A theater for rakugo comic storytelling in Tokyo's Asakusa district has been tickling funny bones for decades. Visitors to the theater include comedy fans from across Japan, and an admirer of a storyteller being promoted to rakugo's highest rank. Backstage, a teenager new to the industry completes a myriad of tasks, and a seasoned storyteller of more than 30 years prepares to go on stage. For three days, we peeked into the various lives of people in the audience and behind the scenes, and asked them about the appeal of this traditional performing art.

Asakusa's Rakugo Theater: Filling Lives with Laughs

Fluttering Yellow Handkerchiefs at a Seaside Station

The Vegetable "Vending Machine" in Tokyo

Episode 1

The 200 students at a nursing college in Nara Prefecture, Japan, range from new high school graduates to people seeking a change in career. Among the students were a woman inspired by nurses who treated her in hospital; a woman who felt nursing would be more rewarding than her sales job; and first-year students preparing for a test they must pass before starting clinical training. For 3 days, we asked why nursing appealed to them as a career, especially while the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect society.

Nursing School: Nurturing the Next Nightingales

As 2021 draws to a close, workers in Tokyo's Shimbashi business district flock to a long-established western-style sweets shop famous for its cream puffs and other tasty delights. Among the customers were a boss buying treats for his hard-working subordinates; a construction worker treating himself after an exhausting day on the job; and a father buying a gift of appreciation for his family. For 3 days, we asked customers seeking a sweet treat if 2021 had been bitter or sweet for them.

Seeking a Sweet Finish to Another Busy Year

Kashiikaen, an amusement park in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, closed at the end of 2021 after 65 years of operation. News of the closing prompted a wave of visitors, including a local woman who brought along her neighbor, and a family of 3 generations determined to ride their favorite attraction. Some even came after the gates were closed, just to see the park from the outside. What made them come to bid farewell? In the park’s final 3 days, we listened as visitors shared their stories and memories.

Bidding Farewell to an Amusement Park

The Tsugaru Railway runs through a remote and snowy part of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. As well as being a vital mode of transport for locals, especially in winter, the train has a potbelly stove and views of magical wintry landscapes that attract visitors from afar. Among the passengers are a high school student poised to move to Tokyo, and a man who returned here to his hometown after several decades away. For 3 days in midwinter, we hopped aboard the rustic train and asked the passengers what this railway means to them.

Tsugaru Railway: A Midwinter Lifeline

A small truck loaded with vegetables, meat, snacks and other items – a mobile supermarket – is a lifeline for residents in remote communities in northern Kyoto Prefecture. Among the customers were an elderly couple buying a week's worth of ready-prepared dishes; and a woman wanting snacks to eat while she chats with a friend. What is life like in these small communities with falling populations? For 3 days near the end of winter, we talked to people buying groceries from the supermarket on wheels.

The Supermarket on Wheels

The Yuriage district in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011. March is also a season of new starts and farewells in Japan, so this month is especially busy for a florist in a new commercial complex in the district. Customers included a teacher buying flowers for graduating students, residents mourning loved ones who died in the tsunami, and people adding a splash of color to their lives. For 3 days around the disaster's 11th anniversary, we asked customers what flowers mean to them.

Heartfelt Flowers from a Miyagi Florist

Smartphones have become a vital part of modern-day life. Many people flock to a large cell phone store in Tokyo's Shinjuku district to buy the latest phone models, get their gadgets repaired and seek advice on other services. Among the customers in mid-March, a time for new beginnings in Japan, were an elderly couple fond of watching videos on their smartphones, a man struggling to spend less time glued to his phone, and people starting a new job or school year. What do phones mean to these customers? For 3 days, we asked them.

A Shinjuku Cell Phone Store

Photo sticker booths are a magnet for teenagers at a video arcade in Tokyo. Over 3 days in mid-March, we met 2 friends about to graduate from high school; a teen applying makeup to create the appearance she craves; 2 best friends who attend different schools; and a couple in their 20s. The booths have added many new features since they first appeared in 1995. Why are they still so popular? We asked youngsters at the arcade why these stickers mean so much to them.

Capturing Happy Moments in a Photo Booth

Episode 10

A large plastic model kit store in Osaka Prefecture sells models, miniature trains, diorama supplies and other items. The model market has grown while people of all ages spent more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The store's customers include a man who makes model buses to relieve stress; a middle-aged woman crazy about making dollhouses; and a woman making a diorama as a birthday gift for her mother-in-law. For three days, we asked customers why this hobby is special to them.

Plastic Model Shop: A Hobby Making Worlds Come Alive

Episode 12

Episode 13

A pebbly beach on Niigata Prefecture's Sea of Japan coast contains pieces of real jade. Some people who come here for a natural treasure hunt find jade right away, others have no luck despite picking through the stones all day. Among the visitors were a family on a trip; regulars who come from far and wide; and a woman whose visits here helped her become more socially outgoing. What is it that lures them so much to this beach? For three days in early summer, we asked the people hunting for treasure at the water's edge.

Nature's Treasure Hunt on a Niigata Beach

An unmanned stall in a residential area of Tokyo's Nerima Ward uses coin-operated lockers to sell locally grown vegetables including cabbage, radishes and spinach. The customers at this down-to-earth stall include a mother buying lettuce harvested from a field right in front of her house; and a keen jogger who frequently buys fresh veggies to stay in his wife's good books. For three days in early summer, we asked customers why they choose to shop at this stall that resembles a large vending machine.

Rows of yellow handkerchiefs fly in the breeze at a small train station in the Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture. Right behind the platform lies the Ariake Sea. The unmanned station attracts a stream of visitors who come to enjoy the view and write their wishes on the handkerchiefs. Among the visitors were a couple wearing matching outfits, and a railway photographer who drove all the way from Tokyo. The locals, too, are charmed by the station and wish for the railway to continue in the years to come. For three days, we listen to the stories of the people who've come from near and far to visit this remote station.

Episode 18

Episode 19

Children enjoy playing with mud, making fire, and water slides. The setting is a playground called “Play Park” in Kawasaki City. It is a municipal facility and admission is free. With the support of adult staff, what children want to do is respected. There is a boy absorbed in woodworking, parents and children playing while soaking wet, and children who cannot find a place at school. How are these children living in this day and age? We will listen carefully to their voices during the three days of rain

Doronko Park" Children Running in the Rain

Kakigori, shaved ice drizzled with flavored syrup, is a summer staple in Japan. An ice shop in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, has been popular for decades thanks to its light, fluffy ice made of "pure ice" that has been slowly frozen. Among the customers were a regular for over 40 years and his children; two university students who will soon graduate and move away; and a mother and son reminiscing about a father who adored kakigori. For three days in summer, we asked customers about what this sweet treat means to them.

Osaka Shaved Ice Shop: Midsummer Memories

A 24-hour fishing gear shop in southern Chiba Prefecture is a haven for anglers stocking up before heading to the coast to try their luck. The shop sells about 6,000 items such as bait, rods and lures. The customers include a man looking forward to fishing for squid with his grandson; a couple whose self-designed boat fits on the roof of their car; and a mother taking a break from her hectic daily life. Why are they so hooked on fishing? For three days, we asked the people stopping by this shop.

The Lure of a 24-Hour Fishing Shop

Why are no-frills udon noodle vending machines irresistible for drivers passing by a small rest area on a busy national road in western Shimane Prefecture? People stop here around the clock for a cheap bowl of noodles. The customers included a couple returning from a trip to their hometown; a boy and his parents who drove all the way from Fukuoka Prefecture just to try these noodles; and a man about to start his shift delivering milk. For three days around the Bon Festival period, we asked what makes these noodles so special.

Udon Vending Machines on Route 9: An Oasis for Drivers

Korokke pan, or bread rolls filled with deep-fried potato croquettes, topped with sauce are a specialty of a family-run shop in Minamisenju, a down-to-earth Tokyo suburb. Among the customers craving this cheap, filling snack made at the shop were a regular who has been coming here for over 50 years; a man buying some for himself and his friends; and a man currently between jobs. Why have locals become so fond of a snack made exactly the same way it was decades ago? For three days, we asked them.

Korokke Pan Shop: Happiness in a Bun

Episode 25

Episode 26

Episode 27

A new type of documentary program by the “72 Hours” production team, in which the camera is not stationed at a single site, but rather at multiple sites, filming an event simultaneously. This time, the Brazilian presidential election. Four cameras started shooting at the same time at a polling station for Brazilians living in Japan in Oizumi-cho, Gunma, a supermarket selling Brazilian food, a church, and a bar in Rio de Janeiro. What kind of drama will be spun out?

Gunma-Brazil Presidential Election

Ohta-kun, Futa, Elf, Cowcow... are four of the sixteen cats that live on the grounds of a temple at the foot of the mountains of Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture. The former head priest began providing care for abandoned cats, and today, the temple is visited by many cat lovers from near and far. Among the visitors was a man who comes to get away from the stress of his job, and a former cat owner who overcame the death of his cat by coming to this temple. There's a story behind not only the people who come to visit but the cats that have made their way to this temple. For three days, we listened to their stories.

A Cat Temple: Soothing the Mind and Soul

A small back space of a liquor store in Tokyo's Asagaya neighborhood is a no-frills standing bar where customers can drink their purchases. Patrons dropping in for a tipple come from all walks of life, including a company employee on his way home from work and a married couple able to spend more time together now that the husband has retired. For three days, we asked customers drinking in this liquor shop's back room about why they come here and raise a glass.

Lifting Spirits in a Tokyo Liquor Store

A live broadcast of a scene from the show, as well as information on what happened to the characters after the show!

Year-End Special 2022 Viewer Vote #2 On Location Special

Year-End Special 2022 Viewer Vote #1 On Location Special

An unusual documentary series that delves into human dramas through chance encounters with ordinary people at selected spots. Filmed over 72 hours in a single location, the show captures glimpses into people's lives as they open up and share their stories.

Asakusa's Rakugo Theater: Filling Lives with Laughs

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Season 13 Episodes32

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