CATCH JAPAN

Aired: May 27, 2022 (UTC)


Series Information

Explore a colorful variety of modern Japan’s most popular topics, including food, technology, ecology and regional promotions, with a focus on the innovative ideas and passionate effort from the people behind it all.

J-TRIP

As the Expo 2025 Osaka draws near, a travel tour with sustainability as its theme is being developed. This SDGs tour will visit agricultural and fishery industries around Senshu in Osaka, an area which boasts an abundance of gourmet food. This segment follows participants trying out the tour prior to its launch, and the efforts of people in Senshu to convey the charms of its food within Japan and overseas.

At a farm that aims for farming sustainability
Rice bowl topped with sustainably-grown conger eel

J-SCIENCE

A biotech startup founded by a professor at the Keio University School of Medicine is on the verge of realizing practical application of an innovative technology to artificially create heart muscle cells or cardiomyocytes using iPS cells. This segment features the technology that may revolutionize the treatment of advanced heart disease, which can now only be fundamentally treated by heart transplant.

Fukuda Keiichi, Professor of Cardiology at Keio University School of Medicine and Heartseed CEO
Artificial cardiomyocytes

J-TECH

A mountain slope collapsed behind a Japanese shrine with a thousand-year history. However, thanks to reinforcement work done afterwards, the shrine suffered minimal damage from a subsequent typhoon. A unique method in which long bolts were driven into the slope, points are covered with steel plates, and connected the steel plates with wires was utilized. This method is starting to be used worldwide.

Triangular plates used in reinforcement
A reinforced mountain slope

J-NATURE

There are currently 34 national parks in Japan. This segment features the Towada-Hachimantai National Park in the northern part of the country. Our reporter, along with park rangers and nature guides, explore the park’s landscapes and the geological history of the moss-rich Oirase Gorge, as well as Japan’s one and only double-caldera lake, Lake Towada.

Travel Journalist Said Karlsson in Oirase Gorge
A geological formation called the Ropposeki on Lake Towada

Our Series

Trailblazers We follow Japan’s trailblazers breaking new ground in various fields and discover the purpose that keeps them moving forward.
Catch Japan Explore a colorful variety of modern Japan’s most popular topics, including food, technology, ecology and regional promotions, with a focus on the innovative ideas and passionate effort from the people behind it all.
Journeys in Japan's National Parks Featuring the stunning natural landscapes of Japan's National Parks, and the rich culture shaped there in harmony with nature.
The Heart of Fukui This series explores the allure of traditional culture thriving in Fukui, a region rich in nature facing the Sea of Japan.
SPIRIT OF JAPAN The program introduces the history and wisdom behind Japan’s technological strength and specialties, which are helping to revitalize regional areas of the country.
Explore Japan This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.
Exploring the Lands of the Ainu In this series, we visit areas in Hokkaido with deep connections to the Ainu living there and showcase their prayers, dances, and traditional ceremonies passed down through generations.
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