
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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Shiretoko Peninsula
2002 2002 New York Festival Awards. Nature and Wildlife Documentary: Silver Medal Into the Sea of Okhotsk, off the northern Japan’s island of Hokkaido, protrudes the Shiretoko Peninsula. The severe nature of the peninsula deters human intrusion and development. With no roads reaching the edge of the peninsula, it seems more...more details -
No Gambling!
2022 2022 World Media Festivals Silver Yokohama, a cosmopolitan metropolis close to the capital city of Tokyo, appeared to be the perfect location for major casino operators of the world to develop a new resort location. However, one man stood up to their casino development plans - 91-year-old Yukio Fujiki, a.k.a....more details -
The City where German Pottery Lives- Miyazaki Prefecture
30 mins[Beauty of Japan Season 2] The pottery workshop "Bjorn" in Aoshima Island, Miyazaki City (Miyazaki Prefecture), is where the German potter, Bjorn, works every day on his creations. He first came to Japan when he was 19 years old, just to travel around the country. 30 years have passed since...more details -
Ornamental Silk Apron for Sumo Wrestlers -Oozumo Kensho-Mawashi-
2015 30 mins[Craft Masters of Japan] Hirokuni Ohno is one of the very few Hakata textile weavers left in the world and has a workshop in Kokura Town in Kitakyushu City. He creates ornamental silk aprons for Sumo wrestlers to wear in the ring. The apron is approximately 70 centimeters wide and...more details