The Professionals

Surgeon Akimasa Nakao (73) battles pancreatic cancer, the hardest cancer to treat. He takes on surgeries deemed impossible, yet his mortality rate is one-twentieth of the national average. The key lies in the revolutionary technique he developed himself. Why does he continue to wield a scalpel well into his 70s? Pancreatic cancer is a silent killer, with 70% of patients told surgery is impossible. As the last stand against it, Nakao is determined to save every life he can.

On an island off the coast of Ehime Prefecture, Fukushima Kazuhiko raises Bluefin Tuna, the "diamond of the sea." These farmed tuna, which he spends over 4 years raising, are sometimes even said to surpass wild tuna. They've overturned preconceptions about farmed tuna with their massive size, smooth fat, and refined flavor praised by the Toyosu Fish Market and by 3-star sushi restaurants. In 2020, Fukushima collapsed due to a stroke, and has had paralysis on his left side ever since. Despite being told a comeback was impossible, he returned to the sea, continuing to pursue his dream of raising "the best tuna in the world." We look at the devotion of a man who has banked his whole life on tuna.

84-year-old Ueno Toshio has been a traffic guard for 25 years. With his trusty flags in hand, he directs cars and pedestrians safely, with deft precision and a human touch. Despite his assertion that he works because he needs the money, our cameras capture a dedication fueled by something more. Slowly, he opens up about the trials and tribulations of his past, and reflects on his late wife. What drives and fulfills him?

We cover Nakayama Yumiko (36), an airport ground staff member ranked No. 1 for her customer service skills in Japan's largest airline. Her workplace is Haneda Airport, the biggest international airport in Japan. Providing considerate customer service no matter how small the matter, she's a pro who ensures passengers board their planes safely and on time. With the airline facing its greatest losses yet due to COVID-19, employees must tackle reduced flights, pay cuts and sudden transferals. In this unprecedented crisis, Nakayama strives to provide the best service possible. We follow her unseen story behind the scenes at Haneda Airport.

On July 8, 2021, we began filming the frontline battle against COVID-19 in an intensive care unit for critically ill patients. Heading this ICU is Dr. Takeda Shinhiro, 61. He's a leading figure in ECMO treatment, which functions like an artificial lung outside the body. It's used as a last-ditch treatment for patients with severe cases of COVID-19. His work has made Japan's survival rate for ECMO treatment among the highest in the world. What happened in his unit during the explosion of COVID-19 infections in Japan during summer 2021? Watch a 40-day record of a battle to save lives.

We follow garden landscaper Kobayashi Toru, the youngest craftsman to sweep Japan's highest awards, including the Contemporary Master Craftsman award and the Medal with Yellow Ribbon. He's skilled not only in design but everything from pruning to civil engineering, and by conversing with plants, he creates gardens that overflow with natural life. Despite the numerous honors to his name, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty, and returns to gardens over and over to do maintenance. We gradually learn about the tragedy in his past, and the depression that still affects him today. What is the meaning of his work? What is the meaning of his life? This is the story of a passionate landscaper who will keep checking his answers all his life.

Civil engineer Yamaguchi Takaharu inspects dams and bridges while dangling from a single rope. From the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge to major highways, requests for his expertise come from across the country, and even abroad! We follow his inspection of a huge bridge in Hyogo Prefecture that requires extraordinary skills and roughly a hundred different pieces of equipment. In the winter of 2021, Yamaguchi made his first attempt to take measurements of a massive dam with a robot. But the project sees a series of failures. What does he think of the trend toward automation in his field? This civil engineer entrusts his life to a single rope in the pursuit of public safety.

In Shizuoka Prefecture, amidst the mountains along the Tenryu River, there lives a man known as "The Legendary Trap Hunter." 70-year-old Katagiri Kunio patrols those mountains, reading the movements of wild animals and setting snare traps in order to catch boars and deer. As a pioneer of trap hunting, he's led the field for over 40 years. What's more, he considers it his duty to personally subdue the prey he catches and bring it in alive, ensuring every last bit of meat is recycled without the slightest waste. In the tranquil forest, we record the heated battles of a man who lives alongside nature.

Kawaguchi Kana has helped support the homeless since she was 14. She established her own NPO to provide better assistance. As part of this NPO, she started a bike-share program that has created jobs for homeless individuals. In addition to providing support for over 2,000 people, it has an annual revenue of about 400,000 USD. Despite her clear passion for helping others, she keeps a cool head and adopts a stance of neutrality in her work. We observe as she offers compassion and support to individuals looking to turn their lives around.

In Sapporo, on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido Prefecture, is a neurosurgeon who has successfully handled numerous diseases considered impossible to treat elsewhere: 60-year-old Tanikawa Rokuya. Within the brain, the slightest damage could cause severe post-surgery after-effects. With skill considered the greatest in the world, Tanikawa preserves even the thinnest artery in the brain's dense network. During surgeries that can take over 10 hours, he's constantly standing at a crossroad of choices, yet his conviction encourages him onward. Through the eyes of this awkward, blunt man known as "The Last Samurai," what future lies ahead for medicine?

A leading lathe turner plies his trade in Tokyo's Kamata neighborhood, known for its many small and specialized factories. At 85, Iwai Makoto shaves metal with an accuracy down to a hundredth of a millimeter. He handmakes parts that computer-controlled machines struggle with. His phenomenal skill has shaped vital elements of bullet trains and the Seto Ohashi Bridge, supporting the infrastructure behind the lives of many. Despite the rise in automation and repeated economic downturns, his pride still keeps him at his lathe.

Whether they're the Prime Minister or a famous celebrity, no one gets a reservation. With a wait in line sometimes as long as 3.5 hours, this yakiniku (Japanese barbeque) restaurant is famous for beef offal praised as the best in Japan. Toyoshima Masanobu (63), who runs the restaurant with his brother, is a pioneer who discovered the appeal of offal and made it widely known. Idolized as "The God of Offal," he works until dawn, pouring his heart and soul into preparing ingredients in order to bring out their strengths. Having lost his right-hand fingers in an accident as a child, he does most of his work with his left hand. We look at the life story of a man who was saved by offal, and continues to pursue challenges with offal.

Copy editors go through every single word of text from magazines and books before they're published, not only checking but also making suggestions for improvements. Copy editor Onishi Toshio (60) has the implicit trust of many extraordinary authors and editors. He has worked on many best-selling Japanese novels. This quiet, gentle man loses all sense of time as he dives deep into a sea of words. He's spent a lifetime protecting words from his small apartment. Explore the rich, revelatory world of copy editing at Onishi's side.