
Zuigan-ji (2016)
Majestic Zuigan-ji Temple in northeast Japan is a national cultural treasure. Completed 400 years ago by the feudal lord of the region, Date Masamune, it’s famous as a lavish and glorious example of the culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (mid-1500s to 1600). The main hall is decorated with beautiful period-style art created by painters and master craftsmen summoned from Kyoto. With ground subsidence now causing its pillars to tilt, Zuigan-ji has been undergoing comprehensive repairs and restorations since 2009, called "the great Heisei restoration." An essential consideration when repairing Japanese cultural properties is that old and weathered parts must not be replaced and existing original materials must be reused to the greatest possible extent. The restoration's greatest challenge was to reinforce the structure to protect against earthquakes. This program follows the Japanese engineers and craftsmen, striving to clear the hurdle with their conviction and ideas, to preserve the national treasure.
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Rikuzentakata City: 10 Years in the Rebuilding of a Town from Zero
2021 49 minsThe city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture had a two-kilometer stretch of shoreline covered with 70,000 pine trees that was ranked among the top 100 landscapes of Japan. On March 11, 2011, the city and shoreline were obliterated by the infamous tsunami which struck that day. This documentary follows the...more details -
Chimugurisa ~Nanohana's Okinawa Diary ~
2018 Grand Prize at The Age of Regionalism Video Festival 2018 News program award winner at The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association 2018 Nanohana Sakamoto, a 15-year-old girl born and raised in northern Japan, came to the island of Okinawa to attend a free school, Sangosya Score. Through her interactions with elderly...more details -
Colors in Japan
2021 25 minJapan's landscape overflows with various colors from its four seasons. This array of rich "coloring" is presented in vivid 4K through the stories of traditional arts and crafts that symbolize the regions across the country from which they were born. Episode List (click title to preview): 1. Paint It Black!...more details -
Hikiyama Children's Kabuki -Cultured Entertainment for Common Folk-
2017 30 mins[Festivals of Japan Season 1] The Hikiyama Children's Kabuki in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, has a history of over 250 years. However, with the recent decline in birthrates and an increasing aging population, its survival has been put under threat. Amidst this problem, the children of Komatsu City try their...more details