Route 439 is a national highway that cuts across the mountainous island of Shikoku, in southwestern Japan. In some spots, it is barely 2 meters wide and poorly maintained. People come from all over Japan to drive along the 340-kilometer-long rugged road connecting many small villages. Some people living along this route are self-sufficient and live on a diet mostly consisting of edible wild plants, freshwater fish and even Japanese pit vipers. Residents live a free life surrounded by lush nature. Over 3 days, we drive along Route 439 to meet people living amid Japan's traditional landscape.

Route 439: Japan's Last Frontier

The Ferry to Volcano Island

At the Food Court

The stage is set at a 24-hour tonkatsu restaurant in Yokohama's entertainment district. From early morning to late at night, people from all walks of life come to scarf down the meat. A man is on his way to the neon district to get himself in shape. A cabaret girl who has come to finish off her drink. There are also men taking a break at dawn after working all night. The year 2015 was filled with flashy news, such as soaring prices of condominiums and increased profits of major corporations. How are people celebrating the end of the year? We spent three days at a tonkatsu restaurant in a nightless city, looking at the human condition of people in all their sorrows and joys.

　

Yokohama All Night Tonkatsu

Kappabashi Street in Tokyo is a place like no other in the world, with 170 shops that stock everything from cooking utensils to tableware. Here professional chefs inspect knife blades with discriminating eyes, and a young man stocks up on supplies for the noodle restaurant he's about to open. Others shop for pots, bowls and knives as they mark life's turning points with new homes, new families and new lives. We spent 3 days watching shoppers come and go in Japan's kitchen equipment capital.

Kappabashi: Tokyo's Kitchen Capital

As Christmas approaches, people flock to Sapporo's terminal for expressway buses that connect this major city with destinations across the vast prefecture of Hokkaido. From early morning until late at night, passengers travel on buses that offer attractive fares for those on a budget. Among them, a young man who traveled for 5 hours to spend Christmas time with his girlfriend; a woman who regularly makes a journey of several hundred kilometers to go and take care of her elderly mother; and a time-strapped businessman using an overnight bus as he departs on a business trip. For 3 midwinter days, we listened to the tales of the people starting or finishing journeys at this bus terminal.

Christmas at the Bus Terminal

Tokyo Tower, where the New Year's Eve has arrived, is the stage for this episode. Many people come to the observatory to pray for the first sunrise and make wishes at the shrine on the observatory. Office workers praying to meet their fiancé this year, families wishing for the healthy growth of their children, and foreigners wishing for world peace. Foreigners praying for peace in the world. Outside, young men and women, eager to make a leap forward in their careers, brave the northern winds as they climb the fire escape. For three days between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the dreams of the New Year intersect in the tower in the sky. We asked people what was on their minds.

The First Dream at Tokyo Tower

In Osaka you'll find Tenjinbashi-suji, one of the longest shopping arcades in Japan. At the end of the bustling, 2.6-kilometer arcade is a row of benches. We took our cameras there and spent 3 days talking to some of the folks taking a break there. Some use the benches to get work done. Some just watch people go by. And some share fascinating details of their personal lives. For 3 days, we meet people who have a seat, enjoy a talk or a laugh or a drink, and then get back up and keep going.

Benches and People: An Osaka Shopping Arcade

In a small zoo in Kichijoji, Tokyo, there is the oldest elephant in Japan. Her name is "Hanako. At 69 years old, Hanako is visited by all sorts of people. They all have their hearts set on Hanako's huge body and call out to her in their own way. Hanako is a mysterious elephant who attracts many people. She accepts her loneliness and continues to stand in the square every day, even when she is old, until she has only one tooth. People take a step forward with a little cheer from Hanako. We listen to her voice for three days in the zoo in the middle of winter.

Tokyo in the middle of winter, the name is ”Hanako“

In the middle of rice fields in the snowy Tsugaru plain, there is a public bathhouse “100 yen Onsen” where you can enter for only 100 yen. The rule here is to show the coin to the person taking a bath before you and put it in the fare box. The bathhouse attracts a wide variety of people, including elderly people who start taking a bath at 5:00 a.m., young people who take a bath after work in the evening, and housewives who enjoy chatting with each other about all sorts of things. The film depicts the human condition in Tsugaru, where people support each other and live together in the harsh cold weather, in a small hot spring that warms both body and soul.

Winter, Tsugaru at the 100 Yen Onsen

In Fukuoka Prefecture, there is a unique shrine dedicated to a deity of love. The approach to the shrine and its gate are adorned with hearts, and it has become a magnet for people in love, dreaming of getting married, or hoping for wedded bliss. But recently, a surprising number of visitors say they have never fallen in love with someone. People in love with the idea of falling in love come here to ask for divine help in finding their ideal partner. For 3 days around Valentine's Day, when the shrine is at its busiest with over 1,000 visitors from across Japan, we listened to the thoughts of people placing their hopes in the shrine's deity of love.

Valentine's Day at the Shrine

In Korea, there is a fixed-point observation program similar to “Documentary 72 Hours” in Japan. The name of the program is “Documentary 3 Days”. This time, the program is a collaboration with the “3 Days” program. Crews from Japan and Korea will each go abroad to film 3 days around the world. Korea's KBS filmed three days at the “World's Largest Chinese Restaurant” in China, while NHK introduced a specially edited version of “New York Laundromat Theater,” which was broadcast last year. Program watchers Osamu Suzuki and Anne Suzuki speak passionately about 72 Hours of Japan-Korea.

72 Hours Japan-Korea Comparison SP

The stage is set at a store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, that specializes in Showa-era songs. The store is visited by a wide variety of people, including middle-aged and older adults who have overlapped their lives with idol songs, young people who discover new charm in the clarity of the songs and lyrics, and foreigners who become enamored with the rhythms of the Showa era. The store has 30,000 records and CDs. Rare songs are sometimes priced at tens of thousands of yen. While sales of new CDs are sluggish, Showa-era songs are once again attracting attention. What kind of feelings do people put into these songs? The program will look at the human patterns projected in the songs for 72 hours, along with nostalgic classics.

Drawn to Showa Songs

In a small building in Yoyogi, Tokyo, there is an “animal shelter” that takes in dogs and cats from public health centers and protects them. So far, they have sheltered 1,300 animals. Dogs and cats come to the shelter for a reason. The circumstances vary from those who are too old to keep the animals to those who are forced to give them up because they have moved away. On the other hand, people who want to take in pets come to the “transfer meeting” held once a month. This three-day exhibition looks at the current state of society as reflected in the lives of people and pets.

Daitokai: Dog and Cat Shelter in the Big City

Auto race is a sport in Japan where motorcycles without brakes compete on asphalt tracks at speeds up to 150 km/h. In this episode we visit the Funabashi Auto, the sport's birthplace that closed in March 2016 after thrilling spectators for 65 years. See the last 3 days as fans go wild for their local racers. Some cheer with their parents or their children, while others feast on famous offal stew. In its last 72 hours, Funabashi Auto delivers drama and excitement beyond anyone's expectations!

Farewell Funabashi Auto

A udon vending machine for 200yen per cup at a store in Akita Port. In March, he introduced the 72nd hour of the human condition of the people who gathered there, and the response exceeded expectations was received, and it also ranked first in the popular vote of viewers for the year. This machine will be removed with the closing of the shop. Then, many people from all over the country rushed to the vending machine, not only the local area but also from all over the country. So this time, we will deliver an enlarged version of the document until the removal and the people I met last time!

Akita: In front of a vending machine in midwinter, a regretful farewell

The slogan of a 24-hour restaurant in Sendai, in northeastern Japan, is "born and raised on rice". For people fond of rice, this is a paradise. Serving rice in large bowls that hold 4 times the amount of a regular bowl, this restaurant has been filling the bellies of locals for years. Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, many people who left their family behind to come and work in reconstruction projects have also become regular diners. 5 years on from the disaster, what do people still trying to rebuild their lives think about as they gobble up a bowl of hot rice? For 3 days, we listened to the customers at this restaurant serving up a taste of home.

Tales Over Rice Bowls

The stage is a long-established stamp store in the Korean town of Shin-Okubo. Most of the customers are foreigners. In Japan, hanko are used in many situations. In April, when new life begins, many foreigners rush to this stamp store. Although they are bewildered by the Japanese “hanko culture,” these foreigners are trying to follow their dreams and take a new step forward. This 72-hour film looks at the reality of Japan's gradual internationalization from the perspective of a single stamp.

Carrying a Stamp in a Foreign Country

In the countryside town of Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, among flat fields that go on for miles, there is a gigantic shopping mall. In this episode we visit the mall's most bustling area, the food court. With cheap eats and no rush to leave, it's a favorite for all sorts of patrons. Our conversations with the diners over these 72 hours reveal some insights into their lives, from young men who quit school, to elderly friends sneaking in some sake, to a mother recovering from cancer.

In this episode we take a ride on a ferry to Sakurajima, an island with an active volcano just off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture. It makes the 15-minute journey all day and night, carrying over 10,000 passengers a day for work, school, shopping and more. It's also a lifeline in case of disaster. Living alongside an active volcano presents a unique set of challenges. We spent 72 hours listening to the ordinary and extraordinary stories of the people who live and travel in this unique environment.

For 62 years, a rickety roller coaster that has a top speed of just 42 kilometers per hour has been a popular attraction at Hanayashiki, an amusement park steeped in history in Tokyo's Asakusa district. Many of the people riding this slow roller coaster are adults, screaming as the ride takes them back to their younger days. Why are people drawn to this aging roller coaster? For 3 days, we listened to the stories of people coming to this nostalgic ride.

A Nostalgic Roller Coaster Ride

When the locals in Kyoto want to relax, they stroll upstream along the Kamo River to a spot called the "Delta". This scenic area apart from Kyoto's tourist attractions has served as the setting for a number of novels and movies. There's something liberating about skipping across the stepping stones. From students relishing the springtime of their lives to adults reflecting on days past, the people we encounter over these 72 hours have lots of stories to tell among the gorgeous spring scenery.

Kyoto's Kamo River Delta

In Shinjuku Kabukicho, the largest entertainment district in Japan, there is a 24-hour Go club, which is rare in Japan. It has been in business for 34 years, and the sound of Go stones echoes from midnight to early morning. Since it is open 24 hours a day, meals and drinks are served. The extensive menu is just like an izakaya (Japanese-style pub). On weekends, people who have finished work stay over to play Go. What is the drama that unfolds over three days as people are captivated by the magic of Go?

Trapped in the Magic of Go

In May, U.S. President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima for the first time as the incumbent president. How did the people of Hiroshima feel as they welcomed him on this day that caught the attention of all of Japan? The program closely followed the plaza near Peace Memorial Park where people were coming and going. Some were young people who said they had no interest in the event, and others were a couple from Denmark who came to Hiroshima for the occasion. What was the discussion that started late at night in the square? The program brings to light the thoughts and feelings each person had in their hearts on this historic day.

Hiroshima: On the Street Corner Waiting for the President

From reasonable breakfasts to ice cream sodas to sweet bean paste on toast, our stage this time is a Nagoya café. Tea culture has thrived in Nagoya from the days of old, and cafés now make up 40% of its dining establishments. It's not unusual for families to spend mornings here, or even for customers to come multiple times a day. Sit and relax on a dark red sofa, and your heart will belong here. We spend 3 days in an old café in Nagoya, surrendering ourselves to the nostalgic retro atmosphere.

Relaxing in a Nagoya Café

From a second-hand ambulance to someone who will visit a grave for you, almost every imaginable item and service is sold and bought on online auctions. Since these sites were launched in Japan around 20 years ago, they have developed into a huge market, where more than 100 million transactions are made each year. Some people sell items to rustle up some extra money, while others earn enough to make a comfortable living. What kind of people use online auctions to sell things? For 3 days, we traveled around Japan to meet real-world people selling unusual things through the Internet.

Faces Behind an Online Auction

Brazil is booming with the hosting of the Olympic Games, a symbol of modern capitalism. Behind the backdrop of a developing society, people are said to be entrusting various wishes to traditional “black magic”. In this program, for the first time ever, a Japanese TV station will be in close contact with a “sacred place of witchcraft” located in the suburbs of Sao Paulo. Love, marriages, employment problems.... What do people pray for when faced with problems that cannot be solved no matter how much society develops? This special edition is set in Brazil just before the Olympics.

Brazil: Prayer-Filled Secret Sanctuary

For crimes ranging from drugs to murder, the number of women being sent to prison has multiplied in Japan over the last 20 years. How do they spend their days? What is on their minds? In this program, we take a close look inside Wakayama Women's Prison, one of Japan's largest. Inmates do menial labor in a workshop in the day and watch TV during evening recess. And what do model prisoners say when they learn they'll be released on parole? Witness 3 days of life behind the giant prison walls.

A Women's Prison: Up-Close and Personal

In mid-August, families across Japan get together to celebrate Obon, when it is believed the spirits of their ancestors return to visit. In Nagasaki Prefecture, this traditional event is marked in a remarkably boisterous way: people let off skyrockets at their ancestors' graves and light firecrackers. For 3 days, we film a long-established fireworks shop in Nagasaki. Among the customers, 2 brothers fondly remembering their mother who raised them singlehandedly; and a man spending 400,000 yen on firecrackers to send off the spirit of his father who died this year. As tears fall and fireworks explode, what were the customers feeling as they thought about their dearly departed?

Obon with a Bang in Nagasaki

An ice shop in Fukui that is open 24 hours a day, a rarity in Japan. The slowly frozen ice, ranging from huge sheets of ice to ice scraps, has a reputation for being "delicious and melting slowly. In the early morning, the store is crowded with anglers heading to the sea, and in the afternoon with people buying large quantities of ice for summer festivals. At night, bar-goers and drinkers from the nearby downtown area come to the ice shop to buy ice. One new mother of a snack bar says, "I'm getting divorced and I'm going to be independent, so I'm going to use this ice to make a water mix. Three days in summer, touching on “each happiness” born beyond the ice.

Fukui: Unattended Ice Shop in Midsummer

There's a monster-catching smartphone game that took the world by storm in the summer of 2016. And a park in the Kinshicho area of Tokyo has become the go-to spot for players looking for rare monsters. It's packed all day and night with people staring at their phones. There's a culinary school dropout on a 10-hour streak, an elderly couple catching monsters on a date, and young guys looking to pick up dates as well. For 3 days we meet monster hunters at this mysterious park in Tokyo.

People-Watching at a Monster Hotspot

From the outside, this butcher shop in Hiratsuka, a city just southwest of Tokyo, looks like any other. But lining its shelves are many kinds of meat rarely seen for sale in Japan, such as cow kidney and even pig's blood. Among the shoppers drawn by this vast array of meat are Peruvians buying for their usual weekend barbecue with family and relatives, and a Filipino woman cooking for her large family. The large volumes of meat purchased at this shop are transformed into ethnic dishes in people's kitchens. We listened to the stories of those who eat hearty, meaty meals while living far from their country of birth.

Where Cultures and Meat Meet

An hour's train ride from Ehime Prefecture's capital, you'll find Shimonada Station. This tiny, unmanned rail stop on the Seto Inland Sea coast is a serene but popular destination. With its charming bench facing the vast ocean, visitors of all ages flock to take in the picturesque scenery. An ailing man visits 2 days in a row just to get a picture of the sunset. Another man stops by whenever he has trouble at work. For 3 days we listen to visitors' stories at this placid little stop.

The Little Station and the Sea

A golf driving range in Tokyo's Adachi Ward is one of the largest in the city and is open around the clock throughout the year. Golf has a reputation for being a "rich man's sport" in Japan, but 1,000 people visit this driving range each day and come for a myriad of reasons. A mother comes to practice late at night after her children go to sleep, a group of elderly men regularly meets up early in the morning, and one man even silently tees off because he feels uncomfortable being at home with his family. What are they thinking about each time they hit a golf ball into the distance?

Golf Driving Range: Slices of Life

There's a huge art supply store in Tokyo with Japan's largest selection. From 50-cent pencils to necessities for painting and sculptures, its 5 floors are filled with everything an artist could want, and 4,000 of them visit every day. Over these 3 days we meet shoppers from overseas looking for sketchbooks and calligraphy pens, a manga artist who just got published, and a painter who can't stop despite his family's protests. Peek inside their minds and discover why they love to create.

Art Supply Heaven in Tokyo

When the autumn leaves are at their finest, a huge tent village pops up in a valley in the Northern Alps in Nagano Prefecture. At night, lights inside these seemingly countless tents give off a colorful glow. Among the campers is a group of coworkers who usually hit bars in the city but traveled all the way for a drinking-party with a difference, and a man who dreamed of sleeping in a tent with his young daughter. Each tent pitched on the rocky ground at an altitude of 2,300 meters is there for a unique reason. For 3 days, we spoke to the people seeking something "a little different" under the starry sky.

Starlit Tales from a Nagano Tent Village

Nakasu in Fukuoka Prefecture is one of Japan's largest nightlife districts. Tucked away among the 2,600 dining and entertainment establishments, here is a daycare center open from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. the next morning. During the day, workers at the nearby office district drop off their children, while in the evening a steady stream of parents who work in Nakasu leave their kids in its care. The center has a busy period around midnight as parents pick up their children. They include an elegant restaurant manager wearing a kimono, and single parents working hard to earn enough to raise their children. For 3 days, we listened to the parents and children whose lives are supported by this daycare center.

Daycare Center in Fukuoka's Nightlife District

In October 2016, an unusual mayor election was held for Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture. A ballot box was taken on a journey to reach the villagers, who had evacuated to scattered locations after the 2011 nuclear disaster. One candidate argued for a return to the village, while the other argued it was still too dangerous. Voters wanting to return did not want the village to end with their generation, while those opposed to returning were still concerned about the radiation. In the end, what hopes did the 5,200 voters place in the traveling ballot box?

The Traveling Ballot Box

At the end of October, 20,000 people of all ages and nationalities descend on the main intersection of Tokyo's Roppongi district to join in the Halloween festivities. Their costumes run the full gamut, from U.S. presidents to iconic Japanese anime characters. The revelers include young men who wear masks to pluck up the courage to chat up women, and a barber who grew his hair for a year as part of his costume. These Halloween activities grew naturally over a decade ago in Roppongi, an area popular also with expats. We spent 3 days uncovering the stories of the people behind the masks.

Behind the Masks: Halloween in Roppongi

In the streets of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, the air is filled with a dozen foreign languages as people dance the samba and hula in the "Worldwide Uchinanchu (Okinawan) Festival". Around 7,300 Okinawan descendants have returned home from around the world to participate. They are those who went abroad for various reasons, some to find work and some driven from their homes after WWII. Others are 2nd and 3rd generations of Okinawans, and have come to learn more about their ancestral roots. We pay a visit to Kokusai Street, the heart of the festival, to listen to their voices.

From Okinawa to the World and Back

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.

Route 439: Japan's Last Frontier

Seasons17

Season 7 Episodes38

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