DOCUMENTARY
Laugh It Away and Say Goodbye
DOCUMENTARY
2010
55 min Episode(s): 1
English
English
English
English
Winner of Best News Documentary at Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2011
Grand Prize at The Age of Regionalism Video Festival 2011
Grand Prize at “Era of Local” TV Festival 2010
Small and medium-sized businesses are the back bones of Japan that support the economy from the bottom-up. However, as work decreased sharply after the Lehman Shock, many life changes were in order for smaller businesses.
Without the work of numerous subcontractors, the manufacturing of Toyota cars, Japan’s top brand, would simply not be possible.
This documentary takes an up-close and personal look at a tiny Toyota subcontractor, four steps down the supply chain. In a 7.5 square-meter factory, the owner, a lively 56 year old woman, works with two other housewives who live nearby. This work consists of gluing small parts together.
All seems well in this cozy factory until one day in the fall of 2008, a global recession is triggered by the fall of Lehman Brothers. Suddenly, sales of Toyota cars dry up.
How does the owner of this tiny factory deal with the crisis?
Despite the grim reality, the factory is always filled with laughter.
What can we learn from this upbeat story of business closure?
Grand Prize at The Age of Regionalism Video Festival 2011
Grand Prize at “Era of Local” TV Festival 2010
Small and medium-sized businesses are the back bones of Japan that support the economy from the bottom-up. However, as work decreased sharply after the Lehman Shock, many life changes were in order for smaller businesses.
Without the work of numerous subcontractors, the manufacturing of Toyota cars, Japan’s top brand, would simply not be possible.
This documentary takes an up-close and personal look at a tiny Toyota subcontractor, four steps down the supply chain. In a 7.5 square-meter factory, the owner, a lively 56 year old woman, works with two other housewives who live nearby. This work consists of gluing small parts together.
All seems well in this cozy factory until one day in the fall of 2008, a global recession is triggered by the fall of Lehman Brothers. Suddenly, sales of Toyota cars dry up.
How does the owner of this tiny factory deal with the crisis?
Despite the grim reality, the factory is always filled with laughter.
What can we learn from this upbeat story of business closure?
Customers who watch this video also watch
-
TASTE JAPAN
2019 30 minsWatch as popular Taiwanese actor Figaro visits Aomori Prefecture and encounters the many delicious food products the prefecture has to offer. Along the way, he will draw inspiration from the local cuisine he tastes to create original recipes of his own. Throughout his trip, Figaro is touched by the heartfelt...more details -
The Thousand Cherry Blossom Trees of Eboshiyama Park
2017 30 mins[Festivals of Japan Season 1] Akayu Hot Spring in Yamagata Prefecture lost much of its bustling energy due to large fires that occurred in the late 1800s. Wishing for the recovery of their city, local volunteers created Eboshiyama Park. Later, as vitality slowly began to return to the city through...more details -
Arita Ware Reborn -Beyond the Tradition of 400 years -
2018 25 minutesThe first porcelain in Japan was made in Arita-cho 400 years ago. The porcelain was named "Aritayaki". In the late 17th century Arita ware was exported to Europe, and its technicality and beauty were appreciated. The process goes through different phases such as molding the clay and coloring it. the...more details -
Rene's Swimming Gems: the Nishiki Koi- Nagaoka, Niigata
2019 30 mins[Beauty of Japan Season 2] The Nishiki Koi boasts a beauty that earns it its nickname, "the Swimming Gem". In Nagaoka City in Niigata, many of the koi fish bred there are sold to Western and Asian countries and attract the attention of Japanese koi fish lovers from all over...more details