Hometown Stories S12E10 · Hard Rain: A Village Divided

Overview

Across Japan, climate change is causing torrential rains and flooding. In response, the government is pursuing sweeping measures to protect communities and save lives, including a large flood-control reservoir in rural Kumamoto Prefecture. But the proposed location is currently occupied by the riverside village of Okaki, home to 58 households that would be displaced. As the reservoir project moves forward, a divide begins to form in a community faced with tough decisions about its future.

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1. 1 1. Stable Fishing Jobs Steer a Community2023-01-01 · 25mOver a century ago, residents of a port district in southeastern Japan established a cooperative that hires fishers as employees, offering stable jobs that pay a salary. The system
2. 2 2. A Float Artisan & His Muse2023-01-15 · 27mThe Nebuta Festival, which features illuminated floats, is a tradition in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. But it wasn't held for 3 years during covid. Kitamura Shunichi creates nebuta fl
3. 3 3. Magical Forest: Okinawa's Natural World Heritage Site2023-01-22 · 50mYambaru in the north of Okinawa Island was registered as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in July 2021. Its forests are home to numerous indigenous species such as the Okinawa
4. 4 4. Soccer Team Raises Community Spirit2023-02-05 · 25mA small community in Niigata Prefecture is surrounded by beautiful, abundant rice fields, but its population is shrinking as younger people leave in search of opportunity. To rever
5. 5 5. Seeking a Chance to Learn: Students with Overseas Roots2023-02-19 · 25mIn spring 2021, Shinji High School in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, set up the first class in the prefecture solely for students with foreign roots. As well as regular subject
6. 6 6. Small Factory Reaches for the Stars2023-03-05 · 25mAn aerospace project in Kyushu has brought together more than 20 local factories. Their grand plan is to launch 36 satellites. It is the first foray into space for the team at the
7. 7 7. Flying Like an Arrow2023-03-19 · 25mYabusame is a traditional Japanese form of archery in which archers shoot arrows at targets while galloping on horseback. In northern Japan, 20-year-old Fuse Aoi is creating a buzz
8. 8 8. Modern Methods Sustain Metalwork Tradition2023-04-09 · 25mA workshop in Iwate Prefecture has been making traditional Nambu ironware kettles for decades. After taking over the business from his master-craftsman father, Tayama Takahiro deci
9. 9 9. A World Heritage Town: Past and Future2023-04-23 · 30mOmori Town in western Japan is located at the foot of the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, a UN World Heritage Site. It was once losing its population, but the number of children is now g
10. 10 10. Hard Rain: A Village Divided2023-05-07 · 26mAcross Japan, climate change is causing torrential rains and flooding. In response, the government is pursuing sweeping measures to protect communities and save lives, including a
11. 11 11. Bonding Through Soba: A Story of Four Grannies2023-05-14 · 25mIn a small community at the foot of the famous Mt. Gassan in the northern prefecture of Yamagata, four women in their 80s work together in a popular soba-noodle restaurant. Many pe
12. 12 12. Amashi: Japan's Freediving Fishers2023-05-28 · 25mThe waters off Sadamisaki Peninsula, at the westernmost tip of Shikoku, are rich with large abalone and sea urchins. Amashi, or freediving fishers, descend 20 meters or more to har
13. 13 13. Our New Classmate from Ukraine2023-06-11 · 25mMariia, 12, fled the devastation of the war in Ukraine and now lives in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, with her mother and younger brother. She used to be positive and popular, b
14. 14 14. Waiting for the God's Crossing2023-06-18 · 28mAn ice bridge rises up from Lake Suwa, connecting its opposite shores. Local people have documented this omiwatari or "the God's Crossing," for hundreds of years. But changing weat
15. 15 15. Mailing Letters to the Lost2023-07-02 · 25mIn the woods of northeastern Japan stands the "Drifting Mailbox." This unique mailbox receives letters from family members to loved ones who died in the 2011 Great East Japan Earth
16. 16 16. Kintsugi: Mending Memories with Gold2023-07-09 · 25mKintsugi is a technique used to repair objects using lacquer and gold. In the mountain village of Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, a kintsugi workshop is inundated with repair
17. 17 17. A Cut Above the Rest2023-07-23 · 28mEach year, aspiring barbers and beauticians from all over Japan display their skills in a national competition. Students from a reputable hairdressing school in Kochi have often wo
18. 18 18. The Final Journey2023-08-06 · 25m"The Car of Hope" is a volunteer project that helps terminally ill patients visit one last place that is special to them in their final days. A terminal cancer patient in his 70s w
19. 19 19. Life on a Sloping Farm2023-08-20 · 30mNishiokada Haruki (82) and his wife Setsuko (75) live in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture where they've farmed a steeply sloped plot of land for more than 50 years, doing all
20. 20 20. A House-call Doctor in Fukushima2023-09-03 · 27mEleven years after the 2011 nuclear disaster, Honda Toru, a doctor, moved to Iitate village, a disaster-hit area in Fukushima, determined to live out his life there. After the acci
21. 21 21. A Song for a New Fukushima School2023-09-10 · 25mThe residents of Tomioka had to evacuate after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident. As people gradually return and rebuild, the elementary school asked compos
22. 22 22. Reviving a Fukushima Brewery2023-09-24 · 25mThe people of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, had to flee their homes after their town was destroyed in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Only about 10% of them have r
23. 23 23. Japanese Paper Supports War-torn Ukraine2023-10-08 · 26mAmid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Awa washi paper was sent to Ukraine from Tokushima, western Japan, to help repair historical documents at the Central State Historical Archives o
24. 24 24. Egg Wars – Father vs. Son2023-10-22 · 25mAvian flu and the rising cost of feed have created problems for the egg industry. At a farm in Aichi Prefecture, a father and son clash over methods. The father wants to continue r
25. 25 25. Countryside Diaries2023-11-05 · 20mFourteen years ago, Motoyama Saho left the big city and bought an abandoned farm. She built a house using scrap wood and has been trying to become self-sufficient. Fate brought her
26. 26 26. A Heart-Warming Tokyo Veggie Stand2023-11-19 · 25mThere's an unattended vegetable stand in the middle of Tokyo that draws more than 100 customers a day, supporting young people who want to save money. On the wall of the stand, the
27. 27 27. Sparking a Chain of Kindness2023-11-26 · 28mTen years ago, a young student offered to help a man with limited vision ride the bus. Other youngsters have continued the tradition. Now, a book inspired by these acts is gaining
28. 28 28. Grandma's Hands Reap Nature's Bounty2023-12-10 · 28mOn the Noto Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, winter winds buffet a tiny community protected by bamboo fences. We meet a woman in her 80s who embraces the bounty of earth and sea with
29. 29 29. Inheriting a Thousand-Year-Old Craft2023-12-24 · 31mIse katagami is the art of crafting stencils for kimono patterns. Now, the artisans practicing it are aging and their numbers shrinking. We look at the people devoted to preserving