Japanese Language and People

A ten-part series on Japanese language and culture.

Japan with Sue Perkins

From sumo wrestling to robots, Japan's traditions and high-tech innovations fuel host Sue Perkin's cultural exploration in this docuseries.

The Giants: From Hawaii To Sumo Legends

Looks into the lives of legendary sumo wrestlers who come from humble beginnings in Hawaii and become the first foreigners to rise to the highest ranks in Japan.

Emperor Akihito

Akihito, the Emperor of Japan, abdicated on April 30, 2019. This 3-parts NHK World documentary series chronicles the life of a former "divine child" who became the symbol of the Japanese State when he ascended the throne in 1989.

Lost in Tokyo

Gacha Gacha - Überraschendes aus Japan im Taschenformat

Gion Matsuri - the Rebirth!

Marking a 1150 year anniversary in 2019, the Kyoto Gion Matsuri was subsequently suspended for two years due to outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live coverage of the Yoiyama evening on July 16th and the next day's Yamaboko parade is accompanied by a set of special documentaries explaining the festival history and the activities during the pandemic.

Japan Delish

"Japan Delish" is a banquet of foods from overseas adopted by the Japanese. From fare steeped in tradition to its many modern variations, uncover the delicious histories at the heart of every dish.

Barakan Discovers

Peter Barakan is a broadcaster and a 45-year resident of Japan. In this series, he discovers how Japan is changing.

japan sense of seasons

Our Guy in Japan

Truck mechanic and motorcycle racer Guy Martin goes on an off-beat 2500-mile journey around Japan to find out how it really works.

A Culture Built with Wood

Forests cover close to 70 percent of Japan's land area. Japan's climate varies significantly from north to south, making it home to diverse forests. These forests have been an intrinsic part of Japanese culture since time immemorial.

Explore Japan

Japan continues to thrive as it incorporates cultural elements of music, fashion, cuisine, sports, arts and science from around the world. People’s encounters trigger the fusion of Japan’s and the world’s diverse culture, unceasingly producing a myriad of new phenomena and events. This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.

Departures

From epic landscapes and unforgettable culture, to the often trying times that come with international travel, Departures chronicles the unforgettable friendships, personal successes and sometimes crushing disappointments that befall travellers Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach on their journey. Departures is as much about the journey as it is the destination.

The Japanese Tradition

A series of skits revolving around poking fun at Japanese traditions, such as the art of romance, apologies, and sushi-eating.

Fukushima: Days That Shocked the World

Survivors and witnesses recall March 11 2011 - when Japan was hit by a devastating tsunami of 40-foot waves, killing 20,000 and triggering a nuclear meltdown.

Tajemství země Nippon

Train Cruise

Criss-cross Japan by rail. Enjoy an amazing diversity of nature and scenery across the four seasons, exploring both well-known and hidden Japan.

Kevin McCloud’s Rough Guide to the Future

Kevin McCloud is passionately optimistic about technology and the future, but Jon Richardson, Phil Wang and Alice Levine aren't so sure. Can Kevin persuade his trio of sceptics to see the light?

On the Wings

Embark on a series of journeys through the skies over Japan. Fly to airports nationwide and enjoy breathtaking views from the airplane window. Experience the unique seasonal beauty of the long stretching nation's southern coral reefs, vivid autumn foliage, Mt. Fuji at sunset and sparkling cityscapes. Upon arrival at each location, expert local airport staff will introduce must-see attractions, exquisite cuisine and more. Also gain a glimpse about the jobs of pilots and cabin crew.

Mind Field

Explore the surprising things we know (and don’t know) about why people are the way they are through expert interviews, rare footage from historical experiments, and brand-new, ground-breaking demonstrations of human nature at work.

Mysteries at the Museum

Don Wildman unearths relics from the world's greatest institutions to reveal secrets from the past. He examines each artifact to illuminate history's most incredible triumphs, sensational crimes and bizarre encounters.

Paranormal Witness

A tense, filmic and high-octane drama-documentary series that brings to life the stories of people who have lived through paranormal experiences that defy explanation. Using a mixture of intimate first-hand testimony and grittily realistic drama, the audience is transported into a world turned upside down by extraordinary and terrifying events.

History 101

Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.

American Masters

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Top Gear

Motoring programme featuring reviews of and reports about cars of all types.

Biography

Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Bourdain travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.

Doctor Who Confidential

Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.

Horizon

Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

How Do They Do It?

An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.

In Search of...

In Search of... is a TV series that was broadcast weekly from 1977 to 1982, devoted to mysterious phenomena. It was created after the success of three one-hour TV documentaries produced by creator Alan Landsburg: In Search of Ancient Astronauts in 1973, In Search of Ancient Mysteries and The Outer Space Connection, both in 1975. All three featured narration by Rod Serling, who was the initial choice to host the spin-off show. After Serling's death, Leonard Nimoy was selected to be the host.

Eli Roth's History of Horror

An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.

Natural World

Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.

MegaStructures

MegaStructures is a documentary television series appearing on the National Geographic Channel in the United States and the United Kingdom, Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, France 5 in France, and 7mate in Australia. Each episode is an educational look of varying depth into the construction, operation, and staffing of various structures or construction projects, but not ordinary construction products. Generally containing interviews with designers and project managers, it presents the problems of construction and the methodology or techniques used to overcome obstacles. In some cases this involved the development of new materials or products that are now in general use within the construction industry. MegaStructures focuses on constructions that are extreme; in the sense that they are the biggest, tallest, longest, or deepest in the world. Alternatively, a project may appear if it had an element of novelty or are a world first. This type of project is known as a Megaproject.

Marvel Studios Legends

Revisit the epic heroes, villains and moments from across the MCU in preparation for the stories still to come. Each dynamic segment feeds directly into the upcoming series — setting the stage for future events. This series weaves together the many threads that constitute the unparalleled Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The UnXplained

Explore the world’s most fascinating, strange and inexplicable mysteries. Each episode features compelling contributions from scientists, historians, witnesses and experiencers—each seeking to shed light on how the seemingly impossible actually can happen.

Marvel Studios Assembled

Go behind the scenes of the shows and movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following the filmmakers, cast and crew, and Marvel heroes every step of the way.

Who Do You Think You Are?

A British genealogy documentary series in which celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past.

30 for 30

30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN