Season 15

2026 · 25 episodes · 10h 34m in all

1. Aiming for Glory: Japan's Senior Esports Team
5 Jan 2026 · 25 min
In northern Japan, a senior esports team with an average age of 69 is aiming high. Pushed relentlessly by their coach, more than 30 years their junior, they dream of competing in a world championship.
2. The Island of Boze Deities
27 Jan 2026 · 26 min
Despite earthquakes and isolation, the people of Akusekijima Island work to uphold local traditions, including the mysterious Boze deities. A new generation is helping to keep those traditions alive.
3. Tradition and Innovation: Tochigi's Sake Masters
2 Feb 2026 · 26 min
An energetic mix of brewers strives to enliven the sake scene in Tochigi Prefecture, a place not well known for its breweries. With pride and innovation, they bring new life to an ancient tradition.
4. Hope at Your Fingertips
16 Feb 2026 · 26 min
Cancer treatments can leave a patient's fingernails weak and dark, adding to their anxiety. So a doctor opened a nail salon to help clients improve both their appearance and their outlook on life.
5. A Doctor Duo: Songs to Comfort the Heart
23 Feb 2026 · 26 min
Two doctors in western Japan have an alter ego as the music duo Insheart, whose songs bring hope to patients and families. We follow them and the fans who find strength and comfort in their music.
6. A Ten-Year-Old Takes the Reins
2 Mar 2026 · 26 min
In Ehime Prefecture, children on horseback take part in a 600-year-old tradition. With fewer participants each year, one strict trainer sees promise in a young rider spurred on by his love of horses.
7. A Morning Market in Early Winter
24 Mar 2026 · 25 min
For the past century, Saga Prefecture's Yobuko morning market has been one of Japan's leading destinations for fresh seafood. We cover recent changes, as old shops close and new ones take their place.
8. Breaking Barriers by Farming
6 Apr 2026 · 25 min
Mako and Fahmi, an international couple living in a small Japanese town. Their farm is a gathering place for people of diverse backgrounds, including foreign residents and people with disabilities.
9. Soul-Searching in a Mikan Orchard
13 Apr 2026 · 25 min
In winter, seasonal workers arrive at mandarin orange groves for the two-month harvest. While living in communal lodgings, they share their views of the world, and plot new paths in life.
10. Moments of Happiness: Living with Younger-Onset Dementia
27 Apr 2026 · 29 min
We follow people with younger-onset dementia in their daily lives, their work as public speakers, and the support they receive from those around them as they seek life's fleeting moments of happiness.
11. Preserving a Midwinter Tradition
4 May 2026 · 25 min
Every winter, a group of performers in Kikonai, Hokkaido drench themselves in freezing water in hopes of inviting a bountiful harvest and catch. We follow efforts to preserve this timeless ritual.
12. A Musical Rivalry Between Two School Bands
26 May 2026 · 25 min
In a rural town in Hokkaido, wind ensembles from neighboring junior high schools have a longstanding rivalry. As they face off in a big national competition, which one will take home the prize?
13. Learning Japanese One Step at a Time
1 Jun 2026 · 25 min
A high school allows students with international roots to use their native language while learning Japanese. Teachers hope it will help them build confidence and adapt better to their environment.
14. Pulling Together for a Dream
15 Jun 2026 · 25 min
The Funky Girls are a women's tug-of-war team with an average age of 50. Three nights a week, they forget all their personal problems and practice in pursuit of a shared dream—champions of Japan.
15. A Teacher's Words of Wisdom
22 Jun 2026 · 25 min
A retired kindergarten principal has a magical ability to understand her former students' needs. But illness is affecting her ability to speak. What lies ahead for her and those who seek her advice?
16. A Bookstore for Everyone
6 Jul 2026 · 25 min
Bookstores are closing across Japan but a shop owner in a small town in Hiroshima Prefecture is trying to beat the odds. He listens to the community for ideas on how to keep his store open.
17. Yumori: The Hot Spring Caretaker
17 Jul 2026 · 25 min
After 40 years, a local yumori, or hot spring caretaker, is retiring. A crew of young workers has been chosen to replace him. But with no manual to guide them, will these novices be up to the task?
18. My Friend, the AI Chatbot
28 Jul 2026 · 25 min
For three weeks, school children shared their feelings with AI chatbots. At a time when many kids are unable to engage in conversations with their peers, could AI help them learn how to communicate?
19. Unspoken Memories of the Double Hibakusha
3 Aug 2026 · 25 min
About 150 people experienced both atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They are known as "double hibakusha." One woman is trying to retrace their steps and learn the truth about their stories.
20. My Favorite Meal, One Last Time
17 Aug 2026 · 25 min
A clinic in Japan serves terminal patients their favorite dish one last time. The staff carefully makes each meal to fit their dietary restrictions, allowing the patients to relive their happy past.
21. Forging Bonds Through Boxing
31 Aug 2026 · 25 min
A free boxing gym helps people of all ages who are facing personal challenges to work hard and reach new goals. Meanwhile, its owner is battling cancer, and searching for a reason to keep on going.
22. The Mountain Village Where Ancient Whales Sleep
29 Sept 2026 · 25 min
Far from the ocean, a small community in the mountains of western Japan bonds over ancient whales. An amateur excavation club digs up fossils while providing residents with a sense of belonging.
23. The Charcoal-Maker's Apprentice
5 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Iwate charcoal is known for its high quality, but it faces increased competition, and an aging and shrinking number of artisans. But one young person is trying to breathe new life into the craft.
24. The Man With Two Hats
12 Oct 2026 · 25 min
In Otaru, Hokkaido, Honma Kimihiro has juggled two roles, Shinto priest and doctor, for over 30 years. How does tending to the community's spiritual and physical health help him and his neighbors?
25. My Kind of Independence
19 Oct 2026 · 25 min
18-year-old Miyako Haruto has decided to leave his children's home and live on his own. But his caregivers worry about his reluctance to open up. We follow him as he embarks on a life of independence.