The Kobe Serial Child Murders occurred in Kobe, Japan in 1997. A 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were brutally killed by a murderer who hid behind the alias Seito Sakakibara (酒鬼薔薇聖斗), and when arrested was discovered to be a 14-year-old boy. The fact astonished the whole country, but as a juvenile offender, he was prosecuted and convicted anonymously, known only to the public as “Boy A.” Kenji Yamashita is the father of the victim, Ayaka Yamashita. He still keeps Ayaka’s calligraphy, written right before her murder, on the wall of his house which shows the words: -“Strength to Live”（生きる力）- He avoided any press after the case, but has decided to share his story with society in order to find closure. What is atonement? What is the strength to live? The period of 25 years, through which we have exclusively been following the victim, raises critical questions for us all.

The Takeda Castle ruins in Asago city are called “The Castle in the Sky” as they look as if they are floating in the sky. In addition, there is another symbol of the city, which has been loved and protected by the locals; cherry blossoms in Ritsuunkyo which are located in front of the ruins. This combination is a classic example of beautiful scenery　produced in Japanese nature. A group of elders who are over 70 years old work to preserve it. This documentary follows the people who are struggling to preserve these two treasures for the next generation.

The absolute beauty of an ancient Japanese art. This documentary follows the 11-year-long historic restoration of the World Heritage Site, Toto, a 1,300-year-old wooden pagoda at Yakushiji Temple. Firstly, the pagoda was disassembled into more than 10 thousand parts. Those parts were then restored or replaced before being re-assembled. Surprisingly, the pagoda is resistant to huge earthquakes despite being built with little metal, a testament to the cutting-edge technology used.

The Shosoin Repository contains treasures which relate to the imperial family, and it has been miraculously well-preserved for the past 1,300 years. We take a close look at the restoration project of “Raden Shitan no Gogen Biwa ,” a traditional Japanese musical instrument and one of the most famous treasures in Japan. With the dreamlike sounds and the gorgeous decoration of the restored biwa, this program follows the long history of the Shosoin Repository from the very beginning.

How do you take care of your child during their final moments? Ichika, a four-year-old girl, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma two years ago. Despite all efforts, the family was notified that she would not have long to live. The family wishes for Ichika to have as much of a normal, everyday life as possible, and so for the last three months of Ichika’s life, they decide to stay at the pediatric cancer treatment specialized facility in the Ouchi Clinic in Kobe (Ouchi meaning home in Japanese). This documentary follows the family’s conflict, pain, and their final decision.

A heart-warming, multi-award-winning documentary. Hibiki, a completely blind 12-year-old boy, is a fantastic drums player and is able to reproduce new music just by listening to it a few times. When he was two years old, Hibiki was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Despite this harsh reality, he lives a happy life with his family in the “invisible world”.

A story of a boy who was given a hand. Haruki Kami, a seven-year-old boy, is diagnosed with a congenital defect of his left forearm. His parents pin their hopes on a myoelectric arm prosthesis, which can detect muscle tension through the residual limb with its sensor, meaning the robotic hand moves accordingly. It’s a ray of hope for children with such congenital defects. Haruki’s doctor, Takaaki Chin , launched the child myoelectric arm bank to lend out free myoelectric arms to those in need. Dr. Chin visits the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to request public aid for child myoelectric arms. This documentary follows the development of children with the myoelectric arms, as well as the doctor who continues to make great efforts in delivering myoelectric arms to children.

An ex-US Marine’s philosophy regarding the Japanese Constitution. Article 9, the most iconic and the most controversial article within the Japanese Constitution, defines the renunciation of war. Allen Nelson is a former US Marine who served in the Vietnam War. He has killed countless people on the battlefield and has suffered from PTSD after returning home, but managed to bounce back by coming to terms with his own mistakes. He has continued to advocate for the philosophy of Article 9 as the only non-violent way forward. Article 9 of the Constitution has been the most important philosophy in his lectures, which he has been conducting in Japan since 1996. Through Nelson’s half-a-lifetime and testimony, this documentary questions the role and meaning of Article 9 within Japan and the international community.

Passing on memories between a Siberian internment POW and local high school girls. Materials relating to Siberian internment from the Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum in Kyoto were registered in UNESCO’s Memory of the World program. After World War II , more than 57 million Japanese people were captured by the Soviet Union, and at least 55,000 people became POWs in Siberian internment camps. While the survivors continue to dwindle, there is one 91-year-old man who continues to tell the story. For the first time in 67 years, he visits the former internment land in Khabarovsk, Russia. This documentary shows the importance of passing on memories through the exchange between the 90-year-old man who experienced interment and local high school girls.

One of the worst accidents in Japanese railway history: the Amagasaki rail crash. With over 100 deaths, the Amagasaki rail crash is one of the worst accidents in Japanese railway history. "We will never let such a tragic accident happen again."　This sentiment has carried the bereaved families through their suffering as they continue to work for the past 10 years.　Yasakazu Asano lost his wife and sister in the accident, and his daughter Naho was seriously injured. Naho to this day still cannot get on the train. Asano has felt the victim for the past decade, and continues to advocate for further safety measures from JR . Meanwhile, other bereaved families are seeking justice with criminal charges laid against the company. Shigemi Omori , who lost her daughter in the accident, believes that the current laws are limited. This documentary follows the tenacity of the bereaved families working to ensure railway safety.

One doctor’s challenge may change the world. “Children can grow up with a smile despite having cancer.” This concept gave birth to the child chemo clinic , Ouchi Clinic , the nation’s first pediatric cancer treatment facility, in Kobe.　The Ouchi Clinic (Ouchi meaning home in Japanese) was launched by Dr. Juhan Kusunoki. With 19 rooms complete with kitchen and bathroom facilities, it can accommodate children and their families, allowing them to spend time with each other. This documentary follows the challenges faced at the Ouchi Clinic through the case of Madoka, a girl who managed to make a dramatic recovery and was able to attend her school’s graduation ceremony.

What if your father were a murderer, and his victim was your mother? Japan still retains capital punishment. This documentary focuses on the family member of a condemned criminal. Hiroto Oyama is 12 years old, and his mother was murdered by his father for insurance money, a repeat of an earlier crime in which his father had killed his own foster-father for the same reason. Hiroto, as the son of both the murderer and the victim, becomes estranged from society. He feels intense hatred towards his father and attempts suicide. When Hiroto visits his father for the first time in three-and-a-half years, he finds his father has physically declined. In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld his father’s conviction and death sentence, and Hiroto’s mental and physical anguish reached its peak. Hiroto's father also has conflicting emotions about seeing his son, which has an impact on his own will to live. However, there’s one thing that Hiroto believes: his father should stay alive and pay for his crimes.