About this season
People from around the globe who put down roots in Japan offer a glimpse into their lives and the hardships they face in Japanese society.
Episodes (26)
1. Trust in the Healing Power of Anime
Aired 15 January 2024 • 27 min
We meet Italian Francesco Panto, a psychiatrist in Saitama Prefecture who develops a therapy method that makes use of Japanese anime, as well as Brazilian Silvia De Souza who works at a coating plant in Toyama.
2. A Hearty Recipe for Recovery
Aired 29 January 2024 • 27 min
This time, we meet Togawa Aya, a naturalized Japanese born in China who runs a cafeteria in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, as well as May Zin Chit from Myanmar, who manages a convenience store in Tokyo.
3. Spirits Strengthened by Martial Arts
Aired 12 February 2024 • 27 min
This time, we follow three Ukrainians – a teenage boy and a female entrepreneur who both came to Japan thanks to martial arts, as well as a man who works in PR for a vertical farming company.
4. A Prayer for Peace in Song and Images
Aired 19 February 2024 • 27 min
We revisit Ukrainian musicians Alek and Vadym in Nagasaki Prefecture as they create a music video to express their prayer for peace, and meet Yuliya, also from Ukraine, who works at a restaurant in Kanagawa Prefecture.
5. Top Your Sushi With Conviction
Aired 18 March 2024 • 27 min
We meet Jan Markiewicz from Poland, who trains at a Tokyo sushi restaurant in preparation for the World Sushi Cup, as well as Taiwanese Su Ling, a curator at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.
6. Mr. Deo, the Dedicated Teacher
Aired 8 April 2024 • 27 min
We meet Uganda-born Kalule Deogratius who teaches English at a middle school in Nagano Prefecture, and Vietnamese Nguyen Cong Quoc who works at a mandarin orange farm in Ehime Prefecture.
7. A Well-Rooted Future for Children
Aired 22 April 2024 • 27 min
We meet Muhammad Nurul Elahi in Niigata Prefecture who grows lotus roots to fund an elementary school he opened in his native Bangladesh, and Moroccan Mohamed Aalla who trains at a soy sauce maker in Kagawa Prefecture.
8. Preserving Lacquerware Beyond the Quake
Aired 29 April 2024 • 27 min
We follow UK-born Suzanne Ross - a lacquerware artisan in Wajima - in her efforts to recover after this January's quake, and meet Chinese Tomoe Setsubai who runs a Japanese confectionery in Yokohama.
9. Step Into the Ring for Ukraine
Aired 20 May 2024 • 27 min
We meet Ukrainian Ivanna Berezovska, a female sumo wrestler who trains at a university club in Fukuoka Prefecture, and Indonesian Harsono, a professional who takes care of traditional Japanese gardens in Aichi Prefecture.
10. Children's Books Cross Barriers
Aired 27 May 2024 • 27 min
On this episode, we meet American Jerry Martin, an author of children's books based in Saitama Prefecture, and Daniel Muivakitonyi from Kenya, a running instructor in Tokyo.
11. Prayers for Peace in Gaza from Hiroshima
Aired 10 June 2024 • 27 min
We meet Ashley Souther from the US, who teaches a class on peace at a secondary school in Hiroshima Prefecture, as well as Sten van Daalen from the Netherlands, an apprentice potter in Saga Prefecture.
12. Chin Up! Let's Dance Again!
Aired 24 June 2024 • 27 min
On this episode, we revisit Filipino dance instructor Eduardo Macarat in Yokohama who changed his career to support his family, and Hongkonger Tom Wong who promotes shiitake mushrooms grown in Iwate Prefecture.
13. Drawn to the Land of Carpentry
Aired 1 July 2024 • 27 min
We meet South Korean Kang Dong Ju who runs his own carpentry business in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, and German Max Geiger, a part-time rickshaw tour guide in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture.
14. Racing for Peace
Aired 15 July 2024 • 27 min
We meet South Sudanese Abraham Guem, a 1,500-metres runner who trains in Japan in hope to qualify for the Paris Olympics, as well as Indian Khanu Singh, a racehorse groom in Obihiro, Hokkaido Prefecture.
15. Saving the Giant Salamanders
Aired 22 July 2024 • 27 min
We meet Richard Pearce, a British ecotourism guide who runs an NPO dedicated to Japanese giant salamander conservation in Tottori Prefecture, and Swedish Peter Paalsson, a crafter of furniture in Hokkaido Prefecture.
16. A Festival to Bring Cultures Together
Aired 5 August 2024 • 27 min
We meet Indian Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty who organizes a festival in Aichi Prefecture to bring the Indian and Japanese communities together, as well as Indonesian Wardah Hasanah, a 3D animator in Tokyo.
17. Spreading Smiles with a Parfait Passion
Aired 26 August 2024 • 27 min
This time, we accompany Finnish native Laura Kopilow on her journey to discover tasty parfaits all over Japan, and meet Chinese Wang Ying who works at a selfie studio in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
18. A US Pro Coach for Japan's Youth Baseball
Aired 2 September 2024 • 27 min
We meet American Bianca Smith, a former pro baseball coach who now trains children and teens in Hokkaido Prefecture, and Francis Geyrozaga Lapinig, also from the US who works as an autobody refinisher in Tokyo.
19. The Right Words for Young Carers
Aired 30 September 2024 • 27 min
In Gunma Prefecture, we meet Pakistani Aziz Ahmed who helps children that have to interpret for foreign parents with limited skill in Japanese, and Thai-native Terd Thailek, a Muay Thai trainer at a gym.
20. Eco-friendly Farming in Fukushima
Aired 14 October 2024 • 27 min
We meet French illustrator Emilie Bouquet who runs an eco-friendly farm in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, and Brazilian Suellen Taniguchi who supports kids and teens with learning difficulties in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture.
21. Creating the Wheelchairs of Tomorrow
Aired 28 October 2024 • 27 min
We revisit Pakistani Habib ur Rahman, a crafter of custom-made power wheelchairs in Kobayashi, Miyazaki Prefecture, and meet Edson Moreno, a Brazilian truck driver based in Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture.
22. Work Opportunities for Syrian Evacuees
Aired 11 November 2024 • 27 min
In Tokyo, we meet Syrian Iskandar Salama who works to find job opportunities for his fellow Syrians in and out of Japan, then go on a river ride in Tochigi Prefecture with Nepalese Shishir Mahat as our guide.
23. Sowing the Seeds of Peace
Aired 18 November 2024 • 27 min
We meet Polish Izabela Ishikawa who works to find and return the remains of those who died during World War II in Okinawa, and Hongkonger Wan Sze Ho, an instructor at a driving school in Kumamoto.
24. Closer to the Heart
Aired 2 December 2024 • 27 min
We meet Peruvian Estela Nakazaki and her daughter Namiko, both working in elderly care in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, and English Oliver Richardson who works at a tourist information center in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.
25. Roly Keeps the Apples Rolling
Aired 9 December 2024 • 27 min
We meet English-born Roland Gregory, a.k.a. Roly, who runs his own apple orchard in the Nagano countryside, and Gethmina Dinithika from Sri Lanka, who works at a ramen shop in Ueda, also in Nagano Prefecture.
26. Keeping the Traditions of Noto Alive
Aired 30 December 2024 • 27 min
We revisit Aussie chef Benjamin Flatt and lacquerware artist Suzanne Ross from the UK in their efforts to preserve the culture of their adoptive Noto in the aftermath of the quake that hit a year ago.