In Japan architects and designers enjoy a public fame and prestige far greater than any painter or sculptor. Three quarters of the 90 million people are packed into a narrow corridor, the strip of land between Tokyo and Hiroshima. Architects have become international figures, spreading their influence and their innovative buildings across the continents. This programme looks at the world-renowned figures of Arata Isozaki , and Fumihiko Maki, and at the new concepts of living in personalised, minimal structures designed by Tadao Ando, Toyo Ito and Hiroshi Hara. The highly individual and beautifully finished buildings - cultural centres, gymnasia, private houses, and hotels have become a focus of attention for architects in the West. Narrator ANDREW SACHS