
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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Amezaiku (sugar sculpture) -A young artist blowing new life into tradition-
2015 30 mins[Craft Masters of Japan] Asakusa District in Tokyo is a popular tourist destination. Here in this vibrant area lies the best candy shop in Japan. Shinri Tezuka is a young candy maker working in this shop, and his masterful creations are so delicate and beautiful that they are almost too...more details -
Yakuza and Constitution
2016 96 minsSince the enactment of the Anti-Boryokudan Act and Yakuza exclusion ordinances, the number of Yakuza members has reduced to less than 60,000. In the past 3 years, about 20,000 members have left Yakuza organizations. However, the numbers alone does not explain the reality. What are they thinking? How are they...more details -
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 -
Ofune Festival -Parishioners Who Support the Festivals-
2017 30 mins[Festivals of Japan Season 1] The Ofune Festival is held at the Suwa Taisha (Suwa Grand Shrine) in Nagano Prefecture every fall. During the Senzasai in spring, the sacred dolls of the old man and woman are carried from the Fall Shrine to the Spring Shrine. However, in the Ofune...more details