Trivia on aspects of Japan's unique culture and products that reflect the aesthetic sense and values of the Japanese people.
Social & External
The people behind it
Peter Barakan
Host
Marking a 1150 year anniversary in 2019, the Kyoto Gion Matsuri was subsequently suspended for two years due to outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live coverage of the Yoiyama evening on July 16th and the next day's Yamaboko parade is accompanied by a set of special documentaries explaining the festival history and the activities during the pandemic.
"Japan Delish" is a banquet of foods from overseas adopted by the Japanese. From fare steeped in tradition to its many modern variations, uncover the delicious histories at the heart of every dish.
From sumo wrestling to robots, Japan's traditions and high-tech innovations fuel host Sue Perkin's cultural exploration in this docuseries.
A ten-part series on Japanese language and culture.
Akihito, the Emperor of Japan, abdicated on April 30, 2019. This 3-parts NHK World documentary series chronicles the life of a former "divine child" who became the symbol of the Japanese State when he ascended the throne in 1989.
Peter Barakan is a broadcaster and a 45-year resident of Japan. In this series, he discovers how Japan is changing.
"Talent" Chip Tsao went to London, Greenwich, Wales, Oxford, Cambridge, England, to analyze the British people's living habits, academic development, economic conditions, etc .; and went to Warsaw, Gdansk, Krakow to know a country with a hundred years of blood and tears. Eason Chan visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka in Japan to learn about the cultural differences; Social worker Shiu Ka-chun went deep into Finland's Turku, Helsinki, Nokia and other places to experience the local customs through living with locals. They will introduce the details of each famous city from a social, historical, and cultural perspective, bringing different connotations, depths, and education.
James May embarks on a remarkable journey across Japan, from its icy north to its balmy south. He’ll see the sights, meet the locals, and eat the noodles in a bid to truly understand the Land of the Rising Sun.
What comes to mind when you say Japan? Sushi or cupping geishas? The Land of the Rising Sun offers so much more. Naomi Adachi is half Czech, half Japanese. She often visits her second home to visit family and friends, and this time she's taking you with her. She will introduce you to the beauty of Japan, its traditional customs and everyday life in her own unique style. And of course, there will be plenty of food!
Looks into the lives of legendary sumo wrestlers who come from humble beginnings in Hawaii and become the first foreigners to rise to the highest ranks in Japan.
Japan continues to thrive as it incorporates cultural elements of music, fashion, cuisine, sports, arts and science from around the world. People’s encounters trigger the fusion of Japan’s and the world’s diverse culture, unceasingly producing a myriad of new phenomena and events. This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.
A series of skits revolving around poking fun at Japanese traditions, such as the art of romance, apologies, and sushi-eating.
Kevin McCloud is passionately optimistic about technology and the future, but Jon Richardson, Phil Wang and Alice Levine aren't so sure. Can Kevin persuade his trio of sceptics to see the light?
Embark on a series of journeys through the skies over Japan. Fly to airports nationwide and enjoy breathtaking views from the airplane window. Experience the unique seasonal beauty of the long stretching nation's southern coral reefs, vivid autumn foliage, Mt. Fuji at sunset and sparkling cityscapes. Upon arrival at each location, expert local airport staff will introduce must-see attractions, exquisite cuisine and more. Also gain a glimpse about the jobs of pilots and cabin crew.
The British actress goes on a 2,000 mile journey across the four main islands of Japan, travelling from North to South meeting local people and absorbing the culture.
Truck mechanic and motorcycle racer Guy Martin goes on an off-beat 2500-mile journey around Japan to find out how it really works.
Criss-cross Japan by rail. Enjoy an amazing diversity of nature and scenery across the four seasons, exploring both well-known and hidden Japan.
Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.
The history of the sport of baseball in America, told through archival photos, film footage, and the words of those who contributed to the game in each era. Writers, historians, players, baseball personnel, and fans review key events and the significance of the game in America's history.
Don Wildman unearths relics from the world's greatest institutions to reveal secrets from the past. He examines each artifact to illuminate history's most incredible triumphs, sensational crimes and bizarre encounters.
Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.
Through the prism of Jeff Goldblum's always inquisitive and highly entertaining mind, nothing is as it seems. Each episode is centered around something we all love — like sneakers or ice cream — as Jeff pulls the thread on these deceptively familiar objects and unravels a wonderful world of astonishing connections, fascinating science and history, amazing people, and a whole lot of surprising big ideas and insights.
Explores WWII from Germany's invasion of Poland through the atomic age, examining pivotal battles, wartime leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and the human cost of total war.
Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.
A chronicle of the creative process of the legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, a passionate artisan, a steadfast trailblazer, and a father butting heads with his son…
Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.
Explore the surprising things we know (and don’t know) about why people are the way they are through expert interviews, rare footage from historical experiments, and brand-new, ground-breaking demonstrations of human nature at work.
An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.
Explores the experiences of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who were both befriended and sexually abused by singer Michael Jackson, and the complicated feelings that led them both to confront their experiences.
American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.
Learn how popular Disney attractions and destinations came to be, how they have changed over time, and how fans continue to obsess over them.
PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.
Actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in a travel show that explores healthy, sustainable ways to live.
Will Smith whose curiosity and wonder is positively infectious—is guided by National Geographic Explorers traveling to different corners of the world to get up close and personal with the weirdest, most unusual, dangerous and thrilling spectacles of the planet.
Porn has gone mainstream; the question is, can we handle it? This exploration of the intersection of sex and technology is told through the stories of the people whose lives are defined by the current explosion of internet porn-whether they're creating it, consuming it, or both.
Come one, come all to The Circus. This real-time documentary series pulls back the curtain on the current political stories, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events are presented in real time, as they are happening.