
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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Ms. Chii’s Little Band: Bringing Songs and Smiles to the Children of Cambodia
2012 2013 New York Festivals Silver Award. In this program, a female teacher from Hokkaido travels to Cambodia alone to teach music at the country’s largest elementary school in Siem Reap. She reveals the struggles she encounters in her efforts to help her students. Chigusa Tanaka (33) is a volunteer for...more details -
Hungry Hoppers - Pigging out around Japan
2010 24 minsThis crazy and entertaining food show hosted by Yo Oizumi, a Japanese rising actor/star, follows three comedic guys known as the "Piggy Family" as they travel around Japan seeking out the local hidden delicacies that Japan's world-renowned cuisine has to offer. Watch as the guys travel in their minivan, named...more details -
Finding the Strength to Live
2022 2023 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival REMI Award (Special Jury Award) Known as the Kobe Serial Child Murders, in 1997 two children in Kyoto were brutally murdered by a 14-year-old boy who used the pseudonym Seito Sakakibara. Still a minor, by law the killer was jailed anonymously to protect his identity....more details -
Wooden Barrels of Tochigi -Time Etched by the Color of Old Bamboo (Tochigi Prefecture)
2021 25 minutes[Colors in Japan] Tochigi City has a long history of producing wooden barrels for fermenting food. Despite the rise of plastic containers, one dedicated craftsman continues to make barrels using traditional techniques. The barrels are crafted from cedar heartwood and tied with local timber bamboo. Click here to preview this...more details