A driving school near Tokyo run by a Japanese-Brazilian family attracts many students of South American origin. The students take lessons in a mixture of Portuguese and Japanese, and work hard to master the rules of the road as their families cheer them on. For these people living so far from their home countries, a Japanese driver's license could be the key to a better life. We spend a day at the school to hear their stories.
There are nearly 200 actors on the books at Toei Studios Kyoto, a 90-year-old movie studio. Many of them work as extras, doing the thankless job of making stars look good. But a new project has given them the chance to play leading roles for the first time. A young director and some production staff will also enjoy a break from their usual supporting positions. We send our camera behind the scenes to capture their big moment in the spotlight.
For some people, moving is about much more than a change of address. That's the case for CLAY, a popular YouTuber, who reflects on his life and many belongings as he prepares to relocate to a bigger home office. It also holds true for Jumpei Iwamoto, who has just 3 boxes when he moves into a share house for aspiring manga artists. We follow both of them as they take a step closer to their dreams.
Japan-based Chinese influencer Lin Ping has attracted a following of 5.6 million for her take on Japanese trends. Eager to share the beauty of Japan with her fans, she provides a fresh take on products and attractions, making her popular among Japanese business owners as well. As the novel coronavirus spreads from Wuhan, China, her posts begin to play a vital role behind the scenes.
Up-and-coming fashion label NISHINARI YOSHIO has won many fans for its unique creations, and has even been featured at some of Japan's oldest department stores. But who exactly are the designers? We head to a studio in downtown Osaka to meet the unlikely team behind the brand. Their work demonstrates the true meaning of clothing design, something that's been lost in today's fast fashion.
Could you memorize the order of 52 shuffled playing cards in 5 minutes? This episode follows a competitive memory sports event in which competitors must memorize a pack of cards, and then recall that order in another deck. Among the people putting their memories to the test are an elementary school student, a 40-year-old manga artist struggling to make ends meet and a university student who is the Japanese record-holder. Why are they hooked on this challenge? We take a real-time look at this battle of the memories.
That's where you can read somebody else's notebooks and diaries. A designer shares the record of his life, a high-school boy wrote down his one-sided love, a college girl pours her mind out on a notebook... What you find there are inner thoughts of everyday people who live the same era with us. What do contributors of the notebooks have in mind? What do those who come to read them wish to find? Hidden thoughts and feelings come across each other via 400 diaries that were never meant to be read by others.