Storyline

FRONTRUNNERS highlights professionals at the very forefront of their field. We showcase their amazing work, discover their motivations, and learn about the challenges they face in the future.

First Aired

2023-03-22
Last Aired

2024-12-25
Creator
Genre

Documentary
Seasons

3
Episodes

27
Status

Returning Series
Language

日本語, English
Network

NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Keywords:

entrepreneur innovation expert industrial designer japanese workplace innovator

Stream and watch FRONTRUNNERS

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

1. Prosthetics Pioneer - Usui Fumio

Usui Fumio is one of the most trusted prosthetists in Japanese para-sports. An early pioneer in the di...More

Usui Fumio is one of the most trusted prosthetists in Japanese para-sports. An early pioneer in the discipline, having developed sporting limbs since the 1980s, he now works arm-in-arm with athletes to craft prosthetics that match their precise needs, underpinning countless successes on both track and field. Away from sports, he also strives to create prosthetics that express users' own identities, appearing on stage in both dance events and fashion shows.Less

28mins 2023-03-22

2. Kyoto Foraging Master - Nakahigashi Hisato

Near Kyoto, in the mountain village of Hanase, is a traditional inn with 130 years of upholding approa...More

Near Kyoto, in the mountain village of Hanase, is a traditional inn with 130 years of upholding approaches to cuisine and hospitality attuned with the rich local nature and the passage of the four seasons. It is run by fourth-generation head Nakahigashi Hisato, whose refined take on wild food and foraging has made fans of some of the world's leading chefs. We follow Nakahigashi through the winter months and gain unique insights into his pioneering update on time-honored culinary lore to suit modern tastes.Less

28mins 2023-03-29

3. Rope Rescue Expert - Hayashida Akihiro

Rope rescue is an emergency practice that deftly deploys cords, clasps and pulleys to reach individual...More

Rope rescue is an emergency practice that deftly deploys cords, clasps and pulleys to reach individuals stranded on hillsides and cliffs, or amid floods, rubble, and in other locations that helicopters and emergency vehicles struggle to reach. Hayashida Akihiro leads a fire service rope rescue team that, in 2022, won first prize at a global rope skills tournament in Belgium. We follow his efforts to promote these lifesaving techniques to rescue services across Japan.Less

28mins 2023-04-19

4. Children's Hospice Founder - Tagawa Hisato

Tagawa Hisato is the founder of a unique children's hospice in Yokohama that aims to support families ...More

Tagawa Hisato is the founder of a unique children's hospice in Yokohama that aims to support families left socially isolated and emotionally and financially drained by intensive treatment for incurable pediatric conditions. Motivated by the loss of his own daughter to cancer aged just six, and remorse at having neglected quality time to focus on treatment, Tagawa works to provide memorable palliative care that helps families to face the end with peace and positivity.Less

28mins 2023-05-24

5. Vegan Washoku Chef - Kusumoto Katsumi

A restaurant in Tokyo emerged as the top-rated business on a popular online guide carrying consumer ra...More

A restaurant in Tokyo emerged as the top-rated business on a popular online guide carrying consumer ratings for over 110 thousand vegan restaurants worldwide. And as well as being entirely plant-based, owner Kusumoto Katsumi's menu also caters to those with faith-based dietary restrictions or allergies by eschewing alcohol and artificial ingredients. This time on FRONTRUNNERS, we follow a chef promoting a truly borderless approach to traditional Japanese cuisine.Less

28mins 2023-06-28

6. Japanese Cheese Trailblazer - Shibata Chiyo

In rural Chiba Prefecture, Shibata Chiyo runs a pioneering cheeseworks out of a 120-year-old farmhouse...More

In rural Chiba Prefecture, Shibata Chiyo runs a pioneering cheeseworks out of a 120-year-old farmhouse. Her focus is 100% local fermented cheeses, and just three years after launching in 2014, she became the first female cheesemaker to win a prestigious award from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, before going on to place third out of 3,804 entries in the 2019 World Cheese Awards. This time on FRONTRUNNERS, we follow a cheesemaker with a uniquely Japanese approach to fromage and sustainability.Less

28mins 2023-07-19

7. Master Gardener - Kitayama Yasuo

Kitayama Yasuo is a 74-year-old master gardener. He has created over 70 of Japan's famous gardens, and...More

Kitayama Yasuo is a 74-year-old master gardener. He has created over 70 of Japan's famous gardens, and receives commissions from all over the world. His specialty, the traditional rock garden, involves the careful manipulation of light and shadow. Rocks and pebbles are used to represent water. His final major project is in a city devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. We follow Kitayama as he works hard to create a garden where people can heal, through love for life.Less

28mins 2023-07-26

8. Helicopter Physician - Tsugita Nobuyuki

Airborne physician Tsugita Nobuyuki provides a vital service to island communities in west Japan's Set...More

Airborne physician Tsugita Nobuyuki provides a vital service to island communities in west Japan's Seto Inland Sea. Despite aging populations, the islands of Momoshima and Sagishima lacked their own medical facilities. To address this situation, doctor and air-show exhibition pilot Tsugita opened clinics in both communities, and trained for a helicopter license. He flies between them, providing consultations and home visits as well as round-the-clock emergency care.Less

28mins 2023-08-30

9. Kyoto Kimono Dyer - Tabata Kihachi

Kyo-yuzen is a famous dyed textile from Kyoto Prefecture, used in kimono. The Tabata family have been ...More

Kyo-yuzen is a famous dyed textile from Kyoto Prefecture, used in kimono. The Tabata family have been top producers for decades; they've produced garments for a royal wedding, costumes for maiko in a popular dance performance and modern kimono too. The 88-year-old, 5th generation owner, Tabata Kihachi, produces dynamic, contemporary designs that preserve traditional techniques. At a solo exhibition in Tokyo, he shares his wisdom with visitors, and explains why people wearing kimono seem to glow.Less

28mins 2023-09-27

10. Thatching Innovator - Sagara Ikuya

The thatched roofs found on traditional Japanese houses are declining in number. They're hard to maint...More

The thatched roofs found on traditional Japanese houses are declining in number. They're hard to maintain, and passing on the relevant skills is difficult. However, Sagara Ikuya is giving this ancient craft an innovative twist. He also works hard to develop the skills of young people. Thatched roofs represent the wisdom of our ancestors, who struggled to coexist with nature, and we discover how Sagara is using that tradition to explore new possibilities.Less

28mins 2023-11-15

11. Pioneering Neurosurgeon - Kato Yoko

Dr. Kato Yoko is an expert in the treatment of deadly strokes, with over 3,000 surgeries to her name a...More

Dr. Kato Yoko is an expert in the treatment of deadly strokes, with over 3,000 surgeries to her name across a career spanning almost five decades. She also trains med students from around the world.Less