Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire

Life on Remote Islands

July 2025 •English

Japan has over 14,000 islands, many of them small and home to only a few people. Life on these remote islands is full of surprises and variety, as well as deep-rooted history and traditions.

10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki

July 2025 •English

A chronicle of the creative process of the legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, a passionate artisan, a steadfast trailblazer, and a father butting heads with his son…

Gion Matsuri - the Rebirth!

July 2025 •Japanese

Marking a 1150 year anniversary in 2019, the Kyoto Gion Matsuri was subsequently suspended for two years due to outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live coverage of the Yoiyama evening on July 16th and the next day's Yamaboko parade is accompanied by a set of special documentaries explaining the festival history and the activities during the pandemic.

Barakan Discovers

July 2025 •English

Peter Barakan is a broadcaster and a 45-year resident of Japan. In this series, he discovers how Japan is changing.

Japan Delish

July 2025 •English

"Japan Delish" is a banquet of foods from overseas adopted by the Japanese. From fare steeped in tradition to its many modern variations, uncover the delicious histories at the heart of every dish.

Train Cruise

July 2025 •English

Criss-cross Japan by rail. Enjoy an amazing diversity of nature and scenery across the four seasons, exploring both well-known and hidden Japan.

The Japanese Tradition

July 2025 •Japanese

A series of skits revolving around poking fun at Japanese traditions, such as the art of romance, apologies, and sushi-eating.

Do Do Midnight Quests

July 2025 •

Sammy On The Go

July 2025 •

Solo World

July 2025 •

From City to City

July 2025 •

"Talent" Chip Tsao went to London, Greenwich, Wales, Oxford, Cambridge, England, to analyze the British people's living habits, academic development, economic conditions, etc .; and went to Warsaw, Gdansk, Krakow to know a country with a hundred years of blood and tears. Eason Chan visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka in Japan to learn about the cultural differences; Social worker Shiu Ka-chun went deep into Finland's Turku, Helsinki, Nokia and other places to experience the local customs through living with locals. They will introduce the details of each famous city from a social, historical, and cultural perspective, bringing different connotations, depths, and education.

James May: Our Man in…

July 2025 •English

James May embarks on a remarkable journey across Japan, from its icy north to its balmy south. He’ll see the sights, meet the locals, and eat the noodles in a bid to truly understand the Land of the Rising Sun.

Kevin McCloud’s Rough Guide to the Future

July 2025 •English

Kevin McCloud is passionately optimistic about technology and the future, but Jon Richardson, Phil Wang and Alice Levine aren't so sure. Can Kevin persuade his trio of sceptics to see the light?

Dans un cinéma près de chez vous

July 2025 •French

Japanese Language and People

July 2025 •English

A ten-part series on Japanese language and culture.

Naomi in Japan

July 2025 •Czech

What comes to mind when you say Japan? Sushi or cupping geishas? The Land of the Rising Sun offers so much more. Naomi Adachi is half Czech, half Japanese. She often visits her second home to visit family and friends, and this time she's taking you with her. She will introduce you to the beauty of Japan, its traditional customs and everyday life in her own unique style. And of course, there will be plenty of food!

Mouri Motonari

July 2025 •Japanese

The 36th NHK Taiga Drama is Mori Motonari. This series chronicles the life of Mori Motonari, a warlord of the early 1500s who stood at the vanguard of the Warring States era. All Japanese school textbooks contain the Mitsuya no kyokun, Mori's famous lesson to his three sons that teaches that while one arrow is easily broken, three arrows together cannot be broken. In 1997, 500 years after his birth, NHK dramatizes Motonari's rise from a chief of the region of Aki (now Hiroshima) to a daimyo who rules over ten provinces of the Chugoku region. Motonari was 64 years old and already the patriarch of a powerful dynasty about the time Oda Nobunaga and Takeda Shingen appeared on the scene. And even after his death, the Mori family figured prominently in Japanese history. His grandson Terumoto became a loyal Toyotomi vassal. Defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu confiscated most of his lands, leaving him only with Suwo and Nagato, later known as Choshu. But 260 years later, the Mori got their ultimate revenge, leading the imperial forces against the Tokugawa in the Meiji Restoration.

Departures

July 2025 •English

From epic landscapes and unforgettable culture, to the often trying times that come with international travel, Departures chronicles the unforgettable friendships, personal successes and sometimes crushing disappointments that befall travellers Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach on their journey. Departures is as much about the journey as it is the destination.

Joanna Lumley's Japan

July 2025 •English

The British actress goes on a 2,000 mile journey across the four main islands of Japan, travelling from North to South meeting local people and absorbing the culture.

Tajemství země Nippon

July 2025 •Czech