2022x1 - Episode 1

January 7, 2022

2022x107 - Episode 107

January 7, 2022

2022x114 - Nursing School: Nurturing the Next Nightingales

January 14, 2022

The 200 students at a nursing college in Nara Prefecture, Japan, range from new high school graduates to people seeking a change in career. Among the students were a woman inspired by nurses who treated her in hospital; a woman who felt nursing would be more rewarding than her sales job; and first-year students preparing for a test they must pass before starting clinical training. For 3 days, we asked why nursing appealed to them as a career, especially while the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect society.

2022x128 - Seeking a Sweet Finish to Another Busy Year

January 28, 2022

As 2021 draws to a close, workers in Tokyo's Shimbashi business district flock to a long-established western-style sweets shop famous for its cream puffs and other tasty delights. Among the customers were a boss buying treats for his hard-working subordinates; a construction worker treating himself after an exhausting day on the job; and a father buying a gift of appreciation for his family. For 3 days, we asked customers seeking a sweet treat if 2021 had been bitter or sweet for them.

2022x225 - Bidding Farewell to an Amusement Park

February 25, 2022

Kashiikaen, an amusement park in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, closed at the end of 2021 after 65 years of operation. News of the closing prompted a wave of visitors, including a local woman who brought along her neighbor, and a family of 3 generations determined to ride their favorite attraction. Some even came after the gates were closed, just to see the park from the outside. What made them come to bid farewell? In the park’s final 3 days, we listened as visitors shared their stories and memories.

2022x318 - Tsugaru Railway: A Midwinter Lifeline

March 18, 2022

The Tsugaru Railway runs through a remote and snowy part of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. As well as being a vital mode of transport for locals, especially in winter, the train has a potbelly stove and views of magical wintry landscapes that attract visitors from afar. Among the passengers are a high school student poised to move to Tokyo, and a man who returned here to his hometown after several decades away. For 3 days in midwinter, we hopped aboard the rustic train and asked the passengers what this railway means to them.

2022x408 - The Supermarket on Wheels

April 8, 2022

A small truck loaded with vegetables, meat, snacks and other items – a mobile supermarket – is a lifeline for residents in remote communities in northern Kyoto Prefecture. Among the customers were an elderly couple buying a week's worth of ready-prepared dishes; and a woman wanting snacks to eat while she chats with a friend. What is life like in these small communities with falling populations? For 3 days near the end of winter, we talked to people buying groceries from the supermarket on wheels.

2022x415 - Heartfelt Flowers from a Miyagi Florist

April 15, 2022

The Yuriage district in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011. March is also a season of new starts and farewells in Japan, so this month is especially busy for a florist in a new commercial complex in the district. Customers included a teacher buying flowers for graduating students, residents mourning loved ones who died in the tsunami, and people adding a splash of color to their lives. For 3 days around the disaster's 11th anniversary, we asked customers what flowers mean to them.

2022x422 - A Shinjuku Cell Phone Store

April 22, 2022

Smartphones have become a vital part of modern-day life. Many people flock to a large cell phone store in Tokyo's Shinjuku district to buy the latest phone models, get their gadgets repaired and seek advice on other services. Among the customers in mid-March, a time for new beginnings in Japan, were an elderly couple fond of watching videos on their smartphones, a man struggling to spend less time glued to his phone, and people starting a new job or school year. What do phones mean to these customers? For 3 days, we asked them.

2022x513 - Capturing Happy Moments in a Photo Booth

May 13, 2022

Photo sticker booths are a magnet for teenagers at a video arcade in Tokyo. Over 3 days in mid-March, we met 2 friends about to graduate from high school; a teen applying makeup to create the appearance she craves; 2 best friends who attend different schools; and a couple in their 20s. The booths have added many new features since they first appeared in 1995. Why are they still so popular? We asked youngsters at the arcade why these stickers mean so much to them.

2022x520 - Episode 520

May 20, 2022

2022x527 - Plastic Model Shop: A Hobby Making Worlds Come Alive

May 27, 2022

A large plastic model kit store in Osaka Prefecture sells models, miniature trains, diorama supplies and other items. The model market has grown while people of all ages spent more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The store's customers include a man who makes model buses to relieve stress; a middle-aged woman crazy about making dollhouses; and a woman making a diorama as a birthday gift for her mother-in-law. For three days, we asked customers why this hobby is special to them.

2022x603 - Episode 603

June 3, 2022

2022x610 - Episode 610

June 10, 2022

2022x617 - Nature's Treasure Hunt on a Niigata Beach

June 17, 2022

A pebbly beach on Niigata Prefecture's Sea of Japan coast contains pieces of real jade. Some people who come here for a natural treasure hunt find jade right away, others have no luck despite picking through the stones all day. Among the visitors were a family on a trip; regulars who come from far and wide; and a woman whose visits here helped her become more socially outgoing. What is it that lures them so much to this beach? For three days in early summer, we asked the people hunting for treasure at the water's edge.

2022x624 - The Vegetable "Vending Machine" in Tokyo

June 24, 2022

An unmanned stall in a residential area of Tokyo's Nerima Ward uses coin-operated lockers to sell locally grown vegetables including cabbage, radishes and spinach. The customers at this down-to-earth stall include a mother buying lettuce harvested from a field right in front of her house; and a keen jogger who frequently buys fresh veggies to stay in his wife's good books. For three days in early summer, we asked customers why they choose to shop at this stall that resembles a large vending machine.

2022x715 - Asakusa's Rakugo Theater: Filling Lives with Laughs

July 15, 2022

A theater for rakugo comic storytelling in Tokyo's Asakusa district has been tickling funny bones for decades. Visitors to the theater include comedy fans from across Japan, and an admirer of a storyteller being promoted to rakugo's highest rank. Backstage, a teenager new to the industry completes a myriad of tasks, and a seasoned storyteller of more than 30 years prepares to go on stage. For three days, we peeked into the various lives of people in the audience and behind the scenes, and asked them about the appeal of this traditional performing art.

2022x722 - Fluttering Yellow Handkerchiefs at a Seaside Station

July 22, 2022

Rows of yellow handkerchiefs fly in the breeze at a small train station in the Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture. Right behind the platform lies the Ariake Sea. The unmanned station attracts a stream of visitors who come to enjoy the view and write their wishes on the handkerchiefs. Among the visitors were a couple wearing matching outfits, and a railway photographer who drove all the way from Tokyo. The locals, too, are charmed by the station and wish for the railway to continue in the years to come. For three days, we listen to the stories of the people who've come from near and far to visit this remote station.

2022x729 - Episode 729

July 29, 2022

2022x826 - Episode 826

August 26, 2022

2022x902 - Episode 902

September 2, 2022

2022x909 - Episode 909

September 9, 2022

2022x916 - Episode 916

September 16, 2022

2022x930 - Episode 930

September 30, 2022

2022x1007 - Episode 1007

October 7, 2022

2022x1021 - Episode 1021

October 21, 2022

2022x1028 - Episode 1028

October 28, 2022

2022x1104 - Episode 1104

November 4, 2022

2022x1111 - Episode 1111

November 11, 2022

2022x1118 - Episode 1118

November 18, 2022

2022x1216 - Episode 1216

December 16, 2022