Hometown Stories
5.5
2011
Documentary
Stories about people, stories about life. Intimate portraits of people from around Japan, each leading diverse lives while enriching lives of others.
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- Cast:
- lae astra
Episode 29 : Like a Trusty Garden Hoe
November. 19,2017
Tetsuyo Ishii, 97, is the oldest person in Minogo, a mountain town in western Japan. Her secret to staying alert and active is to remain "rust-free", like her trusty garden hoe. She lives alone, but finds joy in being self-sufficient. She raises chickens and even grows her own vegetables. She also founded a social club for her elderly neighbors. Through her gregarious and positive personality, Tetsuyo makes the most of life and enriches the lives of others.
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Episode 27 : A Journey in Design
November. 05,2017
Tomohiko Yukihashi, 28 years old, is a clothing designer based in Beppu city in southwest Japan. For more than 3 years he'd been driving about the country, calling himself the "traveling tailor". He now lives in a building set aside exclusively for young artists. We follow Yukihashi who decided to settle down and take on a new challenge.
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Episode 21 : Countdown to Business Lift-off!
September. 10,2017
Takahiro Inagawa, 29 years old, heads a start-up company that is developing low-cost rockets. He and a staff of 13 are creating small rockets to carry miniaturized satellites into space. Their plan is to provide the rockets at a fraction of the conventional cost, and this has drawn a great deal of attention. Although Inagawa wasn't able to land a job with Japan's space agency or an aerospace firm, he's now just a step away from achieving his dream of launching a rocket into space. We observe his progress on this challenging journey.
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Episode 18 : What Brought You to Hiroshima?
August. 06,2017
In May 2016, Barack Obama made a memorable visit to Hiroshima -- the first sitting US president to do so. That year, a record number of foreign tourists came to the city, the largest group being from the US. The program follows 2 Americans. A baseball lover on his first visit to Hiroshima deepens his knowledge of the 1945 bombing. An English teacher, who lives there with his Japanese wife and 2 children, remarks on the changes during his 19-year stay. We find out what they discovered.
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Episode 17 : A Hands-on Designer
July. 23,2017
Katsunobu Yoshida is a 28-year-old graphic designer who makes leaflets, posters and logos by hand, avoiding computers whenever he can. He draws inspiration from elderly locals who themselves make brooms and ropes by hand. Yoshida incorporates what he learns from them in items that he makes from natural materials.
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Episode 13 : Sharing Life Together: An 81-Year-Old Caregiver
June. 11,2017
In graying Japan, a growing number of elderly people living alone require nursing care at home. Yukiko Senpuku, 81, is a sought-after homecare helper in Osaka who brightens the lives of such people through attentive care and companionship. She says supporting them lifts her spirits, too. She goes the extra mile, learning sign language and polishing her professional skills, to connect with the people she serves. A senior caring for seniors who's a model of fulfillment in old age.
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Episode 11 : Pioneer Villages: Forgotten Postwar History
May. 21,2017
Before and during World War II, 270,000 Japanese relocated to Manchuria in China, which was controlled by Japan. After the war, the Japanese government created settlements, where returning families could develop farms and help boost the nation's food supply. But many settlers wound up in remote, mountainous areas where life was harsh and crops didn't thrive. As Japan's economy grew, their lives were again thrown into turmoil. We explore a forgotten chapter of Japan's postwar history.
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Episode 10 : The Three Grannies' Cookie Challenge
May. 14,2017
How do you revitalize a hamlet with only 3 grannies? By hand-made cookies! This is a story of how 3 hard working grannies all over 86 take on a challenge of coming up with a new product in their lineup of sweets and crackers. Through trial and error, the grannies pursue the perfect cookie, not only for income, but also for their community, and for their own purpose of life.
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Episode 9 : Shoeshine Star
May. 07,2017
Gaku Sato opened his own shoeshine shop at age 22. With his sharp fashion sense and a chic shop decor, he is exploring a new, stylish image for the shoeshine trade. Sato believes that making people's dress shoes gleam actually lift their spirits. This is the story of a young man polishing his professional skills.
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Episode 8 : Another 'Home': A Boy Traces His Roots
April. 23,2017
In the years before and after World War II, some 400,000 people emigrated from Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan, including a man who moved to Bolivia. His descendants include a 13-year-old grandson named Makoto, who struggles with feeling like an outsider in the country where he was born. Then, granddad and grandson get a chance to visit Okinawa together. The trip not only deepens their bonds, but also helps Makoto discover his family's roots - and another place he can call "home".
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