Monty Don's Japanese Gardens

Gion Matsuri - the Rebirth!

September 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.

Explore Japan

September 2025 •English

Japan continues to thrive as it incorporates cultural elements of music, fashion, cuisine, sports, arts and science from around the world. People’s encounters trigger the fusion of Japan’s and the world’s diverse culture, unceasingly producing a myriad of new phenomena and events. This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.

Gacha Gacha - Überraschendes aus Japan im Taschenformat

September 2025 •French

Great British Garden Revival

September 2025 •English

Britain’s rich horticultural history is being lost. More and more front and back gardens are paved over - for development, for parking spaces, or because families don’t have the time or inclination to manage these spaces. The trend for easy-to-maintain lawns, patios and paving has also led to a decline in traditional gardens full of flowers, plants and trees to the extent that some of our most iconic flora and fauna have all but disappeared. Step forward the BBC’s most-loved gardening experts, who are determined to turn us back into a green-fingered nation once again.

Dream Garden

September 2025 •Swedish

We follow Swedes all over the country who make their wildest garden dreams come true.

Barakan Discovers

September 2025 •English

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

Goed Geplant

September 2025 •Dutch

They create a design according to the budget and wishes of the owners. They choose the winner and the winning garden design is converted into reality. The loser does not get left behind, but helps the winner bring the dream garden to life.

From City to City

September 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…

September 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.

Lost in Tokyo

September 2025 •Italian

Japanese Language and People

September 2025 •English

A ten-part series on Japanese language and culture.

Emperor Akihito

September 2025 •English

Akihito, the Emperor of Japan, abdicated on April 30, 2019. This 3-parts NHK World documentary series chronicles the life of a former "divine child" who became the symbol of the Japanese State when he ascended the throne in 1989.

Japan with Sue Perkins

September 2025 •English

From sumo wrestling to robots, Japan's traditions and high-tech innovations fuel host Sue Perkin's cultural exploration in this docuseries.

Japan Delish

September 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.

Our Guy in Japan

September 2025 •English

Truck mechanic and motorcycle racer Guy Martin goes on an off-beat 2500-mile journey around Japan to find out how it really works.

Monty Don's Italian Gardens

September 2025 •English

Monty Don conducts his personal 'grand garden tour' around Italy, including the retreats of the affluent north and horticultural gems of the south.

BENTO EXPO

September 2025 •English

Bento, or lunchbox, is a fun slice of Japanese food culture that more people around the world are sharing. Healthy and delicious foods are beautifully and creatively presented. This NHK series features demonstrations and advice by Japanese bento experts, as well as shares some of the bento pictures and videos sent in by viewers worldwide.

First Time Flippers

September 2025 •English

The trials and hardships of rookie house flippers.

Mein leckerer Garten

September 2025 •German

Kevin McCloud’s Rough Guide to the Future

September 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?