Documentary 360 - Season 23 / Year 2025

"Kamikaze," explosive-laden ramming attacks, were carried out during World War 2, sacrificing 4,000 lives. Why did the Japanese push forward with this method? We uncover the truth about the kamikaze. Part 1 covers the beginning of the kamikaze attacks until before the Battle of Okinawa.

"Kamikaze," explosive-laden ramming attacks, were carried out during World War 2, sacrificing 4,000 lives. Why did the Japanese push forward with this method? We uncover the truth about the kamikaze. Part 2 covers the Battle of Okinawa until the end of the war.

Thirty years ago, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake left more than 6,400 people dead. Will we be ready when the next one strikes? We review NHK's footage from the disaster to see how far we've come.

Japan's Vocaloid culture is currently experiencing a boom in popularity worldwide. We examine why people are drawn to the voice synthesis technology and the artists that emerged from this culture.

There are nearly 190,000 Japanese-style restaurants around the world and 90 percent are run by non-Japanese chefs. We look at how global cultures and trends are updating Japanese cuisine.

Japanese design, known for its beauty and functionality, is highly regarded around the world. We explore the craftsmanship, the people who sustain it, and the philosophy at its core.

The National Ballet of Ukraine performed a premiere firstly themed on 'war' in 2024. This is about the behind-the-scenes struggles faced by a choreographer active in Russia and a dancer bearing darkness.

Is quantum entanglement real, or just a misunderstanding? The question confounded Einstein and ruined the lives of many physicists. This is the story of the 100-year mystery that changed physics.

When the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, 78 people who were within 500 meters of the hypocenter survived. We visualize what happened at ground zero that day based on rare recordings of eyewitnesses.

The Japanese Government has issued a large amount of bonds. With factors such as rising interest rates, it has entered a new phase. We take a closer look at the challenges of Japan's bond issue team.

This episode explores the vast diplomatic records of late political scientist Iokibe Makoto, including exchanges with prime ministers, which offer insights into navigating today's turbulent world.

Eighty years ago, upon facing the tremendous force of the atomic bomb, Truman, scientists, and citizens voiced their remorse and struggle in letters. What messages do these voices carry for us today?

Five young men from around Japan, once withdrawn from society - a phenomenon known as hikikomori - embark on a 1,200-kilometer pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku, on a journey of self-discovery.

A Japanese entrepreneur is on a mission: reviving Japan's semiconductor industry. With over ten billion dollars of tax money at stake, he races for rapid innovation.

Can humans and nature coexist? Yuji, a pioneering pasture-based dairy farmer, spent his life answering that question, stewarding vast grasslands. As he battles cancer, he passes the baton to his son.

In Part 1, we interview former police officers who investigated a series of cases where young couples went missing. They reveal why it took so long to recognize the link with North Korea.

In Part 2, we interview a former North Korean spy whose confession to the police helped uncover the true nature of the abductions. But the case remains unresolved due to diplomatic deadlock.

In Sri Lanka, elephants are both feared and revered. In 2024, around 150 people and 400 elephants died in increasingly frequent encounters, which can force people to make life-altering decisions.

What are "words"? What does it mean to communicate? Deaf photographer Saito Harumichi seeks answers as he raises his hearing children and prepares an exhibition reflecting his quest for connection.

A hundred years ago, "picture brides" crossed the ocean to America with just one engagement photo. We have unearthed audio tapes in which they reflect on their lives! This is the story of three generations who found their place in America.

Chinese journalist Kou Aizhe spent 14 years searching for a Japanese midwife who delivered 10,000 infants in postwar China, with him among them. His work uncovered the tragic past of the heroic woman.

At the top-ranked University of Tokyo, where only 20% of students are female, many women have had their "wings" clipped. Through the university's history, we confront deep-rooted issues in Japanese society.

A winter journey on the newly built Taklamakan Desert railroad traces the path of the Silk Road. The line reveals the descendants of ancient cultures, and brings changes to local communities.

Sakamoto Shinobu was poisoned by mercury while in her mother's womb and has been suffering from Minamata disease since birth. We look back on the life of 68-year-old Shinobu and listen to her message.

In 1963, a Japanese court ruled that the use of the atomic bomb violated international law. How did the case come about and what is its legacy? Families of the plaintiffs and their lawyer tell the story.

After a devastating earthquake, lacquerware artisans in Wajima struggle to recover. But they are determined to keep a 600-year-old tradition alive by reaffirming their bond in the creation of a bowl.

After WWII, thousands of children born to Japanese fathers were left behind in the Philippines. Many became stateless. Eighty years on, 50 descendants are still fighting to be recognized as Japanese.

60 years since the Thalidomide Incident, survivors' disabilities have grown more severe. One travels to Germany to learn about their campaigns, as Japan's thalidomiders search for a new path forward.

For 50 years, a father has produced cheap eggs. His son uses a more humane method, which raises the cost to nearly $1 per egg. An egg-loving family struggles to pass the baton to the next generation.

Some 500 Japanese high school students have called for nuclear-arms abolition as peace ambassadors over the past 25 years. We meet some of these young people striving for peace.

In February 2023, rampant patient abuse was uncovered at Takiyama Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Tokyo. But was the case an isolated incident, or does it reveal troubling truths about Japan's psychiatric care system? The third installment of Documentary 360's series on the Takiyama Hospital incident looks at the latest developments and what the case says about Japanese society. We also see how the hospital is trying to turn over a new leaf after the resignation of its director.

After the death of her beloved husband, cooking expert Kurihara Harumi began looking for ways to deal with her grief. Now she works on "meals for one" recipes to help people cope with living alone.

Hakamada Iwao spent nearly fifty years on death row, in constant fear of execution. His sister Hideko devoted her life to proving his innocence. We follow their long battle for freedom.

In Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, there is a place that Filipino women living in Japan call "our home." The support group "Kalakasan" means "strength" in Tagalog. Since its establishment 22 years ago, it has been providing advice on all kinds of problems, from troubles with Japanese husbands to work, illness and money worries. It has been more than 40 years since the boom in Filipino women coming to Japan. We look at the current situation of Filipino women living in their second home, Japan, while supporting each other.

Countries and businesses are scrambling to act as the world hurtles toward climate catastrophe. But there are problems with their methods. We look at blind spots in the fight against climate change.

Mario traces the life of his grandfather, one of the "Japanese holdouts" that stayed in Indonesia after the Second World War. What did he do during that time, and why did he decide to stay?

Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman was the first woman to speak publicly about sexual violence during the Kosovo War. This documentary portrays the survivors' struggles and pursuit of justice 25 years later.

New Year's Day 2024. Japan's Noto Peninsula was hit by a huge earthquake and tsunami. Many lives were lost. One year later, as they look to the future, survivors share stories of courage and grief.

In 2024, Wakakuwa District of Wajima City was cut off from the rest of the Noto region by a powerful earthquake and torrential rains. Residents faced a difficult decision: to stay or leave.

Japanese American Takeshi Furumoto, born in an incarceration camp and raised in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing, fought in the Vietnam War. He travels in search of closure to his complicated past.

Ishikawa Naoki has climbed all 14 of the world's highest summits. His camera has captured the raw beauty of the land and the people. This is a story of one man's pursuit of a life beyond the ordinary.

Redevelopment plans mean that the last building in Lot 1000 in central Sapporo must be demolished. We learn about the past, present, and future of this spot, exploring its centuries-long history.

As the number of refugees in the world reaches unprecedented heights, smugglers have appeared claiming to transport them to safety, but instead they become pawns in a game with their lives at stake.

A look at the history of Nihon Hidankyo - the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations - from the group's inception to its reception of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

The number of women in the Ukrainian military has soared since the start of the Russian invasion. We follow these soldiers as they face the enemy and their own growing sense of despair.

An old folksong about a man who misses his true love reverberates along the platform, and the Kyiv Express departs on another 15-hour journey between Ukraine and Poland. The people onboard have their own stories to tell: of long-overdue reunions, of sweethearts lost to Russia's invasion, or the need for some respite in a far-flung land. In many ways, they are at one with their mode of transport: war-weary, but full of spirit, and determined to carry on.

Fifty years after the Cambodian Genocide, survivors―both victims and those involved in the killings―reflect on how and why Cambodians turned against one another, and on the deep scars left behind.