｜Length : 48 ｜Year : 2019 ｜

Sixty-six parabolic antennas at an altitude of 5,000 meter in Atacama Desert in Chile—ALMA is an international project among 22 countries and regions. It is a radio telescope with an outstanding sight that it has achieved observation 13.28 billion light-year away. In fact, some parts were made in Okayama.
The cutting-edge technology of Okayama's small factories is utilized in ALMA: processing aluminum into slightly curved panels to make a perfect parabolic dish shape, and grinding the surface into one-hundredth of a millimeter or less precise. Their efforts and passions contribute to the advanced research of the universe. Dr. Masaaki Hiramatsu, an astronomer born in Okayama, is a member of ALMA project, promoting the accomplishments through it to the world.
In this program, we visited ALMA and covered a story of the technology and the craftsmanship of Okayama that makes it possible to explore the universe even further.

｜Length : 25 ｜Year : 2019 ｜

①Evolving Traditional Japanese Crafts
Mizuhiki are bands of cord used for example to wrap around gifts and envelopes, essential as decorative ties used on celebratory occasions in Japan. Also used on paper fortunes and protective charms sold at shrines, since ancient times mizuhiki have been considered as sacred ties that relay feelings and connect people. These mizuhiki are now acquiring forms that take them beyond their original use and are blending into everyday life. Continuing a challenge to bring these items into every part of our lives, including food, clothing and housing, are a father and daughter who run a long-established mizuhiki shop in Hakata. Father Hiroaki Nagasawa maintains the mizuhiki tradition, while daughter Hiromi works on the design and production of items with new styles for use on apparel or for daily living which respect that tradition. Hiromi says, “By incorporating design into traditional crafts, tradition becomes a much more familiar presence.”

②Tackling Poverty Through Mom’s Herb Tea
There is an organic herb tea in Japan which realizes annual sales of US$8 million. This herb tea is treasured by mothers who are raising their infants on breast milk. It first went on sale 10 years ago, and is now a popular product at 15% of maternity hospitals in Japan, which sell it or give it as a present to mothers when they leave the hospital. However, the story does not end there. Behind these herb tea sales is a substantial project which is resolving the problems of poverty where the herbs are produced in the village of Linlae, Myanmar. For many years the village has been growing tobacco, but this brought the hardships of poverty which resulted from factors such as the harmful effects of agrichemicals and unstable yield. With this, a proposal was made to villagers that they switch from tobacco to herb cultivation. Through guaranteed purchase of herb production, there has been a great improvement in their lives.

｜Length : 25 ｜Year : 2019 ｜

①Glass Artisans Reaching for New Heights
In June 2018, Germany hosted an international chemical industry trade show. There, the most attention-grabbing device was one with a 200-liter flask—the largest in the world. The company behind this large-capacity flask is Asahi Glassplant Inc. Founded as a small factory approximately 70 years ago, it’s since grown to produce various unique products. Working with heated glass, the successes or failures of their artisans are decided in one nerve-racking instant. The company continuously surmounts seemingly-impossible projects thanks to the founder’s motto: never turn down customer requests. Asahi Glassplant now uses manual manufacturing processes unique to them thanks to their highly-skilled glass artisans.

②Globalizing Traditional Japanese Interiors
A new project to export traditional Japanese interiors is underway. Targeting Asia, this project led by Teppei Yamaguchi (35) aims to increase business and expand the market for Kumamoto-grown wood and Japanese architecture. Joining them is Mitsunori Nagahama (65), a master of traditional carpentry, but opportunities to demonstrate his expertise in modern home construction grow scarce. In order to preserve traditional Japanese techniques, they concluded it was necessary to showcase its beauty overseas. While researching and exhibiting in Asia, a request to build a model room came from Thailand. But what do people in Asia look for in traditional Japanese interiors? These craftsmen take on a new challenge to show the world the appeal of Japanese interiors through timber and traditional techniques.

｜Length : 10 ｜Year : 2019 ｜

One day, an old woman is washing clothes at a river when a large peach comes floating down the stream. She brings it home to her husband and, just as they’re about to cut it open, out pops a healthy baby boy. The old couple name the boy Momotaro (Peach Boy) and raise him to be a fine young man. One day, Momotaro hears about a band of ogres who are terrorizing surrounding villages. He sets off to conquer them, recruiting a dog, monkey and pheasant as retainers along the way, and does many heroic deeds.

｜Length : 10 ｜Year : 2019 ｜

One day, a fisherman named Urashima Taro saves a small turtle from boys who are teasing it. The next day, a turtle comes to thank him by taking him down to the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea, where he spends time as if in a dream. But when he returns home, many more years have passed than he had realized. Overcome with sadness, he lifts the lid of a treasure box he was given when he left the Dragon Palace, despite being warned that he should never open it…