NHK World Japan Monthly Focus May

The Power of Champuru

Barakan Discovers: OKINAWA

Peter Barakan meets with people in Okinawa, 50 years after its return to Japan from America following the postwar occupation. Residents worked tirelessly to heal the scars of war and reconstruct their heritage. That heritage is grounded in the Ryukyu Kingdom that Okinawa once was, surviving for 450 years as an independent entity between China and Japan. A Champuru ethos allowed the Kingdom to skillfully encounter and incorporate foreign influences, strategies that may be useful even today.

May 28 Sat.  0:10 / 6:10 / 12:10 / 18:10

How to be Likeable in a Crisis (Dubbed ver.)

International viewers can now enjoy one of Japan’s most popular TV dramas with the English-dubbed version of How to be Likeable in a Crisis made available by NHK Drama Showcase on NHK WORLD-JAPAN. The dark comedy revolves around Kanzaki Makoto, who works in public relations for a prestigious university.
The screenplay was written by Watanabe Aya, who has been behind many hit shows. Award-winning actor Matsuzaka Tori depicts Makoto navigating the choppy waters of the workplace and his personal life in the series’ five episodes.

Ep 1~3 Available on VOD!
Ep 4 May 1 Sun.  0:10 / 18:10
Ep 5 May 8 Sun.  0:10 / 18:10

Hometown Stories:

Bomb Disposal Quest in Okinawa

An engineer in southwestern Japan has dedicated his life to removing dud explosives from World War II that still lie buried. It will probably take 70 years to remove them all. We follow his challenge.

May 15 Sun. 1:10 / 7:10 / 13:10 / 19:10

GRAND SUMO Highlights

DAILY DURING TOURNAMENTS

The best of today’s sumo! Enjoy daily highlights of this dynamic sport with background info and play-by-play commentary adding to the excitement!

[Source: NHK World Japan press release]