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Production Year 1998

The 20th Century through the Eyes of Children – 10,000 Pictures Treasured by a School –

DC249815Documentary

12歳が描いた20世紀 ある小学校に残された1万枚の絵 [KNB]

|Length : 46min. |Year : 1998

At Bakuro Elementary School founded in 1901, "pictures" drawn by six-graders have been preserved for almost 100 years. The works of art, some dating back to around 1907, were left in the school's hands in commemoration of their graduation. the pictures give us an idea how the students were educated then, how their lifestyles were like back in the day, and how things have changed with the progress of time through the four Emperor's eras I.E. Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei.

Feel the Wind Again – Running to the Dream –

DC259817Documentary

疾風よ再び 義足先生の夢力走 [HTB]

|Length : 24min. |Year : 1998

Aiming for the Paralymics

Koji Araki, a high school physical education teacher, lost the lower part of his right leg in a car accident. But this has not detered him from continuing his active life, which includes running, swimming and skiing. The phrase "fighting spirit" is inscribed on Araki's state-of-the-art artifical leg which was designed by Toshiya Nosaka in cooperation with a sports rehab research group at Sapporo Medical University. Araki is training for the Paralympics and the camera follows him through his training sessions, and zooms in on his relationship with the researchers who share his dream.

The Final Performance – Chikuzan Takahashi –

DC279811Documentary

最後の舞台 津軽三味線・高橋竹山の挑戦 [NHK]

|Length : 44min. |Year : 1998

The shamisen is a traditional Japanese musical instrument. A unique style of shamisen playing is Tsugaru-jamisen originating from Tsugaru, in the northern prefecture of Aomori. The man said to be the last master of Tsugaru-jamisen, Chikuzan Takahashi, died in February 1998 at the age of 87. Blind since two years old, Chikuzan's livelihood and passion had a single focus - the Tsugaru-jamisen. Nearing the end of his life, Chikuzan courageously began a series of come back performances.

650 Years at Center Stage

DC279815Documentary

男の晴れ舞台 650年の伝統を舞う [NHK]

|Length : 49min. |Year : 1998

Kimitake Ueda has been performing Noh for 31 of his 34 years, and passed a milestone with his rendition of the bell sequence in the Dojoji Temple play. This episode follows the demanding life of a Noh actor, focusing on Ueda, the third of four sons born to a Noh master of the Kanze School, as he undertakes a seven-year apprenticeship program. The world of the Noh theater is very disciplined, and an aspiring actor most sharpen all his senses and absorb the techniques that his teacher's body had perfected through the years.

Dream Beetles

DC289816Documentary

夢色の虫 不思議の森 “昆虫少年”44歳の夏 [NHK]

|Length : 44min. |Year : 1998

Exploring the secrets of the insect world

Mt. Otowayama outside of Kyoto is home to the green gold beetle, which lays its eggs in the excrement of other animals. Akio Hoga has been studying this insect off-and-on for 30 years on his own, in an attempt to document its life cycle over one season. Pressed by family and work obligations, he has had to put his interest aside several times. However, encouraged by his two daughters, he sets off for Mt. Otowayama to see if he can replicate the results of his artificial breeding experiments and solve the mysteries of this beetle's cycle.

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