NHK Documentary

The number of old people with dementia in Japan is soaring. Among the most serious cases are those who live by themselves. They are often not aware of their mental decline and refuse care services. Their resulting isolation only aggravates the symptoms. Dementia takes away the power to make decisions. This program looks at how society is facing this situation, and examines the choices we need to make about how we live out our old age - while we still have the ability to do so.

3 years ago, Shuji Kojima received an email from his best friend Masaya who committed suicide due to bullying. It said "Thank you for everything. I no longer have a grudge against you". Shuji has always wondered whether he could have intervened and with a sense of regret, visits Masaya's parents on the 7th of every month, the date Masaya died. We'll explore Shuji's relationship with Masaya's parents as they attempt to help Shuji let go of the regret he feels.

About 70% of dementia patients suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's causes brain cells to die, leading to loss of memory and physical functions. A cure has yet to be found. As societies age, the number of people with Alzheimer's is expected to soar. From exercises anyone can do to new medications, we'll examine the latest efforts to defeat Alzheimer's.

Sengu is the ceremonial transfer of a god to its new home. The god moves house. By coincidence, Sengu was performed at Japan's 2 most important shrines in 2013, at both the Ise Jingu and the Izumo Taisha. Why have these unique house moving rites been observed for more than a thousand years? We delve deeply into the ancient mysteries and interconnectedness of the 2 Sengu rites to discover what they can tell us about the origins of the nation we now call Japan.

Okuma Town, the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, is contaminated with radioactive substances and completely fenced off as uninhabitable. The residents have been forced to live elsewhere since the nuclear accident. But the 'Senior Brigade', which consists of workers recently retired from top posts in local government, prepare for the day when the people can return. We follow the members as they worked to protect the uninhabited town.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was the site of one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Recently discovered data suggest massive leaks of radioactive substances began sooner than previously thought. On this program, we look at how the materials managed to breach safety devices and escape.

North Korea has becoming increasingly isolated under a series of international economic sanctions. The country is in financial straits. How has the Kim Jong Un regime managed to stay in power? Our interviews with people who were once high-ranking officials in the leadership inner circle and investigation in several countries revealed the existence of secret funds that only the supreme leader can freely use. The program will explore connection between power and money in North Korea.

People living near Japan's Seto Inland Sea have worked with nature to create a special environment called "Satoumi". The projects they started revived an ecosystem that was once said to be dying. Chemicals from factories used to cause red tides that threatened marine life. Fishermen began using oysters and sea grass to clean the water. On this program, we look at how fishermen brought the Seto Inland Sea back to life and inspired people to develop "Satoumi" in other countries.

The Great East Japan Earthquake that hit on March 11, 2011, has left vast amounts of information throughout cyberspace. The data tell the story of people's movements until now. Cell phones and car navigation systems emit location information. Some 6 billion tweets have captured changes in people's concerns since the disaster. We'll let disaster-related big data guide us in exploring the future of rebuilding efforts.

Experts say that a major earthquake will strike Tokyo within the next 3 decades. Disaster big data, a huge collection of information from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake may minimize the damage. Analysis of cell phone location data and travel records from car navigation systems revealed people's movements immediately after the disaster. The Japanese government is using big data to help communities prepare for the next disaster. We'll take a close look at their efforts.

The Sea of Okhotsk lies off Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. Drift ice arrives in abundance from northern waters 1,000 kilometers away. Clusters of sea ice form a swirl measuring up to tens of kilometers across. The Sea of Okhotsk is also known for a treasure chest of marine creatures, such as fish, water birds and whales. Researchers believe the swirling drift ice plays a fundamental role in the natural environment. We unravel the inner-workings of natural phenomena and their magnificent blessings.

People in Japan are facing a difficult challenge. More and more dementia patients are going missing. Nearly 10,000 of them wander off a year, and many die before they're found. Family members and authorities are struggling to keep them safe. On this program, we examine what happens to people with dementia who disappear.

Paranormal phenomena simply defy common sense. The world abounds with reports of events such as spiritual entities, near-death experiences and reincarnation. In the 1st episode of our series "Challenging the Paranormal", we follow experts using high-tech devices to tackle these unexplained mysteries baffling modern science.

Paranormal phenomena simply defy common sense. The world abounds with reports of events such as psychic powers, telepathy, and remote viewing. In the 2nd episode of our series "Challenging the Paranormal", we follow experts using neuroscience and quantum theory to tackle these unexplained mysteries baffling modern science.

Shiretoko on the northern island of Hokkaido has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 70-kilometer-long peninsula is home to more than 200 brown bears. 4 years ago, we encountered 2 male siblings, both 6 months old. The youngsters would face a series of tests. They must part with their mother. They would struggle with hunger, and battle for territory. Would the cubs overcome these challenges? This program is a record of their fateful journey.

In 1945, US forces dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Last year, photos and a map of the aftermath were found, detailing the bomb's destructive mechanism. They showed how the Mach stem - a shock wave that hyper-intensified the power of the initial blast - was responsible for destroying buildings with increasing force 500 meters from ground zero. Through a simulation of the blast and interviews with survivors, this program reveals how the bomb was exploded to maximize its catastrophic effect.

Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the western Pacific, is a small island surrounded by coral reefs. 70 years ago, Japanese and US forces engaged in a bloody battle over this island. The battle was so fierce and casualties so high that people have largely chosen not to talk about it. What happened and what did the American and Japanese soldiers witness there? We'll uncover the truth for the first time, through newly discovered film and eyewitness accounts.

In 1954, the United States tested 6 hydrogen bombs on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Numerous Japanese fishing boats were operating in surrounding waters, and their crews were exposed to radioactive fallout. But the Japanese government has acknowledged the cases of just 23 crewmembers. Now, scientists from Hiroshima have shed light on facts that had been buried for 60 years.

Lake Akan on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is said to be the last place on Earth where algae balls called Marimo grow in the wild. The spherical shape makes photosynthesis difficult, so scientists have long wondered how Marimo survive. NHK obtained permission to film their habitat for a year, in the first project of its kind. Join us as we explore a spectacle of nature in Lake Akan.

For the first time, we are able to show full details of the excavation of a hidden tunnel, sealed and forgotten for 1800 years, beneath a pyramid in Teotihuacan, Mexico. The ongoing excavation is producing a flood of discoveries that are not only shedding fresh light on the religious and intellectual life of the people who lived here, but also radically changing the way we think civilization began.