Internationally renowned actor Ken Watanabe views the devastation in Japan following the March 11, 2011 earthquake. (Photo: NHK World-Japan)
Two-Month Programming Event Includes Premieres of ‘Ken Watanabe – A Compassionate View,’ ‘Anime Supernova’ Work, and Sequel to ‘Five Years, Five Stories Documentary’
TOKYO — NHK World-Japan is presenting a collection of premiere and encore programming to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, which spurred a tsunami, a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and mass destruction along Japan’s east coast. The programming event airs throughout March and April.
This exceptional compendium of programs serves as a compelling reminder — and cautionary tale — around the unprecedented mega-disaster, and captures the magnitude and emotions surrounding its occurrence and aftermath. The programs depict the ways in which the tragedy has affected the people of Japan, exploring their first-hand experiences, as well as their resilience and resolution to rebuild their country in ways that make it even stronger. Descriptions of all programs in “3.11 – 10 Years On” are available on this special web page.
Ken Watanabe chats with an earthquake survivor to mark the 10th anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake. (Photo: NHK World-Japan)
Among the international broadcast premieres in “3.11 – 10 Years On” is “Ken Watanabe – A Compassionate View: The Decade Since the Great East Japan Earthquake.” One of Japan’s most respected and well-known actors, Watanabe used his celebrity to bring international attention to the disaster, and during the past decade has listened to the stories of more than 20,000 people. The documentary follows Watanabe as he visits four communities most affected by the disaster — Katsurao (Fukushima), Kesennuma (Miyagi), Rikuzentakata (Iwate), and Kamaishi (Iwate) — and gets to know its victims. (Check local listing to find airtimes or visit this link to view it on demand on the web.)
Another international broadcast premiere, “Generation March 11: Their 10 Years Journey,” is a sequel to “Five Years, Five Stories,” a documentary that aired on NHK World-Japan in 2016. It continues telling the stories and tracking the progress of the lives of children born in the disaster area around the time it occurred. This documentary portrays the ways in which these children have been affected by the tragedy, showing a number of them working to ensure it is never forgotten, and helping their hometowns flourish once again. “Generation March 11: Their 10 Years Journey” airs Friday, March 26, Saturday, March 27, and Friday, April 2.
Even anime is featured in “3.11 – 10 Years On,” as the programming collection includes a new documentary on one of Japan’s most prolific and award-winning stop-motion animation artists, Murata Tomoyasu, and his passion for commemorating the victims of the disaster. This special edition of “Anime Supernova” features “A Branch of a Pine Is Tied Up,” the third entry in his series of earthquake-themed works. The story follows twin sisters affected by the tsunami — one who survives and the other who loses her life. The ghost of the deceased twin wanders different locations of their shared childhood, searching for memories of her sister. The film airs Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13.
Among the encore programs marking the 10-year anniversary of the disaster is “3/11-The Tsunami,” a two-part documentary that made its international broadcast premiere in January 2021. The series combines footage from NHK camera crews with mobile phone and other video captured by citizens who were on scene during and after the earthquake and tsunami, and the country’s recovery efforts of the following year.
NHK World-Japan is presented in 13 major U.S. markets through its partnerships with public television broadcasters in each market, and across the country via DIRECTV (channels 322 and 2049). In Los Angeles, NHK World-Japan is available over-the-air on channel 28.3. The service is also available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, as well as via a free downloadable app and streaming on the website: nhk.jp/world.
