Hometown Stories S10E15 · Rediscovering Ainu Heritage: Part 2

Overview

Since long ago, the indigenous Ainu people had lived in harmony with nature, following their own unique culture. But when Japanese settlers began to arrive in their ancestral homeland - now known as Hokkaido - the Ainu had to adapt to the Japanese way of life and began losing their unique culture. Now, a new generation of Ainu brings to light their difficult history and reclaims their language and customs.

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Episodes

1. 1 1. Why She Runs2021-01-10A newcomer to a small mountain hamlet called Kurata turns heads, because nearly everywhere she goes, she runs. Her name is Yuki, and she has come to help revitalize the aging commu
2. 2 2. Connecting People in a Pandemic2021-01-17Minami Shintaro is a young man with a special knack of attracting people. He runs a guest house in Seto City in central Japan, renowned as a major producer of ceramics. But the Cov
3. 3 3. A Haven Called Bethesda2021-02-07Yamazaki Takashi runs Bethesda, a support center in Hokkaido Prefecture for people in need. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed a trend -- more people in white-collar jobs a
4. 4 4. Analog Buddies in a Digital Age2021-02-13Nagano Haruki and Okuda Sho, 17-year-old high-school boys in central Japan, have been writing to each other about once every 2 weeks since 2017. It started when Haruki developed a
5. 5 5. Rescuing Pre-Disaster Memories2021-03-06When people leave a town behind, what happens to its memories? The coast of Okuma Town is home to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which melted down after the 2011 eart
6. 6 6. Selfie Diary of Mr. "One Team"2021-03-20Yasui Hiroyuki is a junior-high school teacher and rugby coach in western Japan. With his motto "One Team," he encourages students to unite to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. H
7. 7 7. The Power of Giving Up2021-04-03Throughout his long career in business - and now as the head of a Japanese university - Deguchi Haruaki has faced setbacks and challenges. As a result, he's developed a unique pers
8. 8 8. Spring Splendor in Hirosaki2021-04-18Hirosaki Park in northern Japan is one of the country's finest cherry blossom sites. Nowhere in the world do cherry trees bloom so fully and close together. The overwhelming densit
9. 9 9. A Place for Every Child2021-05-02Galapagos is a welfare facility in Saga Prefecture that provides after-school services for special-needs children. It even accepts children with problematic behaviors who have been
10. 10 10. Why Did She Pose in a Bikini?: Challenges of an "Ostomate" Doctor2021-05-16Ostomates are people who, owing to illness or disability, need a bag attached to their abdomen to collect bodily waste. Currently, there are around 210,000 ostomates in Japan, but
11. 11 11. A Legendary Chef's Last Lessons2021-05-23For 25 years, Murabayashi Shingo has been a legend in the kitchen of a high school cooking class. An outstanding teacher and harsh taskmaster, he's helped generations of young cook
12. 12 12. Haircut Magic2021-06-06At any age, a fresh hairstyle can connect us with our inner radiance. A team of hairdressers in Toyama Prefecture visits elderly people who are physically incapable of going to a s
13. 13 13. The Deities of Gion2021-06-20Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020, Kyoto Prefecture's 1,000-year-old Gion Festival, held annually around Yasaka Shrine, was facing cancellation. But Kitamura Norio, a devot
14. 14 14. Rediscovering Ainu Heritage: Part 12021-07-03Since long ago, the indigenous Ainu people had lived in harmony with nature, following their own unique culture. But when Japanese settlers began to arrive in their ancestral homel
15. 15 15. Rediscovering Ainu Heritage: Part 22021-07-10Since long ago, the indigenous Ainu people had lived in harmony with nature, following their own unique culture. But when Japanese settlers began to arrive in their ancestral homel
16. 16 16. Sushi with Heart and Soul2021-08-01At age 89, Morita Kazuo, a legendary sushi chef in Kanazawa, central Japan, still attracts customers. With over 70 years of experience, he is deft with his knife and precise in squ
17. 17 17. Building Robots, Fostering Happiness2021-08-15A group of engineering college students in Japan had a challenging assignment: to build a robot that makes people happy for a prestigious national competition. The COVID-19 pandemi
18. 18 18. Baseball Heals Kids2021-08-22Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is home to a rare sight in this country - 2 baseball teams that bring together children with developmental disorders. Often, these children
19. 19 19. The Unorthodox Karuta Champion / Ruludaisy: Drag Queen Farmer2021-09-05This program brings you the stories of 2 dedicated individuals and their everyday struggles and triumphs. Kumehara Keitaro, champion of the Japanese card game Karuta, has a highly
20. 20 20. Light on a Raging River2021-09-19The Kuzuryu River is a symbol of Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. Local people know it as "the raging river" for its repeated flooding, but they also appreciate the profusion of it
21. 21 21. Shared House, Shared Lives2021-10-03People with severe mental and physical challenges often live in isolation from the world around them, at home or in medical facilities. A unique living arrangement in Fukuoka City
22. 22 22. Being LGBT+ in a Small Town2021-10-16Identifying as LGBT+, Fujiya Ami doesn't want to be categorized as either male or female and has no romantic feelings for others. After working in Tokyo as a "woman," Ami couldn't
23. 23 23. Living Alongside Disaster2021-10-24 · 30mThe population of Kuma Village was already shrinking before disaster struck in 2020. Torrential rains and flooding made the village uninhabitable, forcing residents to evacuate. As
24. 24 24. Crisis in “Japan's Kitchen”2021-11-07 · 30mThe Toyosu Market plays a key role in Japan's rich food culture. Through its doors pass vast quantities of fish and seafood, some of which are bought by Tokyo's most renowned resta
25. 25 25. A 94-Year-Old Culinary Wizard2021-11-14 · 25mMatsuzaki Atsuko, 94, a former professor of culinary science in southwestern Japan, is a regional culinary specialist known for her pressed mackerel sushi and other dishes normally
26. 26 26. Fond Farewell for a Beloved Train2021-11-21 · 27mIn March 2021, the Akita Rinkai Railway Line made its last run and a familiar sight disappeared from the streets of Akita Prefecture. The freight line was only 5.4 kilometers long
27. 27 27. Making Peace With My Father2021-12-05 · 30mKuroi Akio had always hated his father. Keijiro was physically strong, but a shell of a man who needed help with everyday tasks. At the age of 20, Keijiro faced the horrors of war.
28. 28 28. Mending Your Cherished Clothes2021-12-19 · 25mA little workshop in Minokamo City, central Japan receives countless requests from across Japan to repair damaged clothes. Kaketsugi, or invisible mending, is a technique for repai