NHK WORLD-JAPAN

October 1945. A young Japanese boy in the devastated city of Nagasaki, two months after the atomic bomb, carries on his back the lifeless body of his younger brother. An American military photographer, Joe O'Donnell, took a picture of the boy standing stoically near a cremation pit. No one knows the subject's name, but the photo has become an iconic image of the human tragedy of nuclear war. This documentary follows the continuing efforts to deepen understanding of the photograph, while exploring the fate of thousands of atomic-bomb orphans and their struggles to survive the aftermath of World War II.

With only a photograph and a name, a group of passionate puzzle players have been trying without success to answer the question: "Who is this man?" Finding Satoshi is a playful documentary that finally solves the 14 year mystery.

Japan's Imperial system is said to have over 2,000 years of history. A closer look at the history reveals how the Imperial institution has shifted with the times, and with the people. At a time when there are only three heirs to the throne, a look is taken at what this could mean for the people of Japan and their Imperial system.

The 2022 (Reiwa 4) edition of NHK's New Year's Eve TV special Kōhaku Uta Gassen

Japanese gardens have long captivated people around the world. This program follows the master gardeners chasing perfection at the Adachi Museum of Art and the Katsura Imperial Villa.

Japanese swords fascinate collectors around the world. A special kind of steel called tamahagane is required to make them. This miraculous material is strong, flexible, rust-resistant, and produced through the ancient process of "tatara" ironmaking which takes place over three days and nights. Due to the COVID pandemic, there was only one production run in 2022, which was hit by a series of problems. Did the team meet the challenge? This documentary captures the essence of Japanese craftsmanship.

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

When a Japan-based American journalist discovers that a World War II B-29 engine was unearthed from a sacred mountain he embarks on a quest to uncover the fate of the US airmen.