Storyline

Stories about people, stories about life. Intimate portraits of people from around Japan, each leading diverse lives while enriching lives of others.

First Aired

2011-02-06
Last Aired

2024-12-29
Creator
Genre

Documentary
Seasons

14
Episodes

264
Status

Returning Series
Language

日本語, English
Network

NHK, NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Keywords:

way of life hometown culture community spirit social awareness life story working life

Stream and watch Hometown Stories

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9

Season 10

Season 11

Season 12

Season 13

Season 14

1. Night of the Dancing Fire God

The "Matsuage" fire festival in Kyoto was admired by essayist Masako Shirasu. In her travelogue titled...More

The "Matsuage" fire festival in Kyoto was admired by essayist Masako Shirasu. In her travelogue titled "Kakure-zato", she described it as "the most touching festival scene that I've ever observed". In this program, actress Mayu Tsuruta visits the festival and reports very expressively on "the dance of flames" that moved Masako Shirasu so deeply.Less

50mins 2011-02-06

2. The Mountain God Piggyback

This program describes a simple, rustic event called "The Mountain God Piggyback" that has been handed...More

This program describes a simple, rustic event called "The Mountain God Piggyback" that has been handed down since time immemorial in a snowy mountain village in Yamagata Prefecture. Carrying the local shrine's object of worship on their shoulders, children make house-to-house visits in the area, so that the local people can offer up their prayers to the deity.Less

50mins 2011-02-13

3. A Millennium of Prayers

This program shows how ancient religious practices survive on the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefectur...More

This program shows how ancient religious practices survive on the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, regarded as the home of the Buddha, and long known as a site for ascetic mountain training. Last year, during a "Mineiri" religious austerity being practiced for the first time in a decade, around 20 ascetics dressed in white made a pilgrimage that included crossing ten mountain ridges.Less

50mins 2011-02-20

4. Kagura: The Passion for Dance

In ancient times, "kagura" was a form of dance dedicated to the gods. But in modern times, as its orig...More

In ancient times, "kagura" was a form of dance dedicated to the gods. But in modern times, as its original meaning weakened and it took on the color of a local performing art, young people found it rustic and lost interest in it. Today, however, many kagura groups are attracting them and seeking to create original dances while preserving traditions. This program investigates the reasons for kagura's current popularity with the young.Less

50mins 2011-02-27

5. Eco-Paddy: Bio-Wonderland

The aim of the 'eco-paddy fields' project is to grow rice without using agrochemicals and chemical fer...More

The aim of the 'eco-paddy fields' project is to grow rice without using agrochemicals and chemical fertilizers in rice fields full of wildlife created by cutting open uncultivated cedar forests and restoring terraced paddy fields. 30 parents and children from 9 families, chosen from viewer applications, participated in the project for a whole year. At last, the rice that has grown all through the summer with the support of various creatures has fully matured. The harvesting and threshing is carried out manually in the traditional way. How do the participants feel when they taste the rice and who do they want to convey their feelings to? The program presents the thoughts of each family to show what the participants gained from the project.Less

50mins 2011-10-02

6. Granny Loves You: The Probation Officer's Tale

77-year-old volunteer probation officer Chikako Nakamoto was affectionately known as 'The little old l...More

77-year-old volunteer probation officer Chikako Nakamoto was affectionately known as 'The little old lady of Motomachi' by the juvenile delinquents she took care of for 30 years in the Motomachi district of Hiroshima. She opened up her home to them, served her hand-made cooking, listened to their stories, and helped many of them to reform their ways. Last November, however, Nakamoto reached the year of retirement for volunteer probation officers. She often says, "Support from the local community is essential for the rehabilitation of offenders". The program closely describes her daily life as she strives to entrust her role to the community.Less

30mins 2011-10-09

7. Honoring the Dead: The Bone Washing Ritual of Yoronjima

Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture is a southern island with a population of 5,600 surrounded by beauti...More

Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture is a southern island with a population of 5,600 surrounded by beautiful coral reef and white sand beaches. In the island's unusual ritual called 'Senkotsu', the skeletal remains of family members are dug up from three to five years after burial, cleaned and then returned to their graves. The program introduces the small island's traditional form of family bonding by following members of the Takecrapa family as they carry out the ritual and also includes the history of the island's funerary practices.Less

50mins 2011-10-16

8. Mother, I Want To See You

This drama set in a remote elementary school centers around the efforts made by a young female teacher...More

This drama set in a remote elementary school centers around the efforts made by a young female teacher called Hikari to help Aya, an uncommunicative exchange student who has problems with her mother.Less