2021x1 - Episode 1

January 8, 2021

2021x122 - Episode 122

January 22, 2021

2021x129 - Episode 129

January 29, 2021

2021x205 - Episode 205

February 5, 2021

2021x212 - Episode 212

February 12, 2021

2021x312 - Episode 312

March 12, 2021

2021x319 - Episode 319

March 19, 2021

2021x402 - Episode 402

April 2, 2021

2021x416 - New Beginnings from an Osaka Bus Terminal

April 16, 2021

In Japan, spring is a time when many people move for school or work. A highway bus terminal linking Osaka Prefecture with over 60 cities is a magnet for people starting the next chapter in life. Among those we met at this terminal were a couple visiting their hometown for the first time in a year; a woman getting engaged to her long-distance boyfriend; and a newly grad moving out of his mother's home to start a new job far away. For 3 days in mid-March, soon after the COVID state of emergency was lifted, we asked people at the terminal where they were going, and why.

2021x423 - Episode 423

April 23, 2021

2021x430 - Episode 430

April 30, 2021

2021x507 - Episode 507

May 7, 2021

2021x521 - The Station Under the Cherry Blossoms

May 21, 2021

A small, unmanned train station on the Noto Peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, is quiet for most of the year. But each spring, the station comes to life as about 100 cherry blossom trees flanking the tracks burst into bloom. The visitors included a woman and her elderly mother admiring the view of the petals, trains and nearby ocean; a man reminiscing about an inspiring high school teacher; and an elderly couple who helped plant some of the trees and who volunteer to keep the station clean. For 3 days, we asked people what the blossoms at this station mean to them.

2021x611 - Quiet Prayers at a Secluded Shrine

June 11, 2021

Near the towering apartment buildings in Tokyo's Tsukuda area is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it alley. But tucked away down the narrow passage is a stone carving of a Buddhist guardian deity and a centuries-old ginkgo tree. Some people come to this small, secluded site to pray for good health, others for business prosperity or a better relationship with their spouse. Some just drop by to clear their mind. For 3 days, we asked visitors why they come to this unique spot loved by locals for almost 300 years.

2021x618 - Episode 618

June 18, 2021

2021x625 - Episode 625

June 25, 2021

2021x709 - Tokyo Stationery Store: Messages from the Heart

July 9, 2021

Meeting in person isn't easy these days, so sending a written message is a personal way to stay in touch. A stationery shop in Ginza, Tokyo, has over 5,000 items in a two-floor card and letter pad section. The customers included a man writing to his wife on their wedding anniversary for the first time; a company worker sending messages to clients she cannot meet due to coronavirus restrictions; and a woman cheered by handwritten letters from her grandmother. For 3 days, we asked what messages they would write.

2021x820 - Episode 820

August 20, 2021

2021x910 - Episode 910

September 10, 2021

2021x917 - The Fishermen's Convenience Store

September 17, 2021

As bonito season peaks in mid-July, the port in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, buzzes as fishermen unload their catches and prepare to return to sea. A portside store selling food and other vital supplies is a magnet for these men. Among the customers were a tuna fisherman soon to depart on a yearlong voyage; saury fishermen buying compact futon for their onboard sleeping quarters; and a captain stocking up on snacks for his 23 crew members. For 3 days, we asked these men about the lure of this store - and the ocean.

2021x924 - Fireworks Shop: Lighting Up a Quiet Summer

September 24, 2021

From handheld sparklers to skyrockets and novelty fireworks, a small shop in Yamanashi Prefecture sells over 400 kinds of fireworks. Locals and visitors flock to this shop during a summer when many large fireworks displays were canceled. Customers included a family buying fireworks with a curry fragrance; an elderly couple buying an assortment for their grandchildren; and a worker at an elderly care facility hoping to give the residents a colorful thrill. For 3 days, we asked people why fireworks were special to them.

2021x1001 - Salvaging Bargains at a Tokyo Grocery Store

October 1, 2021

A store in a Tokyo suburb selling short-dated, surplus or imperfect yet edible food items cheaply is a magnet for thrifty shoppers. They can find vegetables costing just 27 US cents, a bottle of beer for 30 cents, and a pack of meat costing less than 1 dollar. The customers included a young woman trying to stretch the food budget for her family of 9; a woman and daughter who drive for an hour to buy meat; and a man thrilled by finding an unexpected bargain. Why do people come to this store that also reflects the huge volume of food discarded in Japan? For 3 days, we talked to customers hunting a bargain while filling their shopping baskets.

2021x1022 - At an Underground Bicycle Parking Lot

October 22, 2021

The huge underground parking lot at Tokyo's Kasai Station can hold about 10,000 bicycles. Each day, from very early until very late, workers, students and other commuters store their bikes at this facility. They included a cleaner heading to central Tokyo on the day's first train; 2 high school girls staying close to home due to the coronavirus; and a woman holding down 2 jobs to support her family. For 3 days, we asked parking lot customers about where they were going - and wh

2021x1105 - Episode 1105

November 5, 2021

2021x1112 - Episode 1112

November 12, 2021

2021x1119 - Hair and Makeup Salon: Grooming the Eyebrows and Mind

November 19, 2021

With half of the face covered by masks, eyebrows can make a big statement. About 80% of the customers who visit the hair and makeup salon in Namba, Osaka Prefecture, come to get their eyebrows done. Among the customers we met were an office worker who became conscious of his bushy brows during video calls, and a woman freed from her eyebrow issues from the past. Roughly a third of the customers are male, including businessmen who come not only to groom their brows but also to calm their mind. For 3 days, we asked the people about their reasons for coming to this salon.

2021x1126 - Episode 1126

November 26, 2021

2021x1203 - Boards and Bonds at a 24-Hour Skateboard Park

December 3, 2021

A large 24-hour skateboard park in an industrial area of Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture, is popular with skateboarders of all ages and abilities. It is free and packed with fun obstacles; this facility attracts skaters including a 60-year-old who often comes on weekends, a mother taking a break from the hectic days of raising a young family, and men from overseas who work in the nearby auto industry plants. Why are they so passionate about doing tricks and jumps on 4 wheels? For 3 days and nights, we asked them.

2021x1210 - Episode 1210

December 10, 2021

2021x1217 - Finding Your Style at a Used Clothing Store

December 17, 2021

A huge used clothing store in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, has racks filled with 100,000 garments including jackets, jeans and sweaters. The customers at this clothing treasure trove included a woman who prefers wearing oversized men's clothing; a man who likes a quiet drink while admiring the second-hand clothing he displays at home; and a high school student who wears her father's clothes. For 3 days during an autumn lull in the coronavirus pandemic, we asked shoppers what they came to buy to jazz up their wardrobes.