Even though locals are used to seeing, it may be an emotional experience for first-timers. This is a travel show that values first-time reactions of newcomers and rediscovers the "proud charms" of Oga, Akita. The guests, Gantulga from Mongolia and Alina from Ukraine visit some hot spots of Oga in winter. Through this tour, you will discover the charms of Oga's food, culture, and sightseeing including Namahage. After watching this program, you will want to visit Oga for sure. Let's enjoy the tour full of laughs and discoveries!

Note: This program has English subtitles.

What do the 300 newly found geoglyphs tell us?

It is one of the great archeological mysteries: who created the massive-scale designs of the Nasca lines, and for what purpose? The 300 newly found geoglyphs by the research team at Yamagata University may shed new light. Because so many were discovered so quickly through harnessing AI technology, experts are now able to extrapolate on meaning and objective from their placement as well as content. What role did the lines play within the sophisticated civilization that flourished 2,000 years ago? The program goes on the ground in Peru to follow the forefront of research.

China and a new-age cybersecurity threat?

In early 2024, internal records that appear to have come from the Chinese cybersecurity company i-SOON were leaked onto the internet. The records contained a list of a large amount of data that was believed to have been stolen from government agencies and citizens of various countries. Furthermore, it even included chat logs which indicated the involvement of Chinese authorities. Analysis of the leaked data with experts in seven locations around the world reveals how the cyberattacks were conducted and on what scale, as well as a tactic called "cognitive warfare." Through the "i-SOON documents," the program delves into the emerging threats that lie across the internet space.

Unearthing a Family’s Wartime Past

Marianne Ingleby, a photographer living in the Netherlands, came across a trove of images that reveal an unknown chapter in her family's story, a series of uncensored photos that her grandfather, Bruce Elkus, took in Japan during World War II and the Allied Occupation. Among them are photos of dead American soldiers laid out on Iwo Jima, the site of a fierce battle, and a skull of Japanese soldier with his hair still intact. Also included are extremely rare photographs of what appear to be the interiors of brothels, part of so called "comfort facilities" set up for use by Occupation soldiers. This program uncovers what the 1,000 remaining photographs can tell us about the aftermath of war for both the victors and the vanquished.

For the first time ever—high-performance GPS technology helps reveal the startling behavior of young male lions on their long-term quest for pride and power. Mahiri's life of ease with his mother has been upended after being forced from his pride. Busara and his brother left their group and eke out a nomadic existence on the fringes of rival territories. Now destiny calls... forcing them to form coalitions in order to challenge reigning pride leaders to the ultimate battle for the throne!

Gono Line, the local railway line connecting Akita and Aomori, has been popular among tourists and train enthusiasts. You can enjoy the spectacular views of Japan Sea on Gono Line trains.
An enka singer Yuki Tokunaga comes to Akita again and travels on the Gono Line to visit tourist spots along the route. He enjoys eating fresh seafood bowls and takes a stroll around the foot of the Shirakami Mountains, a World Heritage Site. He witnesses the beautiful view of lake called "mysterious blue."

The “factory” in the Tokai region of Japan is full of surprise!
The Tokai region is a major hub for manufacturing in Japan, but surprisingly little is known
About what, where, and how products are made. Therefore, the camera sneaks into the center of manufacturing, the "factory"!　Why did they challenge the development of that product? How did they become the world's No. 1 market share? What kind of wisdom and ingenuity are hidden in the proud factory? We explore factories with special cameras for powerful pictures such as super slow motion and also watch super craftmen’s divine skills and deliver unknown secrets of product development.
Here is a wonderful “world of manufacturing” that can only be seen here.

A real estate expert travels the world, showcasing dream properties both in Japan and overseas that people would love to call home, all presented in an entertaining variety show format.

Minyo is the traditional Japanese folk song based on daily life of local people and nature. Akita is said to be the treasure trove of minyo because more than 1000 minyo songs have been born there. It flourished in the 1970s, but after the boom, the number of performers and fans has decreased. Also, COVID-19 gave another blow.
Teizo Fujimaru, from Akita, was the legendary player of shakuhachi, the traditional Japanese bamboo flute used in minyo. He survived the battle of Shumushu island and Siberian internment at the end of the Second World War. Under harsh condition in Siberia, he continued playing shakuhachi to encourage his fellows. Why did Teizo take good care of his shakuhachi for more than 1000 days of extremely severe life? Yu Takahashi, a singer-songwriter from Akita, traces Teizo's life and thoughts.

Nishimonai Bon Odori is the traditional festival of Bon dance held every August in Ugo town, Akita. For over 700 years, the festival has been the purpose of life for the local people. In 2022, Nishimonai Bon Odori was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a part of the "Furyu-odori, ritual dances imbued with people's hopes and prayers."
From 2020 to 2022, the festival was cancelled or held with no audience due to COVID-19. This program covers the festival in 2023 closely, held completely with audience for the first time in four years.
Through this program, you can learn deeply about four important elements of the festival: dance, instruments, songs, and costumes. Also, you can see how irreplaceable for the local people the festival has been.

This is the winning work of the 61st Galaxy Awards for programs highly recommended.

Step into the fast-moving world of modern journalism with NIKKEI Film, a documentary series blending investigative reporting, data visualization, and powerful storytelling. From geopolitical upheavals to economic security, each episode dives deep into the pressing issues of the day. Launched in 2023, the series has earned acclaim for its perceptive exploration of complex events, including the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With its striking visuals and thought-provoking insights, NIKKEI Film represents a new direction in documentary filmmaking. Awarded the Grand Prix and the Visual Content Prize at Japan’s 2024 Internet Media Awards, it’s essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand our changing world.

Produced by Nikkei, Inc. since 2023, this ongoing series consists of episodes ranging from 15 to 20 minutes long. New episodes are being made available for streaming, on a regular basis.

This beautifully-shot documentary features absolute beauty of four seasons in one of the oldest villages in Japan, called ASUKA village. It is the site of ancient capital of Japan, and thus original scenery has been remaining thanks to a special law enacted exclusively to the village. Also, this doc follows a guy who moved into the village a few years ago and perform very traditional lifestyle. You can see beauty of Japan’s four seasons, authentic tradition, history, and culture in Japan.

Akita Shinkansen Komachi, the bullet train of Akita, opened in 1997. Yuki Tokunaga, a famous enka singer and a train enthusiast, comes to Akita to celebrate its 25th anniversary. He visits the railway yard to learn about Komachi and experience the maintenance of it. Also, he travels by Komachi from Akita to Tokyo enjoying special bento. Let's explore the history and the attractions of Komachi with Mr. Tokunaga!

Mocomichi Hayami, also known as Moco in his best-selling cookbooks, is a prominent actor who has starred in many top-ranked Japanese dramas, including "This Guy is the Biggest Mistake of My Life". Not only he is a charming figure, but also a talented chef, having won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards' Japanese cooking category in 2013.

In this show, Moco travels across Japan's beautiful countryside in his self-designed kitchen car to source fresh ingredients. He gets inspired by meeting cheerful locals and the rich natural surroundings, leading him to create unique and delicate recipes in front of the camera.
In the third season, Moco visits Taiwan, expanding his culinary journey.

In the fourth season, the adventure moves to South Korea!
Moco visits three areas in Jeollado, often referred to as a "treasure trove of food" in South Korea. He highlights three different locally sourced ingredients and creates original dishes based on the concept of local production for local consumption.
While exploring the culinary scene, Moco also visits various attractions in South Korea, showcasing the region's charm.
Join him on this journey to experience the artistry of cooking!

This series showcases a wide range of topics about Japan, from traditional craftsmanship to pop culture, modern technology, food, travel, lifestyle, and more.

It presents the audience with different aspects of Japan and its many well-known and lesser-known “Worlds” - from miniatures to space, aesthetic gardens to naked festivals, perpetual clock technology to quirky colorful bread - viewed and reflected from the unique perspective of Japanese and non-Japanese people alike.

All episodes are produced and broadcast for NHK WORLD-JAPAN, an international channel covering 160 regions and countries worldwide. This series aims to boost its global audience’s interest and understanding towards Japan and spark a desire to delve deeper to all things Japanese.

Internationally renowned, award winning, visionary, architect Tadao Ando needs little introduction. His unconventional designs shook off old orthodoxies and his iconic buildings can be seen in cities around the world. Shot in breath-taking 4K, this documentary allows Ando to speak directly to the next generation of architects and gives us a captivating close up examination of some of his masterpieces.

The absolute beauty of an ancient Japanese art. This documentary follows the 11-year-long historic restoration of the World Heritage Site, Toto, a 1,300-year-old wooden pagoda at Yakushiji Temple. Firstly, the pagoda was disassembled into more than 10 thousand parts. Those parts were then restored or replaced before being re-assembled. Surprisingly, the pagoda is resistant to huge earthquakes despite being built with little metal, a testament to the cutting-edge technology used.
This documentary showcases valuable, never-before-seen footage depicting amazing techniques from ancient Japan and true Japanese beauty.

A Mongolian reporter knew “Detainment in Mongolia” when she started to work in Japan as a reporter in 2011. The reason she knew it is that she read an article which reported that the people who built National University of Mongolia, her alma mater, were Japanese detainees. Comparing to “Detainment in Siberia”, few people know “Detainment in Mongolia”.
To know “Detainment in Mongolia”, she covered a meeting which Japanese detainees gather once a year. At the meeting, she met a Japanese detainee who lost his both legs during detention. His name is Mr. Tomohiro (94).
In 2019, Mr. Tomohiro decided to visit Mongolia as a last journey of memorial and the reporter also accompanied his journey. Through the interview with Mr. Tomohiro and Mongolian who know the detention, the valuable historical materials, it made it possible to reveal the reality of detainment in Mongolia.
Why did they detain the Japanese? What do they think that approximately 2000 people died due to the hard labor? Who is the assailant and who is the victim? Who has the responsibility for that? Through the documentary program, we would like you to know and think of what happen at the time.