.” Supporting those who choose home healthcare are “visiting nurses.” This episode follows a visiting nursing station in Tokyo's Higashikurume City, which cares for over 180 patients. In a town where the population is rapidly aging, we spend three days with those awaiting visiting nurses, each with their own unique circumstances.

27. Kumamoto/Aso: A once-in-a-decade motorcycle photo shoot

Air Date: 2019-09-27

At the end of August, more than 2,000 motorcycle enthusiasts gathered at Kusasenri in Kumamoto/Aso. The purpose of the event was not racing or socializing, but to “create a photo album.” Volunteer staff photographed riders and their beloved motorcycles from all over Japan. The event is held once every ten years. It was started by a single photographer in 1979, and this year marks the fifth time it has been held. Employment, marriage, illness... Holding the photo album from ten years ago, they reflect on the stories of the past decade.

28. The Blood Donation Bus Travels Across the Northern Lands

Air Date: 2019-10-11

We follow the “blood donation bus” as it travels across Hokkaido. There is a chronic shortage of blood donors. In fact, Hokkaido has the highest percentage of blood donors in the country. In this sparsely populated region, the bus plays a crucial role in collecting blood. A farmer who has donated blood nearly 100 times. A young man who believes that helping others brings good fortune. A salaryman who feels refreshed after donating blood. Over three days, we encounter “small acts of kindness” as we travel through the small towns of Hokkaido.

29. Tokyo Nagatacho Shared Office

Air Date: 2019-10-18

The setting is a “shared office” located in the heart of Tokyo's Nagata-cho district, where government offices and office buildings cluster. The stylish, café-like floor features coworking spaces and rental offices, where people of various work styles quietly go about their tasks. Freelancers, of course, but also satellite offices for companies launching new ventures. Many have left large corporations to start their own businesses. Over three days, people explore “their own unique work styles” while pursuing their respective dreams.

30. The End of Summer: A Walk Around Osaka Castle Park

Air Date: 2019-10-25

The setting for this episode is Osaka Castle Park, located in the heart of Osaka City. The vast 100-hectare park features Osaka Castle's main tower, the Nishinomaru Garden, Osaka Castle Hall, and other facilities, attracting over 2.7 million visitors annually. The park surrounding the main tower is open 24 hours a day, and people of all kinds spend their time there as they please, day and night. What kinds of people visit this place? For three days, cameras will be set up in the never-sleeping Osaka Castle Park.

31. China, Yunnan Province: A City Park Where You Can See Seagulls

Air Date: 2019-11-01

This episode is a Chinese version of “Document 72 Hours” produced by a Chinese production company. The setting is Kunming, Yunnan Province. Blessed with a warm climate throughout the year, in autumn, flocks of black-tailed gulls arrive here from Siberia. There is a large pond in the park in the center of the city, where thousands of seagulls rest their wings for several months until spring. In the spring, when the seagulls fly away, what kind of feelings do people have as they see them off?

32. Fukuoka: 24 Hours of Laughter and Tears at the Dentist

Air Date: 2019-11-08

The setting is a “24-hour dental clinic” in Fukuoka City. Patients enduring pain come in day and night. A salesman whose poor lifestyle has led to an increase in cavities. A college student whose improved dental hygiene has brought more smiles and a brighter personality. A man who lost his teeth in a fistfight in his youth reflects, “No matter how much I regret the past, my teeth won't come back.” On November 8 (Good Teeth Day), we explore the dramas surrounding teeth.

33. The Story of a Liquor Store in Ginza

Air Date: 2019-11-15

The setting is a liquor store in Ginza, Tokyo. With a focus on wine and whiskey, the store stocks more than 3,000 types of alcoholic beverages from around the world. Among them are ultra-luxury beverages costing over 2 million yen. Despite this, around 1,000 varieties are available for tasting starting at 100 yen per glass, drawing crowds of young adults in their 20s and salarymen on their way home from work. A business owner who visits alone due to reduced opportunities to drink with subordinates. A club manager who finally opened her long-awaited store. A man in pursuit of the perfect beverage for himself. The story of a sake shop in Ginza.

34. Small Wedding Story

Air Date: 2019-11-22

This episode takes place at a wedding venue where you can hold a wedding for a few tens of thousands of yen. The venue prides itself on being affordable, small-scale, and quick to organize, with 3-4 couples coming in for consultations every day. A 40-something couple who are remarrying say, “We want to keep it simple this time.” A 60-something couple who couldn't have a wedding when they were young and were given the gift by their children. A couple who wants to hold a wedding in a month to show their sick father their wedding dress. The episode explores various small wedding stories from different lives.

35. Nagano: Viewing the Spectacular Skyline

Air Date: 2019-12-13

The setting is Achi Village in southern Nagano Prefecture. As autumn turns to winter, people from all over the country flock to the 1,600-meter-high observation deck. The main attraction is the starry sky stretching across the entire sky and the massive sea of clouds that can only be seen during this season. The sight of white clouds spreading as far as the eye can see, all the way to the Southern Alps in the distance, leaves people speechless. Many people also make wishes while gazing at the rising sun in the distance. In November, what do people think when faced with a scene worthy of being called “sky-high views”?

36. Amusement Facility at Twilight in Amagasaki

Air Date: 2019-12-20

The setting is a little-known amusement facility in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. With billiards and table tennis available from 100 yen for 30 minutes, the facility is bustling with customers day and night. During the day, you'll see elderly people returning from shopping, groups of middle-aged and older adults sweating it out at table tennis, and at night, young people quietly enjoying games. Some reminisce about their youth, others try to distract themselves from loneliness, and still others cherish the time spent with their families... This program delves into the amusement facility where various lives intersect.

1. 400 km Sprint! Okinawa Survival Run

Air Date: 2020-01-10

“400 km Sprint! Okinawa Survival Run” (2020) ... A close-up look at the “Okinawa Main Island Survival Run,” a 400 km race around Okinawa that takes three days to complete. Participants run day and night toward the finish line. What dramas unfold over the 400 kilometers?

2. Aomori's Shimokita Peninsula ‘Wakeari Yokocho’

Air Date: 2020-01-17

In December, in the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori, there is a unique entertainment district in the center of Mutsu City. With over 200 snack bars and restaurants, “Shinto Shrine Alley” has been beloved by locals for years. An elderly woman runs a small drinking spot, a fisherman's son serves freshly caught fish at a pub, and a young person who moved from the city opened a stylish bar. This entertainment district is home to diverse shop owners. As the harsh winter approaches, this is the story of people living resiliently in a small town.

3. Akihabaraː Infatuated with Electronics

Air Date: 2020-01-24

Akihabara is Japan's largest electronics district. Here, there is an electronic component store that attracts hobbyists from all over the country. Resistors, capacitors, circuit boards... The store carries an astonishing 100,000 items across four floors. Every day, 1,000 customers, ranging from professional engineers to hobbyists, visit the store to shop. From musicians building their own effects pedals to high school students dreaming of robot development, and college students unwinding from job hunting by tinkering with electronics—what are their motivations, and which components do they seek?

4. Miyazaki: In Pursuit of the Mysterious Giant Fish!

Air Date: 2020-01-31

Miyazaki's Ishizaki Beach is renowned as one of Japan's premier surfing spots. In January, anglers from across the country gather here. Their target is the “Oonibe,” a giant fish that can grow over a meter in length. In winter, they come to shallow waters in search of small fish, making them catchable from the shore. However, the chances of a hit are extremely slim. People say it's “like winning the lottery.” We follow the anglers as they strive to catch the giant fish early in the new year.

5. Namié, Fukushima: Year-end at the local supermarket

Air Date: 2020-02-07

It has been more than two years since the evacuation order was lifted in Namié Town, Fukushima Prefecture. More than 1,000 people have returned to the town, where approximately 20,000 residents had evacuated. Facilities that support daily life, such as clinics, restaurants, and schools, are gradually being rebuilt. Amidst this, a large supermarket opened last year. It offers a variety of fresh foods, alcohol, and clothing, and is bustling with local residents every day. This is the first New Year's since the supermarket opened. We take a closer look at the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at the supermarket, where people from all walks of life gather.

6. Kobe: The Street Piano from That Day

Air Date: 2020-02-14

Recently, “street pianos” have become a common sight in shopping districts and stations across the country. The piano installed in the underground shopping street of Kobe Station attracts over 100 people on busy days to play it. Interestingly, this piano was once used at a kindergarten in the city during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the scars from that time still remain. Whether aware of this history or not, many people come to play the piano. Twenty-five years have passed since the earthquake. What has changed, and what remains the same? This program explores the present-day lives of people living in Kobe.

7. Tokyo's Downtown 24-Hour Yakiniku Restaurant

Air Date: 2020-02-21

The setting is a 24-hour yakiniku restaurant in downtown Tokyo. Lunch starts at just 500 yen. People flock here day and night in search of hearty portions of meat at affordable prices. A group of security guards stopping by after their night shift, a couple living together who treat themselves to this once a week. Gathering around the charcoal grill, people share their true feelings that they wouldn't normally express. Meanwhile, there are also customers who quietly grill meat alone. This program takes a close look at a 24-hour barbecue restaurant in Tokyo's downtown area, where the aroma of delicious food fills the air.

8. Yankee Intern: We're Wearing Suits Starting Today

Air Date: 2020-02-28

Amidst a labor shortage, a certain staffing agency is gaining attention. The program introduces young people from rural areas who dropped out of school or struggled with group living, including those with a history of delinquency. Through the “Yankee Intern” re-education program, they learn practical sales skills and are nurtured into the kind of talent companies seek. Approximately 300 graduates have gone on to work at major IT companies. This program follows young people aiming for a life turnaround, seeking to work honestly.

9. Small Food Cart Cafe: A Thousand and One Nights

Air Date: 2020-03-06

The setting is a food cart coffee shop that appears every night along the national highway in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. The menu consists solely of coffee, priced at 400 yen per cup. Despite this, customers keep coming in steadily. Businessmen stop by on their way home from work, and women who have returned to their hometown to care for their parents, among others, come to the food cart in search of coffee. The shop is run by two brothers in their 70s. They have continued to run the shop as it was when their father started it about 50 years ago. They listen to the honest thoughts that spill out while drinking coffee.

10. Tokyo's Inokashira Park: Drawn to the Pond

Air Date: 2020-07-31

The setting is Tokyo's Inokashira Park. By the end of June, one month after the state of emergency was lifted, people began to return to the park, surrounded by a large pond and lush greenery. Friends rejoicing in their long-awaited reunion. A comedy duo continuing their rehearsals toward their dreams. A salaryman sitting on a bench for hours to relieve the fatigue of self-restraint. What kind of people come to the park, and what thoughts do they carry? Over three days, I walked around the pond, listening to the voices of the people I encountered.

11. Workout! The Giant Sports Gym That Never Sleeps

Air Date: 2020-08-07

The setting for this episode is a giant 24-hour sports gym in Harajuku, Tokyo. A man who became a bodybuilder after his girlfriend told him she didn't like skinny men. A young man who lost his soccer career due to an injury and is now channeling his frustration into weight training. A housewife who decided to overcome her physical insecurities and started going to the gym. The long and arduous path of weight training. What kind of people come here? *Filming took place in mid-February.

12. Wishing Upon a Star: The Tanabata Festival in the City

Air Date: 2020-08-14

Once a year, people write their wishes on strips of paper for Tanabata. This episode takes place at a temple near Tokyo Tower during the Tanabata Festival. Visitors write their hidden wishes on strips of paper in their own way. There is a woman hoping to reunite with the man she has been in love with for ten years, a couple worried about their company bonuses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a foreigner who comes every year to connect with his late father. Over the three days leading up to Tanabata, we listen to the people who write their modest wishes on strips of paper.

13. Ishikawa Nagisa Driveway: Memories on the Sandy Beach

Air Date: 2020-09-04

A rare sandy beach road in Japan where you can drive along the shoreline. The setting for this episode is the Nagisa Driveway in Ishikawa Prefecture. The sand grains are fine, and when seawater seeps in and compacts them, they become hard enough for cars to drive on. This mysterious sandy beach attracts a variety of people. Young people come to enjoy the exhilaration, couples celebrate their birthdays here every year, and families return to reminisce about special memories. What kind of memories have they carved into this sandy beach? Over three days in summer, we listen to their stories by the shoreline.

14. Tokyo Taxi Drivers: The Paths of Their Lives in the City

Air Date: 2020-09-11

The stage is a road in the corner of a metropolis where only taxis are allowed to rest. Here, drivers take naps, eat meals, and relax. Amid the significant impact of the novel coronavirus, what are their thoughts as they drive through the city? Those who became drivers after the spread of the coronavirus, those whose sales have declined and are considering changing jobs, and those who must drive for their families. For three days, I listened to the stories of taxi drivers carrying various burdens.

15. Tokyo's Sumida River: A Quiet Summer Without Fireworks

Air Date: 2020-09-18

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival, which usually colors Tokyo's summer, has been canceled. During this quiet summer, we spend three days walking around the Sumida River promenade. We meet people who talk candidly even though they have just met, and young people whose dreams have been shattered by the coronavirus. A man who fell in love with Asakusa and plays the guitar by the river, and an elderly man who comes every day to reminisce about his late wife. Through the lives of the various people encountered along the river, this program documents the present moment, which is shifting despite the turmoil caused by the novel coronavirus.

16. Why I Play an Instrument

Air Date: 2020-09-25

The stage is a specialty store for wind instruments that boasts one of the largest selections in the country. With over 1,000 saxophones, trumpets, and other instruments on display, and repair services available, it attracts enthusiasts. People who have come to buy the instrument they’ve always wanted, or those who are thrilled to resume practice and play again. A blind music teacher repairing a clarinet for an autistic student. The world of music has fallen silent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What are people thinking as they face their instruments and play? We listen closely for three days.

17. Toshimaen: In Front of Japan's Oldest Carousel

Air Date: 2020-10-02

At the end of August, Toshimaen closed its doors after a long history. The stage is set at the carousel Eldorado, Japan's oldest carousel and a symbol of Toshimaen. The wooden decorations in the Art Nouveau style create a fantastical world. An elderly couple who have been riding the carousel on every date since before they were married. A young man trying to recall the days when his family was close. A woman who wants to show her late mother her renewed strength. What memories has the carousel carried? We observe the final three days before the park's closure.

18. Garden Supply Store: Flowers, Greenery, and Happiness

Air Date: 2020-10-09

The setting is a garden supply store boasting the largest area in Tokyo. With a selection of approximately 100,000 varieties, including flowers, houseplants, vegetables, and bonsai, the store has seen an increase in visitors since the pandemic, as people seek to enhance their lives with plants. A man drawn to the resilient vitality of cacti. A parent and child finding fulfillment in nurturing weakened plants. A woman who notices her calm state of mind while tending to plants. What do people seek from plants, and why do they visit here? Over three days, we listen closely.

19. Kabukicho: Farewell to the Cabaret of Humanity

Air Date: 2020-10-16

The setting for this episode is a long-established cabaret in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district that closed its doors in February of this year, much to the regret of many. The establishment, which retains a strong atmosphere of the Showa era, attracts a variety of customers. There are men who come to enjoy their last conversation with their favorite hostesses. There are women who used to work as hostesses here and have come to pay their respects to their former colleagues. A singer who says she learned about life here takes the stage for the last time. A cabaret where various lives intersect. A look at the three days leading up to the closure. *Filming took place in February.

20. Kitchen Equipment for Restaurants: The Summer of Restaurant Owners

Air Date: 2020-10-23

The stage is a specialty store for kitchen equipment for restaurants. Over 9,000 items, including refrigerators, cooking utensils, and tableware. Most are used items, making them affordable, and even amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, store owners continue to visit. A izakaya owner seeking new opportunities through delivery services. A couple challenging themselves to open their dream café restaurant. Meanwhile, requests to purchase cooking utensils from closing stores also persist. The restaurant industry is facing difficulties. What are the store owners thinking, and what are they coming to buy? We listen for three days.

21. Kawasaki Animal Park on the Hill

Air Date: 2020-10-30

The setting is an animal park located on a hill in Kawasaki City. Although there are few large animals, visitors can enjoy seeing about 60 different species. Admission is free and visitors are free to come and go as they please, so it has been loved by local people for many years. With it being difficult to travel far due to COVID-19, some people visit as a family outing, while others, such as one woman, come here every time she reaches a milestone in her life. Some young people come to enjoy the wild animals in the nature-rich hills rather than the animals in the park. For local residents, it is an ordinary yet special place where they can spend three days listening to the sounds of nature.

22. Sapporo Sandwich Shop: 24-Hour Operations Continue

Air Date: 2020-11-06

The setting is a 24-hour sandwich shop in Sapporo City. With over 40 varieties of handmade sandwiches featuring ingredients like eggs, meat patties, and fruits, it has been beloved by locals for years. Women working at bars in Susukino, people buying breakfast for their families at 4 a.m., and hosts stopping by for a quick meal before work. Amid the pandemic, as more shops shorten their hours, what kind of people come to this never-sleeping sandwich shop, and what are they seeking? We spend three days listening all night long.

23. Outlet Furniture Store: When I Change My Lifestyle

Air Date: 2020-11-13

The setting is Japan's largest outlet furniture store in Chiba. With 1,400 items of furniture on display, including beds, sofas, and tables. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many customers have come to make their homes more comfortable. A man carefully searches for a dining table to spend more time with his family. A woman replaces all her furniture and keeps only the pieces she loves. Through furniture selection, changes in lifestyle and turning points in life emerge. What kind of life do people aspire to? We listen for three days.

24. At the Pet Cemetery Where Animals Rest in Peace

Air Date: 2020-11-20

The setting is a pet cemetery in Fuchu City, Tokyo, which has been in operation since the Taisho era. It has graves and columbariums for pets such as dogs and cats, and former owners visit daily to pay their respects. A woman who says her beloved dog helped bring her family closer together. A man who visits every weekend to pay respects to his guinea pig, which helped ease his loneliness. Funerals are also held at the cemetery, and some owners attend the cremation. As pets become increasingly integrated into families, what are the thoughts of those who visit here? Over three days, we listen to their voices.

25. A Small Dry Cleaner in a Bedroom Community

Air Date: 2020-12-04

The setting is a small dry cleaner in Machida City, Tokyo. People living in the bedroom community, lined with apartment complexes and condominiums, bring in their laundry for various reasons. A woman who couldn't bring out her winter clothes in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a man who works at a nightclub and brings in his suit once a month. Some people come in to have stains removed for their loved ones. What do they want to clean, and why? Over three days, we explore people's lives through their laundry.

26. Cycling Journey: Racing Along the Shimanami Kaido

Air Date: 2020-12-11

The Shimanami Kaido Cycling Road in the Seto Inland Sea is known as a “cycling mecca.” Spanning approximately 70 kilometers from Hiroshima Prefecture to Ehime Prefecture, this route that circles six islands attracts a variety of people. Families who enjoy watching their children grow while cycling together every year. A farmer who has handed over his work to his son and is now enjoying cycling again after a long time. A couple whose husband has been on a long-term business trip, enjoying a two-person trip even in the rain. Over three days, while cycling, we listen to the stories of those who ride bicycles.

1. Winter Sweet Potato Shop: Beyond the Warmth

Air Date: 2021-01-22

Sweet potatoes are a winter tradition. The setting is a traditional sweet potato shop in Ibaraki, a sweet potato-producing region. Many people come to enjoy the sweet potatoes, which are slowly roasted until they are hot and sticky with syrup. Some send roasted sweet potatoes as a return gift for year-end gifts. A mother buys them as a reward to motivate her daughter. A newlywed couple, who find joy in their ordinary life, share a single roasted sweet potato together. In this winter when daily life has changed drastically, what are people seeking beyond the warmth? We listen for three days.

2. Kitakyushu: A Market with 100 Years of Humanity

Air Date: 2021-01-29

The setting is the Tanka Market, which has been around since the Taisho era. With 120 shops selling meat, fish, vegetables, and other goods, it is known as the “kitchen of Kitakyushu.” As the buildings are aging and a redevelopment project is set to begin next year, the market is bustling every day with people who are sad to see the old atmosphere disappear. A man who says he feels at ease here even if he doesn't buy anything. An elderly woman who vents her frustrations about living with her son to the shop owner. A couple who say this market has things you can't find in the city. What brings everyone here? Over three days in December, we listen to their stories.

3. Umihotaru Parking Area: Year-End Viewpoint

Air Date: 2021-02-05

The setting is the viewpoint at the Umihotaru Parking Area floating in Tokyo Bay. It is an open space with a 360-degree view of the ocean. During the last three days of 2020, what are the thoughts of those who come here? A couple who gave up returning to their hometown for the New Year's holiday and came here instead. A man who spends the entire day on the deck listening to aviation radio. A couple who have been together for only a week, smiling and looking forward despite the strong wind. Amid the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, we listen to the voices of each person.

4. The Old Year and the New Year in a Multinational Housing Complex

Air Date: 2021-02-12

The setting is one of the country's leading “multinational housing complexes,” where 20% of the residents have foreign roots, including Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. How do they spend the New Year's holiday in a foreign country? A pair of Cambodian residents buying ingredients for New Year's. A Laotian couple who never fail to visit their neighbors to offer New Year's greetings. A girl with Vietnamese parents says she learned kindness in the housing complex. Due to the impact of COVID-19, it was an unusually quiet New Year's Eve. For three days, we listened to the voices of the people living together in the housing complex.

5. In a Small Bento Shop in Namie, Fukushima

Air Date: 2021-03-12

The setting is a small bento shop in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture. Workers and drivers at the reconstruction site come for the affordable, delicious homemade bento boxes. Locals who returned after the evacuation order was lifted visit daily. A male worker who has been doing decontamination work for ten years. A dump truck driver who says the town lacks a sense of daily life. An elderly woman who says she wants to live in this town even if no one else is around. Ten years after the nuclear accident, we listened to the voices of people coming and going at the small bento shop for three days.

6. Document 1DAY: Yokohama Under Emergency Declaration

Air Date: 2021-03-19

A 72-hour spin-off project. A multi-location simultaneous documentary of a day under emergency declaration. Cameras are set up at health centers, special cleaning companies, PCR testing vending machines, and in front of Hello Work in Yokohama City. Public health nurses working hard to support positive patients. Cleaning companies contracted by companies with infected employees to perform disinfection. People who are unemployed due to the coronavirus but are still looking forward to the future. A society where normalcy has changed. What are people thinking as they face the present? A record of one day.

7. Life Stories at a Hospital Convenience Store

Air Date: 2021-04-02

A large hospital with over 600 beds in Kamakura City. The stage is a 24-hour convenience store inside the hospital. Most customers are doctors, nurses, or hospitalized patients. A nurse buys ice cream as a treat for herself after surgery. A man who, while hospitalized, bought over ten books out of boredom. Even at midnight, on-call doctors visit the store night after night in search of energy drinks. The large hospital continues to operate even during the state of emergency. What kind of people come to the convenience store, and for what reasons? Over three days, we listen in.

8. Osaka Express Bus Terminal: Springtime Departures

Air Date: 2021-04-16

The setting is the express bus terminal in Namba, Osaka. With affordable fares to destinations across the country, the terminal is busy with people in the spring. Some are returning home for the first time in a while after the state of emergency was lifted. Others are women who have nurtured long-distance relationships on express buses and are now getting married. There are also parents and children who are starting a life apart as the children have secured jobs in Fukuoka. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are people embarking on new journeys for employment or further education. What kind of steps are they taking now? We listen in over three days.

9. Uniform Store: Brand-New White Coats

Air Date: 2021-04-23

The setting is a specialty store selling uniforms such as white coats, chef uniforms, and workwear. As spring marks the start of a new academic year, many people come to purchase new work attire. A second-year dentist looking to add more white coats, a female part-time worker at a restaurant buying kitchen shoes, and a Japanese cuisine chef striving to overcome the pandemic purchasing three pairs of black pants. A parent and child whose daughter will become a doctor in April take time to select white coats. What thoughts do people have as they slip into their brand-new work attire? We will listen for three days.

10. Amami: Riding the Sea Taxi

Air Date: 2021-04-30

The setting is the sea taxi that travels between the islands of Kagoshima and the Amami archipelago. It serves as a means of transportation for the islanders' daily commutes and shopping, and has also been a part of important milestones in their lives. A woman boards the boat to buy daily necessities in bulk. A parent and child who fell in love with the island and moved here from Tokyo. At the end of March, teachers transferring from the island's schools also bid farewell to the islanders via the sea taxi. The island's pace feels somehow relaxed. What is life like with the sea taxi? We listen in for three days.

11. Ginza Snack Rhapsody

Air Date: 2021-05-07

The setting is a long-established snack specialty store in Ginza. It is a favorite among nearby bars and clubs, offering about 300 varieties of snacks such as rice crackers, nuts, and chocolate. A woman who opened a club in Hakata, Nakasu, came all the way to buy from here. A bar master who has been ordering their green peas for over 20 years. Lately, due to its wide selection, not only restaurants but also general customers often come to buy. Ginza, heavily affected by the pandemic. What life dramas can be seen through snacks?

12. Noto Peninsula: Cherry Blossoms at an Unmanned Station

Air Date: 2021-05-21

The setting is an unmanned station on a local railway line running through the Noto Peninsula. In spring, when the nearly 100 cherry trees planted along the platform reach full bloom, many people visit the station, which is usually deserted. Families come to enjoy the breathtaking view of cherry blossoms, the sea, and trains. A man recalls his high school teacher while viewing the night cherry blossoms. Some people feel the changes in themselves over the year through the unchanging cherry blossoms. Despite the decline of the region, the locals have continued to preserve the cherry blossoms. What do the visitors feel? We listen for three days.

13. In the Big City, in Front of the Jizo Statue

Air Date: 2021-06-11

Tsukuda, Tokyo, where the downtown streetscape and tower mansions coexist. The stage is the “Jizo statue” located at the end of a narrow alley. It's a place you might pass by without noticing, but people come here casually. People come with various wishes—for health, business prosperity, or reconciliation between spouses. Some come without any specific wish, simply to reset their minds each day. With nearly 300 years of history, the Jizō statue remains there, unchanged, despite societal transformations. For three days, we listen to those who visit this unique space in the heart of the metropolis.

14. Why I came to the blood donation center

Air Date: 2021-06-18

The setting is a blood donation center near Skytree. Although the observation deck is closed due to the state of emergency, about 60 people come to donate blood every day. A company employee visits after hearing that there is a shortage of blood due to people staying home. A part-time worker says that coming here gives her a sense of relief amid her busy life. Some people feel confident because they can donate blood even though they are on leave from work. In a world where leisure time has decreased due to the pandemic, these are the people who donate blood for others. What are their reasons for coming here? We listened to their stories over three days.

15. Taking a Break at a Coffee Bean Stand in Kyoto

Air Date: 2021-06-25

The setting is a stand-style specialty coffee bean shop in the heart of Kyoto. Kyoto, known for its traditional Japanese culture, actually has the highest coffee consumption in Japan, and many people come here seeking beans roasted on-site. A university professor who says coffee is indispensable as a study aid. A man who finds roasting green beans himself helps him stay calm. The shop also sells coffee, and for some, this one cup is a lifeline in their busy daily lives. In these times, how are people taking a break? For three days, we listened to their stories.

16. Stationery Store: This Letter to You

Air Date: 2021-07-09

A large stationery store in Ginza. The setting is the stationery section. With over 5,000 items, including colorful postcards and high-quality Japanese paper stationery. A man buys a message card to write his first letter to his wife on their wedding anniversary. A female office worker sends letters to customers she cannot meet due to the pandemic. Some people gain strength from letters exchanged with their grandmother in their hometown. In these times when meeting people is difficult, what kind of thoughts do people write to whom? We listen for three days.

17. Giant Tropical Fish Store: A Life with Small Lives

Air Date: 2021-08-20

The stage is a giant tropical fish store, one of the largest in the country. The aquariums contain 400 species of fish, including betta, discus, medaka, and arowana, making it look like an aquarium. An 80-year-old regular customer says he enjoys just staring at the fish. A family that started keeping medaka, which are currently popular, says it has increased family conversation. A nurse affected by the pandemic shares how she found solace in caring for small fish while struggling to connect with others. As people spend more time at home, what emotions do they feel toward these tiny lives? Over three days, we listen closely to their stories.

18. Midsummer Tokyo: The Phantom Marathon Course

Air Date: 2021-09-10

Leaving the National Stadium, the 42.195 km course loops around Asakusa, Tokyo Tower, and other landmarks before returning to the starting point. This was the planned course for the Tokyo Olympics marathon before it was moved to Sapporo. What kind of encounters would you have if you walked this phantom course during the Olympics? A woman worried about COVID-19 goes to an idol concert. The owner of a bookstore in Jimbocho who regrets that it was once a viewing spot. Three days of walking through the night, listening to the voices of people encountered by chance along the way, and observing the present state of Tokyo.

19. Miyagi, Kesennuma: Fishermen's ‘Convenience Store’

Air Date: 2021-09-17

Summer, when bonito fishing reaches its peak. A single liquor store near Kesennuma Port in Miyagi. In addition to food items, the store stocks gloves and boots, attracting fishermen from across the country who use it as a convenience store. Fishermen from distant-water tuna boats preparing for a year-long voyage select long, narrow mattresses for their fishing vessels. A young mackerel fisherman in his 20s chooses a mattress for himself. The captain, who oversees a crew of 23, purchases a large quantity of snacks for the younger crew members. The diverse life stories of men who live by the sea intersect at this small liquor store.

20. Fireworks Shop: Lighting Up a Quiet Summer

Air Date: 2021-09-24

From handheld sparklers to skyrockets and novelty fireworks, a small shop in Yamanashi Prefecture sells over 400 kinds of fireworks. Locals and visitors flock to this shop during a summer when many large fireworks displays were canceled. Customers included a family buying fireworks with a curry fragrance; an elderly couple buying an assortment for their grandchildren; and a worker at an elderly care facility hoping to give the residents a colorful thrill. For 3 days, we asked people why fireworks were special to them.

21. The Truth Behind the Ultra-Cheap Food Store

Air Date: 2021-10-01

Everything is ultra-cheap. Vegetables for 30 yen. Beer for 33 yen per bottle, meat for 100 yen per 200 grams. The setting for this episode is a discount food store in Tokyo. Many customers visit the store in search of expired products and surplus inventory. A woman with a family of nine who wants to cut down on food expenses as much as possible. A parent and child who drive an hour to find affordable meat. Some people feel a sense of treasure hunting when searching for products with uneven inventory. The store also highlights the current state of food waste. What is the reason behind the demand for discounted products? We listen for three days.

22. At the End of Summer, in the Station Underground Bicycle Parking Lot

Air Date: 2021-10-22

The setting is the huge bicycle parking lot located underground at Kasai Station in Edogawa Ward. It can accommodate nearly 10,000 bicycles, making it the largest in Japan. Every day, from early morning to late at night, large numbers of people come and go for commuting and school. Among them are women commuting to work cleaning office buildings in the city center on the first train, high school students refraining from playing to reduce the risk of infection for their families, and those returning home after finishing their second job to support their household. Over the three days at the end of summer, we listen to the various reasons why each person is riding their bicycle.

23. Listening at an Earphone Specialty Store in Akihabara

Air Date: 2021-11-05

Akihabara is one of Japan's leading electronics districts. The stage is a specialty store that handles about 5,000 types of audio equipment, such as earphones and headphones. With the increase in online meetings and classes, the demand for earphones is growing. A businessman came to buy the latest wireless earphones. A parent and child tried out gaming headphones. A man who visits every week to carefully select earphones costing over 100,000 yen, planning to buy them with his winter bonus. Over three days, we listen to the worlds they envision beyond the earphones they seek.

24. Drone Training Ground: Take Flight into the Sky

Air Date: 2021-11-12

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are used in a variety of fields, such as aerial photography and disaster assessment. They also attracted attention at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. The setting is a drone training ground in the suburbs of Chiba. Parents and children are enthusiastic about small drone races. A man practices aerial photography, saying it's like seeing the world from a bird's eye view. Some people have just started because they believe it is an industry with a promising future. Drones require a bit of effort, such as obtaining an amateur radio license and submitting applications. What are people seeking when they fly them? Over three days under the autumn sky, we listen in.

25. Hair and Makeup Salon: I Shape Eyebrows

Air Date: 2021-11-19

A hair and makeup salon in Namba, Osaka. Eighty percent of customers request “eyebrow trimming.” In today's mask-wearing society, where most of the face is covered, eyebrows are gaining attention. A company employee who noticed her bushy eyebrows on the computer screen. A woman who felt self-conscious about her thick eyebrows leaves with a smile after having them neatly trimmed. Thirty percent of customers are men, and some businessmen say the time spent here is necessary to calm their minds. Over three days, I observed eyebrows and listened to each person's story.

26. Big City: 24-Hour Cheap Bento Shop

Air Date: 2021-11-26

A 24-hour bento shop located in Okubo, Shinjuku Ward. All bentos, including fried chicken, grilled meat, and mapo tofu, are priced at 290 yen each, making them extremely affordable. Over the three days spanning the House of Representatives election and Halloween, customers with various circumstances come to the shop. College students drawn by the low prices, struggling comedians and hosts. Chinese immigrants nostalgic for their homeland, drawn to the Asian-style side dishes. Men working night shifts always visit at 4 a.m. What are they seeking here? A glimpse into the present of the metropolis.

27. Giant Skateboard Park—The Ride Is Smooth

Air Date: 2021-12-03

The setting is a massive skateboard park in an industrial area of Aichi Prefecture. Open 24 hours a day and free to use, it attracts a diverse crowd. A 60-year-old skater who comes on weekends off work. A mother who rides to unwind from the hustle of childcare. With many automotive factories nearby, people working here from overseas also use the park to build skateboarding connections. What motivates everyone to skateboard? We’ll listen all night for three days.

28. Tokyo, Koganei: At the Neighborhood Water Pumping Station

Air Date: 2021-12-10

The setting is a local “water pumping station” where natural groundwater flows. Located between apartment buildings in Koganei City, Tokyo, it's an inconspicuous spot, yet people keep coming to fetch water. A local woman brings a large number of plastic bottles. A nearby college student holds a kettle in one hand, saying he was asked by his mother. A nearby vegetable shop uses water from this well to cook dishes in large pots. This area is known for its high-quality groundwater. What are the reasons behind each person's decision to come here to collect water? Over three days, we listen to the stories at the street corner water well.

29. Large Secondhand Clothing Store: Finding My Own Style

Air Date: 2021-12-17

A large secondhand clothing store located in the suburbs of Atsugi, Kanagawa. With a selection of 100,000 items, including jackets, sweatshirts, and jeans. Women buying men's clothing to wear oversized, men enjoying a drink at home while admiring their favorite vintage pieces, and a high school girl sharing clothes with her father. The way people choose and style vintage clothing reflects their individual lifestyles. This autumn, as the pandemic has calmed down, how are people aiming to add color to their daily lives through their attire? I listened in for three days.

1. Episode 1

Air Date: 2022-01-07

2. Episode 2

Air Date: 2022-01-14

3. Episode 3

Air Date: 2022-01-28

4. Episode 4

Air Date: 2022-02-25

5. Episode 5

Air Date: 2022-03-18

6. Episode 6

Air Date: 2022-04-08

7. Ikebana Shop, Miyagi, In the Spring When I Think of You

Air Date: 2022-04-15

In March, we meet, say goodbye, and remember our loved ones who passed away that day. A flower arrangement store in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture. The commercial facility where the store is located was built two years ago. The Yuriage area was severely damaged by the earthquake, and it took a long time to rebuild the town. In spring, many customers come to the store. Flowers for school graduates, flowers to mourn the deceased, and flowers to add color to new lives. For three days, we listen to their voices.

8. Episode 8

Air Date: 2022-04-22

9. Print Sticker Machine: Their Spring

Air Date: 2022-05-13

Printed sticker machines attract many high school and junior high school students who find them "kawaii and cute. The setting is a game center in Machida, Tokyo. Two high school seniors are about to graduate. A high school sophomore who is busy with makeup, hoping to become the person she wants to be. They are accompanied by a friend from a different school, but they hit it off well. The model of the pre-production machine that was born in the Heisei era and continues to evolve even now. What are they trying to capture here? For three days in spring, we listen to their voices

10. Episode 10

Air Date: 2022-05-20

11. Episode 11

Air Date: 2022-05-27

12. Episode 12

Air Date: 2022-06-03

13. Episode 13

Air Date: 2022-06-10

14. Nature's Treasure Hunt on a Niigata Beach

Air Date: 2022-06-17

A pebbly beach on Niigata Prefecture's Sea of Japan coast contains pieces of real jade. Some people who come here for a natural treasure hunt find jade right away, others have no luck despite picking through the stones all day. Among the visitors were a family on a trip; regulars who come from far and wide; and a woman whose visits here helped her become more socially outgoing. What is it that lures them so much to this beach? For three days in early summer, we asked the people hunting for treasure at the water's edge.

15. Vegetable Vending Machine in Nerima, Tokyo

Air Date: 2022-06-24

Large cabbages, watery lettuce, and freshly picked radishes. A vegetable vending machine in a residential area in Tokyo's Nerima Ward. It is a coin-operated locker-type machine, and customers put money in and take it out. A father and son came for lettuce grown in the field in front of their house. A man stops by on his way home from his daily run and buys some to please his wife. Nerima Ward has the most farmland in Tokyo's 23 wards and is home to many vegetable vending machines. For three days, the camera is set on a somewhat mysterious vending machine

16. Episode 16

Air Date: 2022-07-15

17. At the seaside station where a handkerchief flutters

Air Date: 2022-07-22

Many yellow handkerchiefs fluttering in the sea breeze. The setting is a small station on a local train line running through the Shimabara Peninsula in Nagasaki. Behind the platform is the Ariake Sea. Although the station is unmanned, people are constantly visiting, writing their wishes on handkerchiefs and attaching them to the platform. A couple stopped by during a paired date. A photographer drove from Tokyo to take pictures of this railroad. Locals also hope that life with this station will continue for a long time. Listening to the voices of people coming and going for three days at the seaside station.

18. Episode 18

Air Date: 2022-07-29

19. Episode 19

Air Date: 2022-08-26

20. Doronko Park" Children Running in the Rain

Air Date: 2022-09-02

Children enjoy playing with mud, making fire, and water slides. The setting is a playground called “Play Park” in Kawasaki City. It is a municipal facility and admission is free. With the support of adult staff, what children want to do is respected. There is a boy absorbed in woodworking, parents and children playing while soaking wet, and children who cannot find a place at school. How are these children living in this day and age? We will listen carefully to their voices during the three days of rain

21. Midsummer Osaka Shaved Ice Memories

Air Date: 2022-09-09

Strawberries, blue Hawaii, matcha, and other summer shaved ice. The stage is a long-established ice shop in Hirakata, Osaka. Many people come so that they can be drawn to shaved ice made of "pure ice" frozen over time. Fathers and children who have been here for more than forty years. Two college students who will soon leave their hometown to get a job. There is also a mother and child who come here and remember the late father who loved shaved ice. Every one of them has fond memories. For three days in the summer, listen to the voices of those who want shaved ice.

22. Episode 22

Air Date: 2022-09-16

23. Udon vending machine on Route 9 in the San-in region

Air Date: 2022-09-30

Why are people drawn to udon vending machines? National Route 9 runs through the San'in region. A small rest stop along the road in western Shimane Prefecture. Many drivers stop by and slurp down udon noodles for about 350 yen. A couple says they stop by every time they return to their hometown. A boy and his family came from Fukuoka to visit this rest stop. Even late at night, people from all walks of life come and go, including drivers of huge trailers and men on their way to deliver milk. We stare at them for three days around the time of the Bon Festival

24. Episode 24

Air Date: 2022-10-07

25. Episode 25

Air Date: 2022-10-21

26. Episode 26

Air Date: 2022-10-28

27. Episode 27

Air Date: 2022-11-04

28. Gunma-Brazil Presidential Election

Air Date: 2022-11-11

A new type of documentary program by the “72 Hours” production team, in which the camera is not stationed at a single site, but rather at multiple sites, filming an event simultaneously. This time, the Brazilian presidential election. Four cameras started shooting at the same time at a polling station for Brazilians living in Japan in Oizumi-cho, Gunma, a supermarket selling Brazilian food, a church, and a bar in Rio de Janeiro. What kind of drama will be spun out?

29. Fukui: Invitation to Neko-ji Temple

Air Date: 2022-11-18

Ranked 12th in the Year-End Special 2022 viewer poll. Otakun, Futa, Elf, Kaukau.... Sixteen cats living in the precincts of the temple. The setting is a temple in the mountains of Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture. Since the time of the previous abbot, the temple has been involved in the protection of abandoned cats, and now many people visit the temple to see the cats. Some seek solace, others see themselves in the cats. On the other hand, not only the visitors, but also each cat has its own story before arriving at the temple. This film focuses on the stories of cats and people by setting up a camera at the temple.

30. Episode 30

Air Date: 2022-12-16

31. Year-end Special 2022 Viewer Vote #1

Air Date: 2022-12-30

A year-end tradition! The top 10 viewer-requested programs from the past year will be aired all at once! The show will look back with Goro Yamada, Osamu Suzuki, Kazue Fukiishi, and Kenta Tokui of Heisei Nobushi Kobushi. In addition, there will be a live broadcast of a scene from the show, as well as information on what happened to the characters after the show! Plus, "Can we do 72 hours here? and a trial project. The last song is “Kawaberi no Ie” by Nao Matsuzaki. The 6.5 hours of this year's event will be full of excitement. Is everyone's choice of “72 hours” in the ranking? Kirari, No. 1!

32. Year-end Special 2022 Viewer Vote No. 2

Air Date: 2022-12-30

A year-end tradition! The top 10 viewer-requested programs from the past year will be aired all at once! The show will look back with Goro Yamada, Osamu Suzuki, Kazue Fukiishi, and Kenta Tokui of Heisei Nobushi Kobushi. In addition, there will be a live broadcast of a scene from the show, as well as information on what happened to the characters after the show! Plus, "Can we do 72 hours here? and a trial project. The last song is “Kawaberi no Ie” by Nao Matsuzaki. The 6.5 hours of this year's event will be full of excitement. Is everyone's choice of “72 hours” in the ranking? Wow! No. 2!

1. Art University Seinen Graffiti

Air Date: 2023-01-06

Musashino Art University, a prestigious art university of art. This autumn, the once-a-year "art festival" was held with an audience for the first time in three years. Students devote themselves to creative activities such as paintings, sculptures, and crafts. A group that recruits friends and creates a huge object. A puppet show circle that wants to overcome the crisis of the ruins. Some students are worried about the future, but they are always facing paintings. What are you trying to make so far? Young people who are passionate about art for the three days before the start of the art festival.

2. Osaka: In an Apartment Building from the Showa Era

Air Date: 2023-01-13

Three old apartment buildings lined up near the Port of Osaka. Built in 1965, when the shipbuilding industry was thriving, about 70 households still live in these buildings. The apartments have a hangout where residents gather, and some even drink alcohol in the morning. An elderly woman who lost her husband and moved here a few years ago. A man chooses to live here alone so that his son and his family will not be troubled. There are couples who have lived here for more than 30 years because they feel comfortable here. In the midst of the changing times, we will spend three days looking at the days in the apartment, which continues to remain unchanged.

3. At a Small Okonomiyaki Restaurant in Kobe

Air Date: 2023-01-20

Pork and egg okonomiyaki: 430 yen. Beef yakisoba 450 yen. The setting is a small okonomiyaki shop in a shopping street in Kobe. It is well-liked by locals from children to the elderly. People come to eat with friends or buy okonomiyaki for their families. Many people also come to enjoy conversation with the store staff. Nagata Ward was severely damaged in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. This store also collapsed, but was quick to reopen. For three days, we set up our camera here to look at the current state of the community, which has been recovering from the disaster.

4. Minami-Boso: At a Quiet Pier

Air Date: 2023-01-27

On a sandy beach in Minami-Boso, Chiba, there is a rather unusual pier. It juts out 160 meters straight into Tokyo Bay with nothing around it. It was originally built in the Taisho era (1912-1926) for landing fish, but the fishing port was relocated about 50 years ago and the pier's role ended. Now it has become a hidden and popular spot. Some locals come here every day to walk their dogs, and a group of three visited on a farewell trip with a colleague who was leaving his workplace. Some couples have moved to the area because they like it so much. The mysterious pier attracts people. What are they thinking as they gaze out to sea?

5. Amami-Oshima: Listening to FM Radio

Air Date: 2023-02-03

Ugaminshoran, Hagee" - the language of the island, heard from the radio. The setting for this issue is a small FM radio station on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture. People from the island appear one after another, and many programs are hosted by ordinary people. The program personalities who read out the news in the island language are people in their 70s and 80s. Listen to the radio for three days and observe the daily life of the island.

6. Fukushima - At a mountain lodge in the dead of winter

Air Date: 2023-02-10

A 60-year-old mountain lodge located 1,350 meters above sea level on Mount Adatara in Fukushima Prefecture. Adatara at 1,350 meters above sea level in Fukushima Prefecture. Climbers aiming for the summit spend time here to rest their bodies and release tension. The lodge has a hot spring and overnight accommodations are available. A group of four climbers prepare their gear after taking a break, and then set out to reach the summit. A man brings in food from the base of the mountain and enjoys cooking for himself. Some groups hold year-end parties here every year. People who dare to climb the severe snow-covered mountains and visit here at the end of 2022. For three days, we will listen to their hearts.

7. Fukuoka Express Bus Terminal, Fukuoka, Running through the New Year

Air Date: 2023-02-17

Buses running at the end of the year. The setting is an express bus terminal in downtown Fukuoka, where more than 1,000 buses come and go each day. A woman goes to Nagasaki to see her father, saying it is cheaper than taking the train. Early in the morning, she comes to see off her boyfriend who is going home to Miyazaki. A couple who came to Fukuoka to look for a house to make a name for themselves. Others took an overnight bus for 15 hours to Tokyo. People boarded the bus for various reasons. For three days during the year-end and New Year's holidays, we look at the lives of those who come and go at the terminal.

8. Winter Stories of Ramen Stalls in Nagoya

Air Date: 2023-02-24

Outside in winter. People sipping ramen in the bitter cold. This time, a ramen stall on a street corner in Osu, Nagoya, attracts many people to its four seats for a bowl of ramen for 500 yen. Regular businessmen bring souvenirs from their business trips. Many of them have known the 75-year-old stall owner for a long time. What exactly does eating ramen under the cold weather satisfy?

9. Qualification Examination Preparatory School: My Path Forward

Air Date: 2023-03-03

Judicial scrivener, condominium manager, state civil servant, social insurance worker labor consultant ... Lots of qualification exams. The stage is a major preparatory school where people who aim to pass the pass go. Looking to the future, I am in my 30s who take a course of judicial scrivener while working. A child-rearing woman who is aiming for a career consultant qualification for re-employment. Some people quit their jobs to get out of non-regular employment. In the early days when it was difficult to see the future, how did everyone feel when they went to their desks? Listen to your heart for three days.

10. Winter at Hokkaido Village Convenience Store

Air Date: 2023-03-10

A small village in a snowstorm. Hatsuyamabetsu Village is located in the northwestern part of Hokkaido with a population of about 1,000. The setting is a convenience store, the only one in the village. The selection of goods is normal, except for a large amount of fresh food. During the snowy season, there is a woman who carries her goods home on a sled, and an octopus fisherman who visits the village three times a day. A hairdresser who knows everyone in the village, a young man who moved to the village to work here, and many other people come to the village. For three days in the depths of snow in the middle of winter, we set up our camera in a convenience store in the village to observe the lifestyle of the community.

11. Episode 11

Air Date: 2023-03-17

12. Akihabara Doll Store

Air Date: 2023-04-07

Beautiful eyes so elaborate that they could be mistaken for human eyes. The market for dolls is said to be worth as much as 10 billion yen. In Akihabara, there are several stores specializing in dolls in commercial buildings, and many people visit them. Some office workers are looking for a doll to heal them after a hard day's work, and some women are looking for a doll to do what they cannot do. Some people come all the way from overseas to buy dolls. They are neither people nor things, but mysterious beings. For three days, we will take a peek into the fascinating world of dolls.

13. Okayama 24-hour drive-in

Air Date: 2023-04-14

From hormone udon to stamina set meals, pork cutlet bowls, ramen noodles, and yakiniku (grilled meat). The setting is a 24-hour drive-in restaurant in Bizen City, Okayama. Located along Route 2 connecting Osaka and Kitakyushu, it is a favorite stop for drivers passing by. A truck driver on his way back from delivering goods to Hiroshima. A couple of colleagues from the company who came here after working the night shift. For three days, we set up our camera and listened to the voices of the visitors.

14. Iwate, at a small newspaper company

Air Date: 2023-04-21

Ofunato, Iwate, faces the calm sea. The setting is a small newspaper company with 30 employees. The company has been in business for 65 years and is well-loved by the local people, many of whom drop by the office on a whim. In this three-day program, we will closely follow the production of this newspaper company's pages. Every year on March 11, the company publishes a special issue, and seven reporters are working day and night on the frontlines. Many of them are from the area, and many of them were affected by the disaster themselves. We take a look behind the scenes to find out how they deal with the local community and what kind of newspaper they produce. Let us take a look behind the scenes.

15. Yamaguchi, Hofu Tenmangu Shrine

Air Date: 2023-04-28

Hofu Tenmangu Shrine is located in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Once a year, the shrine holds a “Doll Thanksgiving Festival,” where dolls are taken in and purged. During the festival, people come one after another to drop off their dolls and stuffed animals. A father brings in his daughter's dolls after she leaves home for marriage; an old man comes to deliver his grandson's May dolls, which he has displayed for 30 years. Some people say goodbye to dolls they made themselves as part of their training to become a bride. Each doll is filled with wishes and thoughts. What thoughts do they have when they say goodbye? We listen to their voices.

16. Harajuku, 100 yen store, in spring

Air Date: 2023-05-05

Takeshita Street in Harajuku, a trend-setting area. The stage is set at a 100-yen store along the street. The shop sells 18,000 items, including daily necessities, cosmetics, and miscellaneous goods. A high school student comes to the shop to buy materials to make goods to cheer up his favorite character. A 21-year-old man who moved to Tokyo to find a job said he buys all his daily necessities here. Many of those who used to go to Takeshita-dori when they were young are now parents and visit the street with their children. We look at the realities of young people over three days in spring.

17. Seto Inland Sea, Sakura Island

Air Date: 2023-05-19

In spring, an island of cherry blossoms appears in the Seto Inland Sea. Iwakijima Island in Kamijima-cho, Ehime Prefecture, is decorated with as many as 4,000 cherry trees, and is also called “Tennyo no Hagoromo” (the angel's robe of feathers) for the sight of the cherry trees reflected on Mt. The only way to reach the island is by ferry, but many visitors come from Hiroshima, Matsuyama, and other cities, and locals also enjoy the cherry blossoms scattered here and there in their own ways. Why are there so many cherry trees on the island? What kind of existence do the cherry trees have for the islanders? We will ask them while touring the island for three days when the cherry trees are in full bloom.

18. Osaka Post Office, in spring

Air Date: 2023-05-26

Rush documents overseas. Packages to my family at home. Moving procedures. This time, the setting is a post office on a street corner in Minami, downtown Osaka. Every day, many people visit the post office for various purposes. An American struggles to send a tourist souvenir to his home country. A parent and child sending a package for their daughter who is moving to Tokyo. Some people sell their precious items on the Internet auction and come to send them. In spring, the season of new milestones, who do people send and what do they send? For three days, we will look at the circumstances of each person who sends things.

19. Aomori, Hachinohe, at a shrine where a sea lion dances

Air Date: 2023-06-02

The petrel gets its name from its cat-like cry. From spring to summer, they gather around shrines along the coast of Hachinohe, Aomori, to breed. There are about 30,000 of them. Many people come to catch a glimpse of the large flock that covers the sky. An American resident of Aomori Prefecture brought his family to Japan. A man who enjoys talking with the petrels. Locals say that every year when the petrels return, they feel the arrival of spring. We will listen to their voices for three days to find out what people think when they see the large flock of petrels.

20. Okinawa All Night Bento Lunch

Air Date: 2023-06-23

A 24-hour bento store in Ginowan City, Okinawa, serving everything from 120 yen per bowl of Okinawa soba noodles to taco rice, pork cutlet bowls, tebichi, and sataa and ghee. Locals come here from early in the morning until late at night. An auto mechanic stops by after working late. A college student studying to become a nurse on a remote island. Some men change their jobs for family reasons and come to eat at 4:00 am. For three days throughout the night at this location, where the Futenma Air Base is located nearby, we looked at the real Okinawa.

21. At the rooftop garden of a large hospital

Air Date: 2023-06-30

Look up and you will see a big sky. Surrounded by seasonal flowers and lush greenery. The setting for this project is the rooftop garden of a hospital near Ochanomizu Station in Tokyo. The hospital has 800 beds, and patients and their families visit the garden. Families bring their hospitalized children. A man on a crutch who wants to breathe the fresh air. A man in his 70s who has just finished surgery for lung cancer comes here to soak up the sunshine. What kind of time do people spend in this corner of the hospital where they face life? We listen to the voices of the visitors.

22. Nishinomiya's "Manbow Tunnel" Under the Tracks

Air Date: 2023-07-07

It is approximately 130 centimeters high and so narrow that people cannot pass through it. This time, the setting is a small tunnel that crosses under the railway tracks in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. When passing through, one has to bend forward. Even so, people are constantly coming and going, earning it the nickname “Mambo Tunnel” among locals. Some people go through it because it is the shortest way to go shopping, while others go through it because it is a bit thrilling and fun. For three days, we set up our cameras in this mysterious tunnel and listened to the voices of those who passed by.

23. Kiso Road in Early Summer

Air Date: 2023-07-14

A stone-paved road with sunlight streaming through the trees from green trees. The setting is Kisoji, a mountain road that straddles Nagano and Gifu. It was one of the most important highways in the Edo period (1603-1867), and even today, in 2025, many people from Japan and abroad come to walk it. A group of three families hiking 8 km between inns. A man practicing trail running on a dirt road. Some people are confronting themselves as they walk. What kind of encounters will we have along the way during the three days in early summer when we come and go between the inns?

24. Episode 24

Air Date: 2023-07-21

25. Saraba, Nombe Yokocho (Farewell, Drinking Alley)

Air Date: 2023-07-28

Izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), snack bars, small restaurants, and bars. In August 2023, the curtain will come down on 70 years of history of “Drinking Alley” in the back alleys of Tateishi, Katsushika-ku. After the decision to redevelop the area, the number of stores has been gradually decreasing, and now only about 10 stores are in business. A man who has been a regular customer for 30 years sings karaoke enthusiastically. A young man says he comes here five times a week to visit his parents. There is even a mother of a tavern that has been here for 40 years and has yet to decide on a new location. For three days, we set up our cameras to find out how they are feeling in their final days.

26. National Udon Vending Machine Trip - Gunma

Air Date: 2023-08-01

About 300 yen per cup. Warm udon noodles from an old machine. This is a trip to visit the dwindling number of “udon vending machines” throughout Japan. This time, we will visit the eight remaining udon vending machines in Gunma, Japan, where we will have 72 hours to visit all of them. A man who has been a regular customer at a drive-in restaurant for 30 years. At a 24-hour store, young people and couples who love cars can be seen even late at night. What kind of drama will you encounter when you visit the udon vending machines born in the Showa period?

27. See you at Osaka Korea Town

Air Date: 2023-08-04

It is full of Korean gourmet food and sweets stores. The setting for this year's event is Osaka Korea Town in Osaka's Ikuno Ward. It is a popular spot visited by 2 million people a year due to the Korean boom. Originally a marketplace where many people with roots in the Korean peninsula came, it now attracts a wide variety of customers. A group of three nurses came to buy cosmetics. A man who lives nearby but came here for the first time at the invitation of his grandchildren. There is even a Korean resident of Japan who came to shop. What kind of people will we meet in this shopping street where different cultures intermingle?

28. At an insect specialty store in midsummer

Air Date: 2023-09-01

This time, the setting is a long-established insect specialty store in Tokyo. The store carries 100 species of beetles and stag beetles collected from Japan and abroad. The store also has insect nets and beautiful butterfly specimens. The store is visited by a variety of people, including a father who is working alone and is addicted to insects with his son, a working adult who enjoys raising insects from larvae, and a woman who has loved insects since she was a child. Why are people attracted to insects? We asked them for three days to find out the answer.

29. Fuji Rock On the long-awaited summer day

Air Date: 2023-09-08

Fuji Rock Festival, Japan's largest music event, was held normally for the first time in four years this summer with more than 200 musicians and a total audience of over 110,000 people. Japan's largest music event was regularly held for the first time in four years this summer. Many people came from all over Japan to the Naeba ski resort in Niigata Prefecture, where the festival was held. Families were there to see the musicians they wanted to see. Some people spend their time relaxing in the rich natural surroundings. Some people say that coming here makes them feel kind. We will listen to the hearts of these people for three days to find out what makes them so enthusiastic about the festival.

30. Hokkaido, Rebun Island, at the Youth Hostel at the End of the World

Air Date: 2023-09-15

A showy welcome, singing and dancing by all. The setting is a somewhat unusual youth hostel on the island of Rebun in Hokkaido. During the four-month summer season when the hostel is open, many people from all over Japan come to visit. Some are regulars who come several times a year, while others enjoy trekking through the wilderness. Others come here to stop at a crossroads in their lives. The number of youth hostels is decreasing nationwide. For three days, we set up our cameras to find out what it is about this hostel that attracts people.

31. Part-time High School Koshien

Air Date: 2023-09-22

It depicts various thoughts that cross the day of destiny. A new documentary program sent by the "72h" production team, which shoots an event at the same time with multiple cameras. This time, Koshien is a high school with a regular communication system. It is also called another Koshien, and ball children in a different situation from the full-time system fight for the top. During the day, students who had transferred to the communication system due to their work and the situation. If you turn the camera around at the same time on the bench or stand, what kind of drama you'll encounter?

32. Shimane, Kizumihirasaka, on the border of the other world

Air Date: 2023-10-06

A large rock in the midst of lush nature. At first glance, it does not appear to be a special place, but it is visited by people, little by little. The setting for this story is “Yomotsuhirasaka” in the mountains of Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. It is said to be the boundary between this world and the next, and is mentioned in the Kojiki, the oldest extant chronicle of Japan. A person says he has come to see his best friend who has passed away. A visitor from far away who is interested in the world of myths. Others write letters to their late fathers. What do people come to this mysterious place for?

33. Fukuoka At the bar in front of the boat race track

Air Date: 2023-10-13

The world of the game, where the voices of joy and disappointment resound. The setting is a standing bar right in front of the Fukuoka Boat Racecourse. Inside the bar, there is a monitor showing a live boat race broadcast, and people who have bought boat tickets, with drinks in their hands, watch the race as if they were devouring it. A woman who visits on weekends to enjoy time with her regular friends. A man says it reminds him of his late father, who used to bring him here when he was a child. Some people compare their own circumstances to those of young racers. What will we see after three days of winning and losing here?

34. Kabukicho, Shinjuku, at the hair salon that never sleeps.

Air Date: 2023-10-27

Kabukicho, Shinjuku, a nighttime district of glittering neon lights. The story takes place in a 24-hour beauty parlor located in a corner of the town. The town is regaining its pre-Corona vitality, and a variety of customers come to get their hair done. A male host dyes his hair to improve his mental health. A woman who became a gym trainer after working at a cabaret club comes to the salon late at night. An office worker who has been coming to the salon for more than 15 years since he was a host also comes. A room in a building in Kabukicho. We look at the real face of the town that never sleeps through the true feelings that spill out.

35. Nagano, at the mountain pass looking up at the hawks

Air Date: 2023-11-10

Shirakaba Pass is located in the western part of Nagano Prefecture at the foot of the Northern Alps. Many people gather on the slopes of the cut mountain. The purpose is to see hawks flying in the sky. Migratory hawks pass through this pass every autumn on their way to Southeast Asia in search of food. It is an excellent spot to watch them. A man stays here for weeks, bringing his telephoto camera. Female classmates reunite here once a year. Some people see themselves in the hawks as they fly without a flock. What is it about hawks that fascinates people? Listening to their hearts

36. Hyogo Good-bye Lift of Memories

Air Date: 2023-12-08

Slowly climbing up the mountain while admiring the autumn leaves. This time, the stage is a little old lift over Mt. Myoken, Hyogo. It has been popular with families for many years, but this December, the lift, cable car, and the entire plaza will be closed. A local woman who says she has been riding the lift for three generations. The elderly woman, a former teacher, says that coming here brings back memories of the days when she used to take her children. The last of the lifts is filled with various memories. How do people feel when they ride the lift?

37. 24-Hour Chinese Restaurant in Tokyo Suburbs

Air Date: 2023-12-15

Ramen, dumplings, nira-reba set menus, and more. The stage is set at a Chinese restaurant that sells large portions. It is open 24 hours a day on the roadside in the suburbs of Tokyo where many cars pass by. Customers come in incessantly from early morning to late at night. A couple comes for ramen at 6 am. Young people visiting at 1:00 a.m. after a part-time job. Some mothers work through the night to support their families and get take-out on their way home. For three days, we observe the lives of these people as they emerge from their casual, everyday lives.

1. “Rental Room” Life Story

Air Date: 2024-01-05

The setting is a “rental room” inn in Beppu, a hot spring resort. Accommodation is inexpensive. There is no formal service. But its mysterious charm attracts people. The inn began by renting out rooms to hot-spring cure guests, but now it attracts a wide variety of visitors, including a person who has been staying in a room for three years, two women who came for a trip before giving birth, and a man who continues to travel alone. There was also a couple who came for a hot-spring cure for an illness. For three days, we listened to the voices of visitors and wondered what they were thinking when they stayed in the rental rooms.

2. The Bench by Lake Biwa

Air Date: 2024-01-12

Who called it “that bench”? It is on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. The lake spreads out in front of you. It became popular on SNS a few years ago and is visited by people without a pause. A cyclist stops by during his round-the-lake trip around Lake Biwa. Car enthusiasts gather here every weekend. The weather around here is changeable during this season, and some people prefer the rough waves, while others like the calm blue lake. What do they all have in mind when they sit down? For three days, we gaze at the benches that stand by the lakeside.

3. Nature's Bounty at an Okayama Community Garden

Air Date: 2024-01-19

The setting is a huge citizen's farm in Okayama City. On a vast site the size of 1.5 Tokyo Domes, 540 plots of farmland are available for rent. Some of them charge as little as 1,800 yen per month. Farm equipment is also available for rent, and some farmland comes with a shed. Here, one can meet people from all walks of life. A family digs potatoes with their children and makes potato butter right next to the field. Others have found enjoyment in watching the life of vegetables as they wither and die. What stories are being nurtured?

4. Ueno: A Discount Women's Clothing Store

Air Date: 2024-01-26

The setting is a budget women's clothing store in Ueno. From everyday wear to brand-name items for going out, some items can be found for less than half the regular price. The reason for the low prices is said to be that the store purchases large quantities of surplus stock from the distribution process. People from all walks of life come here. Some people get excited at the bargain corner, others buy a 3,000-yen coat but say their goal is to work and buy more cute clothes. For three days, we listened to the voices of these women.

5. Ehime, Imabari At a sauna that has been in existence since the Showa Era

Air Date: 2024-02-09

Sweat dripping from the body at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. This time, the setting is a long-established sauna. Located in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, known for its towels and shipbuilding, it has long been a favorite of men working in factories. The style of the sauna, with its small talk and the owner's homemade cooking, is distinctly different from the recent sauna boom, and has remained unchanged from the past. A construction site worker who visits every Sunday with his friends, a former towel manufacturer who has been a regular customer for 20 years, and a man who has been a regular at the sauna since the Showa Era (1926-1989). This film focuses on the daily lives of men in saunas that have been around since the Showa period.

6. At Shinjuku's 24-Hour Drugstore

Air Date: 2024-02-16

The “Shinjuku Fair” airs episodes set in the metropolis of Shinjuku, and focuses on a drugstore that is open 24 hours a day. The drugstore offers not only medicines but also cosmetics and boxed lunches, and is visited by a wide variety of people. At noon, people buy nutritional drinks and medicines for menstrual cramps. Even late at night, people come to the pharmacy to buy medicines for menstrual cramps. For three days after Christmas, the drugstore is lit throughout the night, and we observe the daily life of people at the end of the year.

7. Kerosene Delivery Service in Snowy Sapporo

Air Date: 2024-03-01

Trucks driving in snowy Sapporo. It travels from house to house delivering kerosene, which is indispensable for winter life. In this three-day report, we closely follow the kerosene delivery truck. When the truck stops at a house, it stretches out its hose and fills the kerosene tanks and polyethylene tanks at the house. An elderly customer was so engrossed in cleaning up that he did not notice that his heater had run out of kerosene. A couple who run a hair salon and need kerosene for their boiler. Each of them has their own reasons for seeking kerosene. We follow the kerosene delivery trucks as they make their rounds and observe people trying to get through the harsh winter.

8. Fukushima: An Ice Cream Shop in Winter

Air Date: 2024-03-08

In the mountains of Fukushima Prefecture, there is an ice cream store that is popular even in the harsh winter. Since the owner of the ranch opened the store 30 years ago, the ice cream made with freshly squeezed milk has been loved by the locals. People from all walks of life visit the shop. For three days, we will listen to the voices of visitors at the store that has watched over the people of Fukushima for 30 years.

9. Spinning On at a 24-Hour Osaka Laundromat

Air Date: 2024-03-15

Shirts, underwear, towels, bedding, and other laundry go round and round. This time, the setting is a laundromat near Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People from all walks of life in the city come here day and night. A woman washes clothes for her family of three in bulk on weekends. A young woman who has started living alone talks about how much she appreciates her mother. This film looks at the life patterns of each of these people, as evidenced by their laundry situations.

10. National Route 4, Drive-in Never Sleeps

Air Date: 2024-04-05

Motsu stew, fried rice, stamina set menus, curry, and more. National Route 4 stretches north from Tokyo. The setting is a 24-hour drive-in along the road in Fukushima Prefecture. At first glance, it looks old-fashioned, but many people come here day and night. A man on his way home from Yamagata to Tokyo, carrying his belongings. A son who has joined the workforce and treats his parents to a meal. A man who has memories of his late father who was a truck driver. Each person's life path. Where are they all headed?

11. A 24-Hour Discount Supermarket in Osaka

Air Date: 2024-04-12

The story takes place in a 24-hour discount supermarket. A row of cheap side dishes and bento boxes are lined up, and “half-price sale” stickers are pasted on them one after another. The flashy neon lights are eye-catching, and the place is a well-known supermarket in Osaka. It is a well-known supermarket in Osaka, where a variety of people visit morning, noon, and night without interruption. Students on their way home from part-time jobs, couples coming in late at night, and the elderly after a night shift. Each person's life is revealed through their shopping baskets. For three days, we listened to the voices of the visitors.

12. Kagoshima Airport, In the Spring of Departure

Air Date: 2024-04-19

It is close to Kagoshima Airport in the spring and the season of departure. Parents who see off their children who are leaving for work, friends who are separated from their children when they go to school, the airport at this time of year is full of drama. What kind of thoughts will everyone have in this place that connects large cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and remote islands such as Yakushima and Amami Oshima by air? For three days, I stared at the moment when the story of life was condensed.

13. A look at anime people in Ikebukuro in spring

Air Date: 2024-04-26

Anime goods such as dolls, key chains, and badges. The story takes place in a store that buys these items. Located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, the anime town, many people come here every day with something. Some people sell bags of their favorite characters because they have changed their favorite anime. Some are giving up their goods when they move far away for work. Others come to bring closure to their feelings. What kind of present can we see from the circumstances of each person parting with their favorite things?

14. A Midnight Soba Shop in Akita

Air Date: 2024-05-17

The story takes place at a rather unusual soba restaurant in Akita City. It opens at 10 p.m., stays open all night, and closes around noon the next day. The restaurant serves not only soba, but also a variety of drinks and snacks. People from all walks of life gather here. There are people who enjoy soba after drinking, people who have finished their work in the entertainment district, and in March, people who are reluctant to say goodbye to their new jobs or new transfers and spend their time drinking. This film closely observes a soba shop at midnight in the season of Nagori snow flurries.

15. Fresh Starts at a Yokohama Electronics Store

Air Date: 2024-05-24

Drum-type washing machines, large TVs, refrigerators, air purifiers, etc. This time, the stage is a large electronics mass retailer in Yokohama. There are six floors on the sales floor, and many people come in the spring when a new life begins. New people who buy washing machines at the end of the initiation ceremony. Couples whose wives return to work from maternity leave decide to use a dishwasher to reduce the burden of household chores. A man who recently retired thinks his next purchase is his last TV of his life. What kind of life do you envision after the home appliances that everyone is looking for?

16. Asakusa Underground

Air Date: 2024-05-31

In Asakusa, there is a mysterious underground shopping arcade that is said to be the oldest in Japan. Going down the stairs, one is in a different world. 69 years old, this old underground shopping mall is full of unique stores, such as a yakisoba noodle shop that has been in business for nearly 60 years, a fortune teller, and a barbershop. While some are long-established establishments, others are new stores opened by young shopkeepers. One wonders what kind of people come underground, away from the bustle and noise of the touristy streets. We spent three days underground.

17. Racecourse in the Northern Territories

Air Date: 2024-06-14

Banei Horse Racing" in Obihiro, Hokkaido, is the stage for this year's event. The horses are large horses that were once used for farming. This is a rare race in the world in which contestants compete for strength by pulling sleds weighing up to one ton. There are two mountains on the course. The horses stop to rest and regain their strength, while they diligently work their way over the mountains to the finish line. I wondered what people were thinking as they cheered on the horses as they pulled hard under their burdens over the course of the three days of the race.

18. China Cancer Hospital, Rental Kitchen in the Back Alley

Air Date: 2024-06-21

Meatball soup, stewed tofu and crucian carp. This time the setting is Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China. It is a rented kitchen in a back alley. In fact, a large hospital specializing in cancer treatment is located nearby. Many of the people who use the kitchen are family members of hospitalized patients, and they cook meals here and bring them to the patients in their rooms. A mother makes vegetable soup for her daughter who has ovarian cancer. A young man quits his job and comes here every day to take care of his father. Cooking food that connects the lives of our loved ones. What kind of feelings do these people have as they prepare these dishes?

19. Life Voyages on a Sea of Japan Ferry

Air Date: 2024-06-28

The setting is a ferry on the Sea of Japan. The film closely follows the three-day round trip between Niigata and Otaru, which takes 16 hours each way. The ferry is equipped with a deck with a view of the horizon and a large bath. Passengers sleep in bunk beds or private rooms and spend their time as they please on their way to their destinations. Passengers range from motorcyclists traveling in Hokkaido to truck drivers transporting cargo. In this time of time-pressured travel, why do people choose to spend long hours on a boat trip? We listen to the voices of those who travel by boat.

20. Gifu Nagara River, Watching the Current

Air Date: 2024-07-12

The Nagara River is a clear stream that flows through the city of Gifu City. The river is also known for its cormorant fishing, which attracts many people to its riverside during this season. During the day, parents and children play in the water on the riverbanks, and anglers fish for big fish. At night, groups of classmates enjoy fireworks and friends listen to music. Many locals visit without any particular reason because of its proximity to the city center. It is a clear river that has been flowing near their lives for a long time. What kind of time do people spend here? A look at the days of early summer.

21. A Low-priced Gas Station in Wakayama

Air Date: 2024-07-19

A cheap gas station open 24 hours a day is the setting for this project. Due to the presence of an oil refinery nearby, there are many gas stations in the area, and price competition is said to be in progress. Customers come from as far away as Osaka and Nara in search of cheap gas. Couples who stay overnight in their cars to save money and drivers of chauffeur-driven cars, for example, all take a break here and drive to their respective destinations. For three days, we listened to the voices of visitors.

22. Paris, France - At a manga cafe on a street corner

Air Date: 2024-07-24

What are the most popular Japanese manga in Paris today? The setting is a manga cafe on a street corner in Paris. It has 20,000 French-language Japanese manga. With a system similar to Japanese manga cafes, such as time-based rates and unlimited drinks, many French people visit the café every day. A graduate student visiting to relax after exams. Sisters who traveled 5 hours by bus. There are even people who say their lives were changed by encountering manga. This 45-minute program includes a ranking of the most popular manga!

23. Lives Inside a Huge "Danchi" Housing Complex

Air Date: 2024-07-26

A huge housing complex with 7,000 households is the setting for this project. The Hanamigawa Danchi in Chiba City was built in 1968. With rents cheaper than those in central Tokyo, something has begun to change recently, as new residents join the old residents. Some have moved in after retirement, others are busy renovating their rooms, and some run stores in the shopping district of the complex. People from all walks of life are living in the same group of buildings. We spent three days walking around the mammoth complex and listened to the voices of the people we met.

24. Beyond the Books at a Kanazawa Library

Air Date: 2024-08-30

Countless books line the library like a theater. The setting for this interview is the Ishikawa Prefectural Library in Kanazawa, which was rebuilt two years ago and attracts many visitors every day. With the rule that chatting is allowed, I was given permission for an interview to talk to him. A man who often works on his computer here. A veteran chef who visits the library every week to do research in cookbooks. Some people come here because they are attracted by the atmosphere of the library. The library has 1.1 million books. What kind of books do they pick up and what kind of time do they spend here?

25. A Local Penny Candy Shop in Tokyo

Air Date: 2024-09-06

Gum, chocolate, ramune, snacks, etc. are lined up in a narrow space. The setting this time is a candy shop in Akabane, Tokyo. The shop has been selling sweets for more than 75 years and has several retro video game machines. A group of four sixth-graders who often play here on their days off, and an elderly man who looks forward to coming here with his grandchildren. There are also groups of college students on their way home from job hunting, and parents and children from other prefectures. The candy continues to be loved by men and women of all ages. What is the appeal that never fades? We spent three summer days at a small store to find out.

26. A Midsummer Service Area on Awaji Island

Air Date: 2024-09-13

This expressway service area is located on Awaji Island, just across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. On holidays, a total of 12,000 vehicles come and go on both the upper and lower lines. In addition to the food court and souvenir stores, there is also an observatory and a Ferris wheel overlooking the Akashi Kaikyo and Ohashi bridges, and many people take a break here. A couple on their way home from a baseball night game. A carrier carrying a package that must arrive the next morning. Others come at random to watch the sunrise. Where are they all running to this summer?

27. Nagano Inadani Direct Market

Air Date: 2024-09-27

The Ina Valley in southern Nagano Prefecture is surrounded by the Japanese Alps. Just past the corn fields, you will find a farmers' market. The market sells not only colorful vegetables, but also mushrooms, wild boar, deer, and other game meat, as well as locusts, honey mushrooms, and other insect foods. A diverse food culture is rooted here. Local farmers bring in their products, and many of the customers are also locals. What does it mean to take life? Let's take a look at it through the market.

28. Obon in Tottori, at a seaside cemetery.

Air Date: 2024-10-04

On the coast overlooking the Sea of Japan, there are twenty thousand graves. The stage this time is "Hanamigata Cemetery" in Kotoura Town, Tottori Prefecture. It is a natural cemetery that was formed before it, and its origins are not well understood. Every year during the Obon period, many people visit the cemetery. Each grave is lit up, countless lanterns are lit, and at night, a fantastic scene spreads only at this time of year. People who care for their dead families and ancestors and try to mourn. Look at the Obon of the huge cemetery on the mysterious seaside.

29. Why I Wear Glasses

Air Date: 2024-10-11

Tens of thousands of glasses are lined up in a glasses shop. There are a wide range of glasses, from attractive products with a cheap lens for less than 4000yen to fashionable items from overseas brands. Seventy percent of Japanese people wear glasses now that their eyes tend to be tired. People who want to change their image with glasses, people who have become old eyes, and various customers come. What kind of life can you see on the other side of your glasses? I looked at it for three days.

30. A Mobile "Warabi Mochi" Cart in Fukuoka

Air Date: 2024-10-25

Such a rare sight of selling warabi mochi at a stream stall remains in Fukuoka. In the case of the stalls going through the town, there was a transparent, soft, warabi mochi. The chilled warabi mochi is sprinkled with kinako flour, and it is 130yen each sandwiched between the insides. The easy snack has been loved by the people of Fukuoka for seventy-seven years. I don't know when and where I'll meet you. A lot of people come here to be sucked in. He walked around the town with the food stalls, and listened to the voices of the people for three days.

31. Meteorological shrine Wishing for a sunny day

Air Date: 2024-11-01

Weather that is deeply related to daily life, such as sunny days, rain, snow, typhoons, etc. The stage this time is "Weather Shrine" in Koenji, Tokyo. God is in charge of the weather, and many people come to visit. A family hoping that the day of the trip for the first time in a long time will be sunny. A junior high school teacher praying that the sports festival that was postponed due to rain can be safely. In fact, some people like the rain, and each person has a way of facing the weather. It is a time of great rain and extreme heat. What wishes do you keep in your heart?

32. An Everyday Family Diner in Tokyo

Air Date: 2024-11-08

Hamburger steak, pizza, fried set meal and parfait. This stage is a family restaurant in a residential area of Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Modern systems such as ordering on tablet devices and cat-shaped serving robots at stores in the nationwide chain. An elderly man who eats breakfast alone every day. A group of women who launch a local Bon Odori dance. Young people who have come to Tokyo following their dreams, and families who work together and eat out often. At first glance, it is common everyday, but if you listen carefully, you can hear a small drama.

33. At a Huge Thrift Store in Saitama

Air Date: 2024-12-06

A row of home appliances, clothes, and shoes. This time, the stage is a huge re-use shop. You can buy something cheap here that someone doesn’t need. A wide range of items such as baby and kids' goods, camping equipment, and musical instruments are lined up in the spacious store. In addition, there is a growing desire to save money, and people who come to sell things that are no longer needed in the store are rushing, and they are lining up even before opening. Many people who move, marry, retire, etc. are at a crossroads in their lives. Closely to the intersection of huge logistics.

34. A Martial Arts Gym in Tokyo

Air Date: 2024-12-13

The stage is a martial arts gym in Tokyo. More than ninety percent of the members are beginners, and the ratio of men and women is half. People of all ages, occupations, and different backgrounds gather here to dissipate something in their daily lives. There are lessons at the gym every hour, and the level ranges from diet and beginner classes to advanced classes. What is everyone facing at the end of the fist that is slammed? For three days, I listened to the people.

35. A Winding Road Through the Kii Mountains

Air Date: 2024-12-20

A moving series that goes on one road. The Kii Mountain Range occupies most of the Kii Peninsula. It runs on National Route 425, which runs like a steep mountain, for three days from the starting point to the west. Falling rocks are also conspicuous mountain roads, but there are activities of people in the scattered villages. A couple who have continued to farm on steep slopes. A bakery in the mountains that was opened by turning over. In addition, wildlife such as raccoons and deer. In autumn, when the colors of the mountains deepen, what kind of encounters will you have if you go down this road?

1. Multinational food store Living in Japan

Air Date: 2025-01-10

Bananas called mackerel, tilapia, mutton, frogs and hot spices. The stage is a multinational food shop in Kinshicho, Tokyo. It is lined with ingredients from more than twenty countries, mainly in Asia, and people from various countries living in Japan visit. A man from Bangladesh who has been in Japan for forty years, but sometimes wants to eat his native food. A Vietnamese woman in her 20s who started working at a Japanese hotel last year. What do you eat in a foreign country in Japan and how do you live?

2. A Niigata Drive-Through Restaurant in Winter

Air Date: 2025-01-24

Fryed noodles and meat sauce. Local gourmet called “Italian” in Niigata. This time, the stage is the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant in Nagaoka, Niigata. Many people stop by car and buy Italian food. A woman who goes to her mother's house and has lunch with her. Families who buy a lot as a dish of the dinner table and go home. Some people reflect on their youth to the taste that has been familiar to the local people for many years. At the end of the drive-thru, look at the present of the area.

3. Seiya Nagasaki Daihodojo Hospital cake shop

Air Date: 2025-01-31

The first series of hospitals!　A cake shop in a hospital that is rare in Japan. Nagasaki University Hospital has more than 870 beds. The shop is lined with strawberry and peach cakes, and visitors visit the clinic, including outpatients and hospitalized patients, accompanying families, and working doctors and nurses. A woman who has been in the hospital for many years and returns home every time she buys a cake for her family. After the surgery, parents and children buy to celebrate. A doctor who buys for his colleagues. Christmas at the hospital. What is everyone looking for for a cake?

4. Close! Moving a huge hospital.

Air Date: 2025-02-07

2nd series of hospitals! Moving to a huge hospital. In January 2025, the University of the Ryukyus Hospital in Okinawa was fully relocated. Eighty-five patients, from critically ill patients in the intensive care unit to children in pediatrics, are transported to a new building nearly ten kilometers away in a single day. The end of the hospital, which has seen life for a long time, and the beginning of a new hospital where more advanced treatment can be done. What are the thoughts of working health workers and patients who continue to treat patients? From the move to the start of the new hospital, I looked behind the scenes.

5. A Supermarket in Snowy Iwate

Air Date: 2025-02-21

The oversized block beef is also full of seafood such as Ise shrimp and cod. The stage is a supermarket in Nishiwaga-cho, Iwate Prefecture. In a heavy snowfall area where the amount of snowfall in the winter sometimes exceeds 10m, many people come while it continues to snow. There are many customers from women from large families with children who eat, chefs at local restaurants, men who run hot spring inns, and neighboring Akita Prefecture. A camera was installed at a supermarket that can be said to be a “local food base” for three days at the end of the year.

6. Oku-Noto-Suzu Seaside public bath

Air Date: 2025-02-28

Oku-Noto-Suzu. There are sento that continue to be crowded even though it is in the midst of repeated disasters. In the midst of the widespread water outage immediately after the earthquake, groundwater was pumped up, wood from collapsed houses was burned, and business resumed early. Some people provided a valuable bath, and there were people who met again and confirmed their safety. A year since that. A lot of people come here. Locals, volunteers, and people working in demolition work. The sento became the source of the people, and the danran was born. Listen to people’s voices and minds here.

7. Winter Sendai at midnight Nikuman Stand

Air Date: 2025-03-07

Hot meat buns full of toro toro-toned pork, bamboo shoots, and chrysanthemums. Set in a stand-style Nikumanten on the street corner of Kokubun-cho, an entertainment district in Sendai. It is open until five o'clock in the morning, and various people visit throughout the night. A fellow colleague at work who stopped by after drinking, a person who bought it for the second store to enter the second store, a man in black clothes at a club who finished work, and a mother of a snack shop. The steam that stands up in Sendai in winter. Under the cold sky, I looked at each situation of smiling meat buns.

8. Tokyo Botanical Garden My only winter

Air Date: 2025-03-14

The stage is a botanical garden in the middle of Tokyo. Some people visit for something, even though they think that there are few highlights during the winter. Some people say that they came to see plums at the turning point of their lives, and people who say that there is a taste when they see the appearance of standing withering. Some people sit on benches and look at the trees. People who dare to face the plants in the winter. What’s ahead of that look? We spent three days together.

9. Kawasaki Taishu Shokudo Diary

Air Date: 2025-04-04

Omelet rice, grilled fish, potesara, ramen, beer and shochu. The stage is a long-established popular restaurant near Kawasaki Station. Many people say that they work late at night or on work holidays, and the appearance of drinking alcohol from noon is conspicuous. A group called a childhood friend who grew up in Kawasaki. A senior junior at a company called the launch of work. Even if you come alone, it is not uncommon for people who happened to be sitting at the table and have a flower in a conversation. A popular dining room on a street corner crowded from morning to night. If you put your camera here for three days, you’ll see what it is now.

10. The Lure of Token Games at an Amusement Arcade

Air Date: 2025-04-11

This time, the stage is a medal game lined up in a row. The game center in Fujimino City, Saitama Prefecture, has a variety of things, from nostalgic to new games. No matter how much you add, you can't go back to money or prizes. Still, a lot of people are coming. People who are crazy about games thinking that they will not like their work from tomorrow, and people who enjoy games that they play with their father. What are you all thinking about when you’re into the game? We stayed close for three days.

11. Gifu-Nishiyanagigase “Shutter Town” Blues

Air Date: 2025-04-18

In Nishiyanagigase, Gifu City, there is a shopping street where nearly ninety percent of shops have shuttered. The bustling days of the night's prosperity as a city are gone, but people's activities still remain. A snack mom who has been working for nearly 50 years. An elderly man cleaning the shopping street with a part-time job. Young people planning events using empty buildings. After the war, it flourished in the textile industry, and was known throughout the country with its hit song "Yanagigase Blues". What would you see if you installed a camera here in the shutter city now?

12. Toast at “Japanese Izakaya” in Seoul, Korea

Air Date: 2025-05-01

Draft beer, edamame, fried horse mackerel, yakisoba. The stage is a Japanese-style izakaya in Seoul, Korea. The owner was a Japanese and opened in 2004. Every day, it is crowded with Korean customers. A fellow colleague at work who usually eats Japanese food. A family that has been going for more than ten years and is good friends with the owner. There are many couples and couples who visit. The real thing is to spill out with a drink in one hand. What are you all talking about here? 45min Expanding SP!　There is also a mini-corner of various Japanese food in Seoul.

13. Hakata 24hours Ramen shop

Air Date: 2025-05-09

Light pork bone soup and thin noodles. It is very simple with green onions and char siu. This time, the stage is a Hakata ramen shop that has been loved by the locals for a long time. The price is 290yen per cup. It is open for twenty-four hours and is visited by people all the time. There are people who come at dawn after finishing the construction work, people who worked at snacks, and people who say that it is a taste of memories visited by families when they were children. In search of an unadorned daily drink. I listened to the voices of the people who came for three days.

14. Spring running bread moving sales car

Air Date: 2025-05-16

Colorful breads lined up on the bed of light trucks, such as red bean bread, bread, tuna dogs and donuts. This time, it is three days to closely follow the moving car of the bread movement. Sales cars go around various places in Yokohama, such as condominiums in the suburbs where there are no convenience stores nearby, facilities where elderly people can not go out for shopping, companies and schools where people are busy working. For the sake of someone, from children to the elderly, for each person waiting for the bread. What will we meet in the spring?

15. Nozokizaka On the steep slope of Tokyo

Air Date: 2025-05-23

The stage this time is a steep slope "Nozokizaka" in Toshima Ward, Tokyo. I was told that I was so steep that I couldn't see the bottom unless I looked into it. Various people pass through this one slope. Some people worked until the last train, children who said that this was the way to school, and there were people who were training. In April, when my new life began, I stared at the slope where the cherry blossoms were flying for three days.

16. Multi-national student dormitory In the days of youth

Air Date: 2025-06-06

This time, the stage is a huge student dormitory. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in the mountains of Beppu City, Oita Prefecture. Half of the students are international students, and they are indeed multinational, from ninety-four countries and regions. Self-catering in the communal kitchen where you can see the cuisine of various countries. Naked relationships in the public bath and night with friends. Life between people of different cultures can be fun and sometimes difficult. What days they are living under the same roof, three days of spring

17. Tsugaru Prefabricated soba shop

Air Date: 2025-06-13

Oden next to the hot. The stage is a prefabricated soba restaurant in Goshogawara City, Aomori. The shop is only a few hours at night, and the inside of the shop is small and standing eating. Strangely enough, many people visit. Parents who stop by every time they go home. A mother who started a double work for her daughter who moved to Tokyo. The sister of an apple farmer who has been three generations. People who have left the local Tsugaru also come here with nostalgia. What is a hometown? During the long holidays, when the number of people returning home increased, I installed a camera in a small shop.

18. Bonsai A small universe in a pot

Air Date: 2025-06-20

There is a place called the sacred place of bonsai in Saitama City. The area where six bonsai gardens gather, commonly known as "Omiya Bonsai Village". From a thousand yen for beginners to a gem of several hundred years old with no price, there is no single bonsai. People put scissors in their minds and arrange the branches. An elementary school student who seems to love a bowl of cherry blossoms. A woman who grows bonsai inherited from her late father-in-law. A man who became a bonsai gardener at a young age. What is everyone looking at while facing bonsai?

19. Yamagata At a small zoo

Air Date: 2025-06-27

The venue is set at a small zoo for free. This zoo in Yamagata Prefecture is popular for its elderly deer and peacocks, and has been popular for more than seventy years. Some animals have been protected from injury or illness, such as birds that are injured and unable to fly, and foxes that have been in traffic accidents. Various people visit here, think about something, and leave, such as people who come every day and talk to animals, and people who repeat themselves to the injured and protected animals.

20. Shinjuku Ekimae Lion statue donation box

Air Date: 2025-07-04

A golden lion statue that roars "Gao". It is located in the square in front of the station of Shinjuku Station, a huge terminal. In fact, this is a donation box where the mouth of the lion became the input point of money. A lot of people don’t know it, they go in front of their eyes. The donation box was set up by a local Lions club in 2000. The money raised will be used to provide support to the affected areas. If you stay here for seventy-two hours, how many people will you meet who you will donate to? And what do you think about putting money in? Look at the good will of the street corner.

21. Chiba 100 Years hardware store

Air Date: 2025-07-18

One hundred years since its founding, it is set in a hardware store in Chiba Prefecture. From pots and knives to carpentry tools and farm equipment, there are twenty thousand kinds of items to be handled. A carpenter who comes to buy indispensable business tools such as nails and scoops. Farmers seeking barbed wire to deal with wild animals that ravage the fields. In addition, there is also a request to repair the mulberry that parents love for a long time ... What kind of life do you see if you put your camera on the “town yorozuya” that is close to the problems of the local people?　Three days of "preparation" before the summer.

22. Nagoya Shinkansen platform Kishimen store

Air Date: 2025-07-25

There are places where many travelers come to the Nagoya specialty Kishimen. A stand-up restaurant on the platform of Nagoya Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen. There are only eight seats at the counter, and it is large enough for people to pass each other. However, there are still few customers who can stop. People who always eat kishimen before a business trip, people who go all the way to buy admission tickets, and people who come to check the taste of memories before visiting their mother. Why can’t we stop by each of these things?

23. The “Last” Newspaper Stand in front of Shibuya Station

Air Date: 2025-08-01

Newspaper stands" are rarely seen anymore. For some reason, there is only one stand near the scramble crossing in the middle of Shibuya, selling magazines and newspapers in the old-fashioned style. What kind of people come to buy them? Why, in this day and age, would anyone bother to pick up a paper magazine? For three days, among the hurriedly passing people of the city, I stopped and looked at the shop. I stopped and looked at them.