TV Station MBS
A Passionate Challenger | The Queen of Lighting
DC281351
情熱大陸 | 照明デザイナー 石井幹子 [MBS]
|Length : 24min. |Year : 2013 |
Motoko Ishii has been leading the lighting design industry nearly over half a century. Her innovative designs have earned her the well-deserved reputation as "Japan's Queen of Lighting." In addition to the illumination of the landmark Tokyo Tower and the Osaka Expo '70, Ishii has worked her magic with lights on world stage in architecture and the arts, in projects like Shanghai's World Financial Center, a hotel in Singapore, and light performance events in Germany and Paris. What drives her to always be at the forefront is the desire to "do something new." In that pursuit, she is always on the go, traveling to international illumination trade fairs in Europe, or collaborating with her daughter, Akari-Lisa, who is a lighting designer in her own right.
This program goes behind-the-scenes and follows her work on illuminating the Tokyo Gate Bridge which opened in February 2012. The project had two very strict regulatory limitations on light positioning and brightness. It was an arduous effort that took eight years from planning to fruition and we see Ishii, the consummate lighting designer, passionately and completely in her element.
Creating a New World: The Maverick of the IT World
DC281250
情熱大陸 | デジタルクリエーター猪子寿之 [MBS]
|Length : 24min. |Year : 2012 |
Japan's "soft power" is more than just anime and video games. There is still an enormous amount of cultural resources that remain undeveloped. A pioneer digital creator, Toshiyuki Inoko is brilliantly tapping into these resources. Many call him "Japan's Steve Jobs."
Inoko thinks out of the box and his unique concepts have stirred the curiosity of people from all walks of life. With Japan as his springboard into a new world…he is our guide into the uncharted and limitless digital world. His eyes can already see the shape of the future.
Inoko established an IT venture company, teamLab, in 2001 with friends from college. He conceives various ideas with his exceptional talents. Should they be classified as art or technology? There are no boundaries to his creative style. Take the idea of Japanese letters that turn into 3D images… This one brought home an international award. Other projects include the interior design of a retail store that makes you feel as though you've stepped into a virtual world of video games, and innovative hangers for clothing stores that are the first of its kind. In every genre, Inoko's powerful creations generate excitement and enthusiasm. For Inoko's indispensible team, it is a daily struggle to turn his incredible concepts into tangible works, but each one is dedicated to producing things that are "fun and interesting."
In addition to being a digital creator, Inoko often participates in seminars as a panelist and sometimes gives lectures to university students.. His straightforward manner makes a strong impression on young people. With his unpretentious, unique way of talking, he declares, "I'm just like a fourth-grader." And because he is a grown-up who is still a child at heart, Inoko continues in pursuit of a "joyful world." Here is an intimate look at the uber-cyber creator who challenges the world, armed only with innovative ideas.
His Scalpel Has Saved 10,000 Souls
DC251026
魂のメス ~1万人の命を救った小児外科医~ [MBS]
|Length : 50min. |Year : 2010 |
In Myanmar, where the infant mortality rate is extremely high, there is a Japanese pediatrician who has been performing very delicate surgeries, free of charge. His name is Hideto Yoshioka. He, along with his staff of over a hundred supporting doctors and nurses of the international medical volunteer organization, "Japan Heart," has been providing medical services to those in need, children and adults alike, from their base. In their operating room, where the temperatures rise above 40 degrees Celsius in summer, and when power failures occur, they have no other choice but to use flashlights to see by, they have performed 1000 surgeries a year, and have saved over 10,000 lives. When asked what motivates him the most to practice medicine, Yoshioka said, "In a word, I do it in order to reaffirm the value of my existence. I find the highest value of my existence here (in Myanmar)." He goes as far as to say, "Even if I cannot save someone's life, I want to save their soul, so that they'll feel glad to have been born."