The Professionals

This program closely follows 150 bustling days in the life of kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo. Now 40, he became the head of the Ichikawa family of kabuki actors 5 years ago with the death of his father, Danjuro. Giving all to his art, he undertakes strenuous physical training. And he takes on a new challenge: playing 5 different roles in a single play. Behind the spectacular sets, listen as Ebizo speaks his true thoughts, and reveals a renewed dedication and conviction. Meanwhile, his 5-year-old son, Kangen, announces that he, too, intends to pursue the path of kabuki. Father and son share the stage in their first double-bill performances. Peek behind the scenes to discover the true face of a man entrusted with 350 years of tradition!

Child neurologist Akemi Tomoda, 57, works with children who have ADHD, emotional scars from abuse, or are on the autism spectrum. Sincere focus and careful dialog let her ease the burden of struggling families. Tomoda was also the first person to prove the physical effects abuse leaves on the brain, and is a leading researcher. As Japan's child consultation centers see record-breaking 130,000 cases, discover how Tomoda encourages and supports parents and children, sometimes for over a decade.

47 years old Yukako Fukushima is known as a pioneer in the field of cosmetic prostheses. She fabricates lifelike silicone body parts to replace those missing since birth, or lost or damaged due to illness or accidents. She has made more than 2,000 prostheses to date, realistically recreating blood vessels, wrinkles, and the quality of a person's skin. Her prostheses can improve quality of life, and even change a person's life. In July, a woman comes to Fukushima's workshop seeking a prosthesis especially for summertime footwear. In all Fukushima's years of experience, she has never received such a challenging request. Through untiring effort and skill, she strives to turn her client's tears into a smile.

In Japan today, one in 11 women is diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadako Akashi has been treating this illness for a quarter of a century. At 52, she's one of Japan's top surgeons, and has performed more than 3,000 operations. The core of her approach is informed consent, and treatment that her patients understand and choose. Some may request the removal of their entire breast, but wish to keep the nipple intact. Akashi gives 100% effort to fulfilling such challenging requests. One of her patients is a woman of 40 intent on living life as she wishes while undergoing treatment for stage-4 breast cancer.

64-year-old Tamaya Shobei is a master maker of Karakuri puppets, automated dolls which move via clockwork and string-based mechanisms. He is the 9th successor of the Tamaya line, which has carried on the tradition of Karakuri for 280 years. In Tamaya Shobei's hands, even puppets hundreds of years old that were thought impossible to repair have been skillfully brought back to life. The restored puppets move with delicate grace, as if they are truly alive. Throughout his work, Tamaya adheres to the following belief: "Go at your own pace." Recently, he has taken on a large project unlike any he has attempted before. Rising to the challenge, Tamaya works hard each day in order to take his skills as the 9th successor to an even greater level.

At Japan's department stores, no event is more popular than the Hokkaido Prefecture products fair. And the charismatic man behind the scenes is Daisuke Honda. As the industry's only Hokkaido-based buyer, he taps into his extensive network of contacts to discover food and ingredients that surprise and delight customers all over the country. What's more, he teams up with chefs and other food experts to turn those ingredients into original products, from sweets to sushi bowls. For the last few years Hokkaido's catches of winter salmon and crab have been declining. We follow Honda as he attempts to use a certain fish to create a new hit item for the fair.

Sushi chef Isao Amano (62) operates a small restaurant in the city of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, that attracts patrons from all over the world. His nigiri sushi starts with the simplicity of traditional Japanese cuisine but transcends it through an "additive" approach. Some of his famous dishes include squid fancifully garnished with sea urchin and flying fish roe, and tuna marinated in broth. This winter, Amano procured top-notch Sawara mackerel from a local fisherman. Hoping to convey to his patrons the fisherman's devotion to quality, he develops his own preparation method to highlight the true excellence of the fish. This program follows this obstinate and devoted professional as he faces a heartbreaking year-end challenge.

MIKIKO (41), a choreographer who is on the team directing the ceremonies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Distinctive moves combined with cutting-edge technology -- that's how MIKIKO makes artists shine. She choreographed Gen Hoshino's "love dance" and the famous Sheena Ringo and Hiroji Miyamoto performance on Japan's most popular New Year's Eve TV special. We get a behind the scenes look at how exactly MIKIKO comes up with her choreography, and chronicle her epic work on Perfume's recent Japan nationwide tour. Will she be able to create a stage performance that truly surprises? Watch this in-demand choreographer rise to the challenge.

Medical errors continue to exist today. Yoshimasa Nagao, a doctor at Nagoya University Hospital, is fighting to prevent such errors and minimize the harm they cause. With the conviction "No hiding, no deceiving, no running away" he questions attending physicians and thoroughly investigates the causes behind incidents. He's resolutely dealt with various problems that have occurred in the hospital. We pursue Nagao's philosophy as a doctor who has pioneered the field of patient safety.

Word of a legendary master sake brewer brought us to Akita Prefecture in the summer of 2018. "If you want to understand sake brewing," says 73-year-old Toichi Takahashi, "begin in the rice fields." He insists on using rice raised with the bare minimum of fertilizer. Once the sake brewing season begins in autumn, his total dedication to every detail is astounding. And he generously shares the essence of the techniques he's honed over half a century. Join us on a seven-month journey that reveals how truly delicious sake is born.

Toshiyasu Obata (72) is a wandering Japanese sweets artisan who once made confections favored by the imperial household. Never opening a business of his own, he wanders from shop to shop teaching other artisans how to make the finest Anko, a sweet bean paste. With just this skill alone, he's helped over 30 struggling sweets shops make a new start. The Anko he makes captures the aroma and flavor of the Azuki beans so well, even artisans from long-established shops are eager to learn his innovative techniques. We take a look at this rough-edged man, and see why he chose this lifestyle.

A doctor who pioneered emergency medical services for rural areas in Aomori Prefecture, at the northern tip of Japan's main island. This emergency physician's name is Akihide Kon (60). He's been on the job for 30 years, during which time he has established new systems for improving care in the countryside. Dr. Kon knows that every second counts, and he spends every one of those seconds fighting for his patients. Watch him as he heads out in an air ambulance during Aomori's snowy winters to save lives!

Nicknamed "Beautiful Bottom Magician," 33-year-old Tomo Okabe is a pioneer in glute training. Women flock to her in order to build large, round bottoms. Okabe's goal, however, is to change people's hearts from the bottom up. Why does she do this? As we follow her, she tells us about her past, including a life-changing break-up. Work, romance, marriage ... Okabe's customers have many worries, and her goal is to help them live with confidence in themselves. For 1 month, we follow Okabe as she pours everything into her work to help women to grow stronger.

Japanese-style curry is one of the nation's most popular foods. This time, we meet 2 masters of the beloved dish: one a revolutionary and the other a king of tradition. Daisuke Uetake (46) helped to popularize "spice curry." His unique curries feature highly imaginative ingredient combinations, and his restaurant has no standard menu, with new dishes changing out every month or even every day. He's created more than 1,000 recipes over the last 20 years, and eagerly discusses his personal approach to curry. Kiyoshi Omino (70), meanwhile, is a reigning king of traditional Japanese curry. He's been making his secret recipe by hand for 37 years. Top-quality ingredients are painstakingly prepared into a sauce that rests for a full week before being transformed into the final dish. His supreme curry was ranked first on one of Japan's most prominent food websites. Explore 2 fundamentally different curries, and the lives of the men who make them.

Meat shop owner Yoshinobu Niiho can transform low-ranking beef with no brand name into meat with flavor that rivals the highest ranking. Although his shop is located in the rural city of Kusatsu in Shiga Prefecture, customers come from throughout the country to buy Niiho's meat, and he receives requests from over 300 chefs and culinary specialists a year. The flavor in his meat is brought out to the fullest through a "magic" known as dry aging. Niiho has spent 18 years perfecting his own preparation methods, and 9 years cultivating the bacteria needed for aging. We take a look at this meat master who stands apart from the rest!

Takuya Takagi (33) is an iconic hair stylist, a living legend. Always booked 2 months in advance, he generates record-breaking earnings, and has won Japan's biggest hair styling contest 3 years in a row. But he spent years down and out before making it to the top -- driven by a desire to make his parents proud. Now watch as he mentors a promising assistant and makes his first foray to expand overseas.

In Akasaka, Tokyo, lives a geisha who has been loved by her customers for years. 79-year-old Ikuko Akasaka is a living legend in the geisha world. With elegant dancing that astonishes younger geishas and conversational skills that liven up any party, she's captivated countless famous figures. Through her thoughtful consideration and alluring performance, there is one thing Ikuko always keeps in mind as a geisha: "How you live each day." Even as the times change, she takes on new challenges, such as creating an original dance for a yearly spring gathering. We explore the lifestyle Ikuko leads, as a geisha who has devoted 62 years of her life to this art.

Haneda Airport has been named the world's cleanest airport 4 years in a row. 49-year-old cleaner Haruko Niitsu played a key role in winning that title. After her appearance in this series 4 years ago in 2015, she was flooded by media requests from around the world, and is even featured in a textbook on morals! Niitsu has branched out beyond the airport to improve her skills and is now carving a new path for herself. We follow her as she continues to hone her techniques.

Deep in the mountains of Mie Prefecture, a little electronics repair shop stands alone. Appliances that have been given up on and refused by other shops arrive here from throughout the country in hopes that the owner, Kazumi Imai, will breathe new life into them. Amazingly, Imai's repair success rate is over 95%! He's spent half a century dealing with countless electronics, granting the wishes of his clients to keep using them. We take a look at Imai's astonishing repair techniques and his dedication to his way of life.

The "world's best" gelato puts flavor center stage. The man behind it is Taizo Shibano (44), who, in 2017, won a contest in Italy for his celery gelato. With his painstaking approach, he has developed more than 2,000 flavors using all kinds of ingredients. Now, he's facing his hardest challenge yet: updating the formula for his shop's signature flavor, milk gelato. Discover how Shibano was shaped by the dairy farm he grew up on, and his relationship with his father.

With blades a mere 2.4mm long, the micro-scissors developed by Miyuki Nishimura (69) have brought about a revolution in treating cancer. The smallest scissors in the world, these never-before-seen micro-scissors are used in endoscopic treatment. Nishimura's innovative imagination and preeminent skill set him apart as a craftsman, furthered by his belief "What you don't have, you make." Struck by acute cancer himself 11 years ago, Nishimura firmly believes in directly making a prototype rather than spending time planning. This determination as a craftsman has led him to begin developing a new pair of micro-scissors 25% smaller than the existing pair. We follow Nishimura as he immerses himself in his work, day in and day out.