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.
-
- Cast:
- lae astra
Episode 8 : Mother, I Want To See You
October. 23,2011
This drama set in a remote elementary school centers around the efforts made by a young female teacher called Hikari to help Aya, an uncommunicative exchange student who has problems with her mother.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Episode 7 : Honoring the Dead: The Bone Washing Ritual of Yoronjima
October. 16,2011
Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture is a southern island with a population of 5,600 surrounded by beautiful coral reef and white sand beaches. In the island's unusual ritual called 'Senkotsu', the skeletal remains of family members are dug up from three to five years after burial, cleaned and then returned to their graves. The program introduces the small island's traditional form of family bonding by following members of the Takecrapa family as they carry out the ritual and also includes the history of the island's funerary practices.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Episode 6 : Granny Loves You: The Probation Officer's Tale
October. 09,2011
77-year-old volunteer probation officer Chikako Nakamoto was affectionately known as 'The little old lady of Motomachi' by the juvenile delinquents she took care of for 30 years in the Motomachi district of Hiroshima. She opened up her home to them, served her hand-made cooking, listened to their stories, and helped many of them to reform their ways. Last November, however, Nakamoto reached the year of retirement for volunteer probation officers. She often says, "Support from the local community is essential for the rehabilitation of offenders". The program closely describes her daily life as she strives to entrust her role to the community.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Episode 4 : Kagura: The Passion for Dance
February. 27,2011
In ancient times, "kagura" was a form of dance dedicated to the gods. But in modern times, as its original meaning weakened and it took on the color of a local performing art, young people found it rustic and lost interest in it. Today, however, many kagura groups are attracting them and seeking to create original dances while preserving traditions. This program investigates the reasons for kagura's current popularity with the young.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Episode 3 : A Millennium of Prayers
February. 20,2011
This program shows how ancient religious practices survive on the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, regarded as the home of the Buddha, and long known as a site for ascetic mountain training. Last year, during a "Mineiri" religious austerity being practiced for the first time in a decade, around 20 ascetics dressed in white made a pilgrimage that included crossing ten mountain ridges.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Episode 2 : The Mountain God Piggyback
February. 13,2011
This program describes a simple, rustic event called "The Mountain God Piggyback" that has been handed down since time immemorial in a snowy mountain village in Yamagata Prefecture. Carrying the local shrine's object of worship on their shoulders, children make house-to-house visits in the area, so that the local people can offer up their prayers to the deity.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Episode 1 : Night of the Dancing Fire God
February. 06,2011
The "Matsuage" fire festival in Kyoto was admired by essayist Masako Shirasu. In her travelogue titled "Kakure-zato", she described it as "the most touching festival scene that I've ever observed". In this program, actress Mayu Tsuruta visits the festival and reports very expressively on "the dance of flames" that moved Masako Shirasu so deeply.
Watch Now
Stream in HD
Seasons
Similar titles
Core Kyoto
The timeless heart of Japan's ancient capital. Against its rich backdrop of culture and tradition, today's Kyoto continues to innovate and inspire.
Ugly Delicious
Star chef David Chang leads friends on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world's most satisfying grub. All the flavor. None of the BS.
Sahara with Michael Palin
In this four-part BBC documentary, former Monty Python funnyman and renowned globe-trotter Michael Palin sets off from Gibraltar to travel across the Sahara, his witty humor downplaying the hardships he faces along the arduous journey. He travels to Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and beyond, across some of the harshest terrain on the planet.
Seasoning the Seasons
This program visits places across Japan to introduce the charms of their local daily life and festivals fostered by the nation's long history.
Italy's Invisible Cities
Using the latest 3D scanning technology, Alexander Armstrong and Dr Michael Scott uncover the hidden history of Italian civilisation and city life.
Searching for Soul Food
Follow rock star celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds as she discovers what soul food looks like around the world. As she seeks out the food, she also explores the stories, the people, and the traditions of each place she visits, bringing her own flavor right along with her.
Inside Culture
How does the art we consume reflect the times we live in? A topical look at the latest film, TV, music, books and theatre - through the eyes of their creators and their audiences.