
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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Reintroducing Arita Ware to the World
2017 49 minutes‘Aritayaki’ originates from pottery brought back and baked by Toyotomi Hideyoshi from Korea in 1616. This specific style of pottery has been passed down through many generations for over 400 years. This documentary shows the beauty of ‘Aritayaki’ and the history behind it. Check here to preview the program!more details -
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 -
Tokoname Pottery, hoping to re-establish a long lost relationship- Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture
30 mins[Beauty of Japan Season 2] Tokoname pottery is one of Japan's six oldest stonewares. Chang from Shanghai settled in Tokoname after he was captivated by the beauty of Tokoname teapots. Now he runs a shop for Chinese tourists and he visits China for various exhibitions to promote the pottery. This...more details -
Daidai Kagura -The Ritual Dance of Iki, the Island of the Gods-
2017 30 mins[Festivals of Japan Season 1] Iki Island, in Nagasaki Prefecture, has about 1,000 shrines. The Iki Kagura is an ancient and sacred dance practiced only by Shinto priests and is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. The sacred ceremony is carried out with the playing of flute and drum...more details