NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Becoming a father is an extraordinary adventure in a man's life, but it is also a real physiological metamorphosis that science is only just beginning to reveal. Researchers from multiple disciplines are lifting the veil on these changes taking place in men who are in contact with young children, and their discoveries are astonishing. By tracing the thread of evolution, the film reveals that these deep, long-ignored bonds between men and children are very ancient. And that they are just waiting for the right context to fully express themselves.

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.

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

First held in 1975, Comiket has long shaped Japan's creative culture from manga and anime to games and cosplay. The committee, exhibitors, volunteers, fans, and cosplayers share their devotion to it.

The global hit manga series Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed, has reached thirty years in 2024. NHK is allowed rare access into the world of its creator Aoyama Gosho. The program reveals the never-before-told account of how Conan came to be, how Aoyama wore himself dangerously close to the edge, and the story he really wanted to tell.

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.

The story of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami as told through news footage and eyewitness video footage.

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.

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.

Zookeeper Takaichi Atsuhiro has cared for a polar bear named Peace since she was a cub, including through her battle with epilepsy. We take a look at the ups and downs of their 25 years together.

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.

An indigenous people from the remote corners of the Amazon rainforest step out of the shadows as the modern world encroaches on their territory. Astonishing new footage reveals how these uncontacted people have changed over the last decade.

In this program, renowned Japanese chefs visit European wineries participating in FOODEX WINE, then showcase original dishes paired with exquisite wines.

We explore the vast rail network that crisscrosses the Tokyo metropolis. With 148 train lines carrying some 40 million passengers daily, Tokyo hosts the world's largest and most interconnected urban rail network. Actor Sato Takeru takes on a riddle-solving mission tied directly to the train schedule, putting the railways' famed dedication to punctuality to the test in the process. We uncover a fascinating history and meet the people whose tireless dedication keeps the whole intricate operation running like clockwork.

Takano Hospital is located in a town only 22 kilometers away from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The 81-year-old hospital director, Dr. Hideo Takano, has continued to provide medical care during difficult times as an active physician. The program follows Dr. Takano over a period of 2,000 days as he struggles on alone.

In 1945, US forces dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Last year, photos and a map of the aftermath were found, detailing the bomb's destructive mechanism. They showed how the Mach stem - a shock wave that hyper-intensified the power of the initial blast - was responsible for destroying buildings with increasing force 500 meters from ground zero. Through a simulation of the blast and interviews with survivors, this program reveals how the bomb was exploded to maximize its catastrophic effect.

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.

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.