
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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Yoga in Nature ~The Ultimate Healing Experience~ - Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture
2018 30 mins[Beauty of Japan Season 2] Barry Grossman, originally from the United States, has lived in Japan for 27 years. He is a professor at the University of Hachinohe, and is also a yoga instructor. What is the ultimate relaxation experience that Barry talks about? Through following him on his yoga...more details -
Tsunami Disaster: Heartache and Hope Through the Viewfinder – 49 Days of Life and Death –
2011 2012 New York Festivals United Nations DPI Bronze Award. On March 11th, 2011, the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 leveled northeastern Japan. Kesennuma City of Miyagi Prefecture was torn apart. The subsequent tsunami and fires that broke out from fuel leakage led to 1,500 people dead or missing from...more details -
Sendai Tansu (Sendai furniture) -Harmony of three skills-
2015 30 mins[Craft Masters of Japan] The Sendai Tansu furniture was created around the end of Edo period (mid-19th century). Its fabrication process is based on 3 traditional techniques which were all inherited from the Edo period; ‘Sashimono (furnishing)’, ‘Urushi lacquer’, and ‘metal fitting’. Nowadays, the tradition is well harmonized with a...more details -
A Glimmer of Hope
2005 Award of Excellence at the Media Arts Festival. With the traditional family challenged by growing society pressures in modern Japan, this drama depicts the conflict between a father and his children as each struggle to find their own way in life. The characters in the story come to discover the...more details