Culture Crossroads

Efforts to save children have evolved in a unique way, energizing people who provide services. We introduce a splendid international example of such an initiative in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture.

A Dutchman makes traditional washi paper, growing the raw materials and even creating artworks with it. His mission is to add new value to washi and forge a path forward into the future.

Faced with eviction by a redevelopment project, the inhabitants of a Bangkok slum get help from Thai-born Prateep and her Japanese husband Tatsuya who've made supporting the residents their lifework.

A small bookstore in Tokyo specializes in Vietnamese books. From the reactions of customers living in a foreign land, we can feel how books in their native language serve as spiritual nourishment.