1x1 - From Old to New

April 29, 2021

In this first episode, we introduce 4 ideas to save the world. Traditional wisdom on using our water resources carefully without polluting them, cutting-edge technology to support agriculture, efforts to link EVs with renewable energy, and people working to build partnerships between foreigners and Japanese living in the same community.

1x2 - Working Together

May 30, 2021

Idea numbers 5 to 8 are based on the theme of creating societies through earnest cooperation. An application for wheelchair users, a farmer who teaches foreign trainees more than just farming skills, turning adversity into opportunity in the restaurant industry hit by the pandemic, and a school that produces well-rounded students through a unique food education program.

1x3 - For a Greener Future

June 27, 2021

Four ideas for a greener future. What if there were takeout containers made of perpetually recyclable materials? What if planes flew around the world on biofuel? The environment would be much cleaner than it is now. Also featured is a woman who aims to create a sustainable community by using local forestry to generate energy, and an appearance by a family in California who save energy using an innovative app. These are hints for a future that we can shape through our own choices.

1x4 - Leaving No One Behind

July 25, 2021

In this fourth episode, we introduce 4 ideas about leaving no one behind in society, in terms of poverty, education and welfare. A pastor who's been helping the homeless for over 30 years has plans in the works to make an even bigger impact. An art studio where people with disabilities can let their talent flourish. E-learning that provides equal opportunities for children around the world, and a traveling salon that provides hairstyling services and improved quality of life for the elderly.

1x5 - Mottainai!

August 29, 2021

Four ideas based around Mottainai, the now widely embraced environmental concept. Kintsugi is an age-old technique to repair broken pottery. A service that allows people to live in multiple locations for about a month addresses the problem of vacant houses in Japan. A night bakery that sells bread bound for the waste bin is simultaneously solving the problems of food loss and employment. We also introduce a town with an 80% recycling rate. "Garbage is not garbage, it is a resource."

1x6 - Ideas in Regional Renewal

September 26, 2021

Our 6th episode is all about regional renewal, with 4 ideas for upping local appeal while protecting the environment. On a remote Taiwanese island, they're offering free rentals of stainless-steel cups to help keep the seas free of plastic. In Tokyo, architect Kuma Kengo is proposing a new kind of park for a new kind of city. A town in Iwate Prefecture is using geothermal energy and IoT farm management to revitalize the region. And in Kyoto Prefecture, preserving traditional houses is key to the city's future appeal.

1x7 - Women Power!

November 21, 2021

Our 7th installment is all about women's empowerment, bringing you 4 great ways women are helping to change the world. See what ostomate doctor, Emma, is doing to spread awareness of her condition in Japan. We also meet a Japanese woman working to find jobs for asylum seekers, a UAE soccer coach bringing soccer to women in the Middle East, and Malaysian women working to protect sea turtle habitats.

1x8 - Regeneration!

November 28, 2021

Four ideas about creating unexpected value from things that have seemingly outlived their purpose. A recycling company's stoic quest to make useful resources from waste. Waste from oranges squeezed for juice is turned into food for fish farming. People and a local railway company band together to revitalize their depopulated town into an attractive tourist destination. And the story of a German architect who has brought new residents to depopulated areas by renovating vacant old houses into beautiful buildings.

1x9 - Helping Hands

December 26, 2021

In this ninth episode, we introduce 4 ideas about joining hands and the power of community. A baseball team for children with different forms of developmental disabilities. A woman raised by hearing-impaired parents who is developing a system to take sign language to a new level. A Pakistani director of a mosque in Tokyo who is influencing Japanese youth to expand their circle of goodwill. And the story of an entrepreneur using fashion to tackle poverty-related issues in Africa.

lae astra

Self - Narrator (voice)