
Decisions of the Heroes
★ 7 · 2013 · Documentary
Historical figures and their decisions that changed the course of history. Based on expert research, the program explains dilemmas the that heroes faced and options they could have chosen.
Episodes
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Time and Tide
2020
"Time and Tide" transcends time to detail extraordinary historical events in Japan and the larger world. Join NHK WORLD-JAPAN on a journey that reveals the truth behind some of the turning points of the past.
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Ukiyoe EDO-LIFE
2018
Centuries ago, Tokyo was known as Edo. More than a million people enjoyed life in this small but abundant city. They live on in ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Each episode is a deep dive into a single print, and an exploration of the soul of Old Tokyo. We examine works by artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige not just for their aesthetic and historical value, but for the stories they tell of everyday life. That is how the people of Edo themselves enjoyed this mass-produced medium.
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Magical Japanese
2021 · ★ 10
Explore the richness and depth of the Japanese language and discover how words and expressions reflect history, culture and the natural world.
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Japanology Plus
2014 · ★ 6.4
Host Peter Barakan delves into various aspects of Japanese culture; exploring practices, history, and modern innovations in such areas as ramen, rice, sushi, geisha, bonsai, and so much more. Local experts discuss their passions at fascinating length, and American Japanophile Matt Alt experiences the food, practices, and cultures in each episode in depth. Viewers will finish each half hour episode with a new understanding of an area of Japanese life through demonstrative videos and explanations, all delivered respectfully and true to the Japanese way of life.
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NINJA TRUTH
2018
Ninja are now seen in popular media around the world. But as their profile rises, their reality gets muddied amid legends and fantasies. The truth about authentic ninja lies unknown, shrouded in mystery. This program carefully examines the fighting skills and tools used by actual ninja, and conducts experiments to determine the "Ninja Truth".
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Yotoden: Chronicle of the Warlord Period
1987 · ★ 4
In the year 1580, a man named Lord Nobunaga Oda sends hoards of unholy armies across Japan, slaying all who stand in their way. A young ninja escapes her villages' destruction with a short sword, one of the three mystical weapons that can end Oda's rule. During her quest, she is joined by two other ninjas who wield the other two weapons of legend, the sacred sword and spear.
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Neko Konogoro: Country Unification Arc
2025
Follows Nekotarou, a cat from Kagoshima who aims to unify the country.
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Neko Neko Nihonshi
2016 · ★ 3
The story imagines if Japanese historical figures such as Queen Himiko, the warlord Oda Nobunaga, and samurai Sakamoto Ryouma were cats.
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Song of the Samurai
2026
Follows the Shinsengumi samurai corps during late-Edo period Kyoto, centered on former street fighter Hijikata Toshizo and his brotherhood with Kondo Isami and Okita Soji as loyalty, betrayal, and war test them.
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Mayday
2003 · ★ 8.2
Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.
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Driven
1998 · ★ 10
Driven was a motoring television programme launched by Channel 4 in 1998 as a rival to the successful and long-running BBC series Top Gear. The style was similar to its rival, but with additional features such as the "Driven 100", a road test of three cars in the same class, where each car would be given marks for qualities such as practicality, desirability and cost of ownership. The car with the highest total score would be the winner. The programme launched with the concept that the presenters should interact with each other rather than present items on their own, as was then the case on Top Gear. The first series also featured a "headquarters", a racing team truck, set on a former air force base at which cars were put through their paces. These concepts resurfaced in the reborn Top Gear soon after.
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