Essayist Masako Shirasu held the Kyoto Matsuage fire festival in high regard. She described it in her travelogue, "Kakure-zato," as "the most moving festival I have ever witnessed." In this program, actress Mayu Tsuruta journeys to the fest…

For generations, a simple, heartfelt custom has sustained a snowy mountain village in Yamagata Prefecture: "The Mountain God Piggyback." Children, tasked with carrying the sacred object of the local shrine on their shoulders, make their way…

The program explores how ancient religious traditions endure on the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, a region revered as the Buddha's birthplace and historically a place for rigorous mountain asceticism. This past year, a "Mineiri" au…

Once, "kagura" was a sacred dance, a devotion offered to the deities. Yet, as its spiritual significance faded and it evolved into a regional performance, many young people now view it as quaint and are losing interest. However, a resurgenc…

The 'eco-paddy fields' project seeks to cultivate rice without the use of agrochemicals or chemical fertilizers, fostering a thriving ecosystem within restored terraced paddy fields. These fields were created by carefully opening sections o…

In Hiroshima's Motomachi district, Chikako Nakamoto, a volunteer probation officer of 77 years, was fondly called "The little old lady of Motomachi" by the young people under her care. For three decades, she welcomed them into her home, off…

Yoronjima, a southern island in Kagoshima Prefecture, is home to a community of 5,600 people, embraced by vibrant coral reefs and pristine white sand beaches. The island maintains a distinctive tradition called 'Senkotsu', where, three to f…

The play unfolds within the isolated setting of a rural elementary school, focusing on the quiet dedication of Hikari, a young teacher striving to connect with Aya. Aya, a foreign exchange student, carries a weight of unspoken sorrow stemmi…