Central Japan’s Mount Daisen marks its eightieth year as a national park. Students in the fifth and sixth grades of Daisen Elementary School ventured into the mountains with recording equipment and video cameras, embarking on a project to c…

Each spring, a multitude of visitors flock to Gongendo Park in Satte, Saitama Prefecture, drawn by the sight of its thousand cherry blossoms, a breathtaking expanse stretching for a kilometer. The trees, first planted in the early 20th cent…

Ichinomiya, nestled at the southern tip of the Kujukurihama coast in Chiba Prefecture, is a haven for surfers and considered one of Japan's premier surfing destinations. Here, young locals ride the waves daily, diligently refining their ski…

Nestled in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, is a modest diner that first opened in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Seventy years later, it continues to thrive, operating around the clock. The owner, Misako Mizoguchi, a woman now n…

Over five years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the devastating tsunami it unleashed, the tangible remnants of the communities lost are diminishing as reconstruction advances. For those who suffered the loss of home and loved…

In Japan, where the art of calligraphy is often considered a pursuit for girls, a small group of students at an all-boys academy finds solace in their calligraphy club. Derisively nicknamed "nerds" and saddled with the label "gloomy charact…

In Ishinomaki, a city in northeastern Japan rebuilding after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake, Takahiro Endo, a 28-year-old architect, works to transform vacant houses into affordable, stylish spaces for young people. He dismantles, designs,…

In the decades surrounding World War II, approximately four hundred thousand people left Okinawa Prefecture, a region in southern Japan. Among them was a man who eventually settled in Bolivia. His lineage now includes a thirteen-year-old gr…

At twenty-two, Gaku Sato launched his own shoeshine shop. He’s cultivating a fresh, fashionable image for a trade often overlooked, guided by an eye for style and a thoughtfully designed space. Sato believes that restoring the gleam to poli…

A small village needed a spark, and three elderly women – all over eighty-six years of age – decided to provide it, one cookie at a time. This is the story of their endeavor: three tireless grandmothers tackling the challenge of a new addit…

In the years leading up to and during World War II, 270,000 Japanese people migrated to Manchuria, then a Japanese-controlled region of China. Following the war, the government established settlements, intended to provide returning families…

In Sendai, a city in northeastern Japan, we find a behind-the-scenes worker for the women's professional wrestling promotion, Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling, or "Senjo" as it’s commonly called. The promotion features five female wrestlers and …

Across Japan's aging landscape, an increasing number of elderly individuals are finding themselves needing nursing care within the confines of their own homes. Yukiko Senpuku, eighty-one, is a highly sought-after homecare assistant in Osaka…

It is often said that generosity unlocks possibilities, a truth well understood by one grandmother. Hiroko Sogo, at eighty years of age, crafts picture cards adorned with gentle, comforting illustrations and carefully considered messages. W…

Since ancient times, the imperial court and shogunate of Japan have fostered and defended Kasuga Taisha in Nara Prefecture as a sanctuary for prayers of national peace and security. Affectionately known as "Kasuga-san," the shrine is woven …

Nestled far from the mainland, the island of Nasake offers refuge to children displaced by hardship – poverty, neglect, or other difficult circumstances that separate them from their families. This spring, however, their haven was relocated…

Katsunobu Yoshida, a graphic designer of twenty-eight years, prefers the tactile to the digital. He crafts leaflets, posters, and logos by hand, resisting the use of computers whenever possible. Inspired by the elderly residents of his comm…

In May of 2016, Barack Obama made a historic visit to Hiroshima, becoming the first sitting United States president to do so. That year saw a record influx of foreign tourists to the city, with Americans forming the largest contingent. This…

At twenty-eight, Yuki Sakaguchi had once navigated the demanding world of an international company in the city, but the experience left him drained and unwell. He resolved to return to his homeland, Tottori Prefecture in western Japan. It w…

The city of Tokyo is undergoing a dramatic metamorphosis, fueled by a surge in construction leading up to the 2020 Olympics. At the heart of this change are the skyscraper construction workers who labor on the highest floors of these coloss…

Takahiro Inagawa, at twenty-nine, leads a fledgling company dedicated to developing affordable rockets. He and a team of thirteen are engineering small vehicles designed to deploy miniaturized satellites into orbit. Their ambition is to off…

Once a vibrant hub in northern Japan, Rumoi has suffered from economic decline and a dwindling population. Seven years ago, the town lost its last bookstore. Yet, a dedicated group of residents refused to see their community fade and succes…

For years, the Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble has shared the captivating art of Japanese taiko drumming with audiences worldwide. The ensemble is a modest group of thirty members. This spring, nine young men and women entered the Kodo …

Susumu Hidaka, twenty-nine, is apprenticed as a fisherman. He’s learning the trade from a seasoned master in a fishing port on Cape Sada, the westernmost point of Shikoku Island, Japan. After a decade of a dissolute life in Tokyo, Hidaka so…

Once, when vibrant flower nurseries blanketed its hillsides, Shishijima in western Japan earned the name "flower island." Now, a community of fewer than twenty residents remains, among them eighty-two-year-old Takako Takashima. For half a c…

For thirty years, Takashi Aramoto has delivered his cakes by bicycle throughout Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The 62-year-old routinely cycles over twenty kilometers a day to reach his customers, undeterred by weather – be it rain or shine, h…

Tomohiko Yukihashi, a clothing designer of twenty-eight years, makes his home in Beppu, a city in southwestern Japan. For over three years, he wandered the country, earning the moniker "traveling tailor." Now, he resides in a building dedic…

A recent influx of foreign investors has led to a surge in new inns and hotels within a historic Japanese hot spring resort town, a place steeped in two centuries of tradition. Their success stems largely from providing amenities tailored t…

At ninety-seven years of age, Tetsuyo Ishii holds the distinction of being the oldest resident of Minogo, a town nestled in the mountains of western Japan. She attributes her enduring vitality to a philosophy of remaining "rust-free," much …

Ayumu Shimokuni, known by his moniker Muyua, is a fixture in Tokyo’s vibrant Harajuku district, working as a shop assistant. The nineteen-year-old is employed at a vintage clothing store favored by teenage girls. While many of Harajuku’s sh…

On the island of Amami-oshima in Japan, Hitoshi Ijuin, at twenty-nine years old, operates a modest lunch box shop. A significant portion of his clientele are elderly residents living independently. The village lacks a supermarket or even a …

The program chronicles individuals seeking renewal, drawn to a World Heritage site in Japan to reshape their lives. The location is the Omine Okugakemichi, a path linking the mountains of Wakayama and Nara Prefectures in central Japan. This…