NEWS

“The Old Man and the Sea Lion” won The Encouraged Newcomer Award at the 41th ATP Award TV Grand Prix!

Yuma Konishi（freelance）, director of the program “The Old Man and the Sea Lion 〜Hokkaido Shakotan Sea lions swimming in the ocean〜” produced by Naoki Yonemoto, won The Encouraged Newcomer Award in the Documentary category at the 41th ATP Award TV Grand Prix!

ATP Official Website

What is the ATP Award TV Grand Prix? Held once a year, the judges are creators of television programs and other video content, who select outstanding works from their unique perspectives. The awards were established in 1984 as the only awards in Japan in which the producers and directors of the production companies themselves serve as judges to select outstanding works, in order to enhance the social function of production companies, which are important players in Japan’s video content industry, and to respond to the passion and spirit of each and every production staff member working there. Works are accepted in three core genres: documentary, information/variety, and drama, and the top prize Grand Prix will be awarded.

『The Old Man and the Sea Lion 〜Hokkaido Shakotan Sea lions swimming in the ocean〜』

NHK Educational 59-minute program First broadcast date: Sep 28, 2024

Shakotan Peninsula, Hokkaido. Every year, a flock of sea lions come to the frigid sea. An old diver has been fascinated by their appearance and has been following them for many years. He looks at the crisis facing the sea through the relationship between sea lions and humans.
Diving instructor Hisao Fujita, 71 years old. For the past 40 years, he has been conveying the wonder of the crystal clear sea and creatures known as Shakotan Blue. He is particularly particular about showing people the sea lions swimming wildly through the sea. Sea lions are designated as a near-threatened species by the Ministry of the Environment, but they are also a target for extermination because they eat fish caught in nets. What is the way for humans and sea lions to coexist? A three-year record of closely following Fujita, who sticks to his beliefs while facing his illness.

[Narration] Yuma Konishi
[Director] Yuma Konishi
[Producer] Naoki Yonemoto

“Unfinished Nation” (working title) won Best Project Award at Tokyo Docs 2024!

This year marks the 14th Tokyo Docs. Once a year, producers and directors from overseas TV stations, distribution companies, and production companies gather to review documentary projects from Japan and Asia and explore the possibility of co-production. This event leads to securing production funds as well as networking for overseas broadcasting, distribution, screening, and sales.

In the “Main Pitch,” various projects currently in production are proposed and presented in front of overseas media representatives along with a short preview video. This year, the project “Unfinished Nation,” proposed by freelance director Thura Win and Naoki Yonemoto of ﹅﹅, won the Grand Prize. It was awarded 1 million yen in development funds. The content cannot be disclosed yet, but production is moving forward toward completion.

“The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3” won the Visual Technology Award at the 77th MPTE Awards!

The program “The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3” directed and produced by Toshimoto Uchida, won the  Visual Technology Award in the Documentary Filming category at the 77th MPTE Awards!

MPTE Awards

The MPTE Award is a prestigious awards presented by the Motion Picture and Television Engineering Society of Japan to recognize outstanding Japanese video engineers. In the documentary filming category of the 77th MPTE Awards, “The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3” won the “Video Technology Award,” and cameramen Takashi Okano and Masami Suzuki were honored.

『The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3』

NHK General TV, 44-minute program, first broadcast on Jan 2, 2024

There is a man who goes by the nickname “God Hand.” He is a ceramic restorer, Koji Mayuyama. He has restored over 5,000 treasures, including a 450-year-old black Raku tea bowl handed down in the Sen family of tea ceremony, and a large Imari plate destroyed in an old castle in Vienna. His skills were nurtured by a number of “secret jobs” that cannot be shared. He has restored many damaged items entrusted to him by art professionals from all over the country to the point where no damage can be seen even if you look closely. There are quite a few works by Mayuyama in art museums across the country. This is the third installment of a series that depicts Mayuyama’s unknown superb craftsmanship and his life of trying to pass on the treasures of humanity to future generations! Permission was granted to film the restoration of a Qing Dynasty vase and a Yi Dynasty white porcelain vase worth several billion yen.

[Narration] Min Tanaka

[Director/Producer] Toshimoto Uchida

“The Dream’s Aftermath: A Record of Japanese Ruins” has been nominated for the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award at the 40th ATP Award TV Grand Prix!

The program “The Dream’s Aftermath ~ Japanese Ruins Record ~” directed by Tatsuya Sano has been nominated for the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award at the 40th ATP Award TV Grand Prix! The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award is given to programs with unique direction that can withstand overseas acclaim.

ATP Official Website

What is the ATP Award TV Grand Prix? Held once a year, the judges are creators of television programs and other video content, who select outstanding works from their unique perspectives. The awards were established in 1984 as the only awards in Japan in which the producers and directors of the production companies themselves serve as judges to select outstanding works, in order to enhance the social function of production companies, which are important players in Japan’s video content industry, and to respond to the passion and spirit of each and every production staff member working there. Works are accepted in three core genres: documentary, information/variety, and drama, and the top prize Grand Prix will be awarded.

“The Dream’s Aftermath – A Record of Japanese Ruins”

NHK BS4K 89-minute program First broadcast date: June 17, 2023

NHK BS Premium 89-minute program First broadcast date: July 8, 2023

There are many traces of dreams in this country. We will go and find out what we were looking at beyond those dreams. “A place where dreams end, and sometimes new dreams begin.” A story of “remains” that are ubiquitous in Japan. In this program, we visit six remains across Japan. 1. Former Nara Prison, 2. Kobe remains (Suma conveyor belt and Maya Tourist Hotel), 3. Yokohama Negishi Racecourse and other horse viewing stands, 4. Matsuo Mine in Hachimantai, Iwate, 5. Former resort site in Hokkaido, 6. Ikeshima Coal Mine in Nagasaki. Each theme is [Departure], [Growth], [Transition], [Scars], [Fleeting], and [Closing]. What will we find when we see the remains of our dreams? A huge spectacle unfolds before our eyes, using high-precision 4K footage and drone footage in abundance.

[Director] Tatsuya Sano [Producers] Tatsuya Sano, Toshimoto Uchida

“The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3” won the Excellence Award at the 40th ATP Award TV Grand Prix!

The program “The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3” directed and produced by Toshimoto Uchida, won the Excellence Award in the Documentary category at the 40th ATP Award TV Grand Prix!

ATP Official Website

What is the ATP Award TV Grand Prix? Held once a year, the judges are creators of television programs and other video content, who select outstanding works from their unique perspectives. The awards were established in 1984 as the only awards in Japan in which the producers and directors of the production companies themselves serve as judges to select outstanding works, in order to enhance the social function of production companies, which are important players in Japan’s video content industry, and to respond to the passion and spirit of each and every production staff member working there. Works are accepted in three core genres: documentary, information/variety, and drama, and the top prize Grand Prix will be awarded.

『The Unknown Master of Restoration episode 3』

NHK General TV, 44-minute program, first broadcast on Jan 2, 2024

There is a man who goes by the nickname “God Hand.” He is a ceramic restorer, Koji Mayuyama. He has restored over 5,000 treasures, including a 450-year-old black Raku tea bowl handed down in the Sen family of tea ceremony, and a large Imari plate destroyed in an old castle in Vienna. His skills were nurtured by a number of “secret jobs” that cannot be shared. He has restored many damaged items entrusted to him by art professionals from all over the country to the point where no damage can be seen even if you look closely. There are quite a few works by Mayuyama in art museums across the country. This is the third installment of a series that depicts Mayuyama’s unknown superb craftsmanship and his life of trying to pass on the treasures of humanity to future generations! Permission was granted to film the restoration of a Qing Dynasty vase and a Yi Dynasty white porcelain vase worth several billion yen.

[Narration] Min Tanaka

[Director/Producer] Toshimoto Uchida