BS Special
A Beacon of Hope: Asian University for Women – Women Paving the Way to the Future
NHK BS 59-minute program First broadcast date: Mar 13, 2026
The Asian University for Women was established in Bangladesh in 2008. It accepts outstanding students from countries where women have a low status, and its philosophy is to cultivate future leaders. Women from 20 Asian countries study at the university. One student secretly fled Afghanistan, where higher education is prohibited for women. Another is a Rohingya refugee student who persuaded her parents to enroll, hoping to gain knowledge that will help save her compatriots. This film depicts the daily lives of female students who strive to carve out a future despite the hardships they face, such as discrimination against women, ethnic discrimination, and poverty.
Narrator: Sawako Watanabe
Director: Dipesh Kharel, Asami Saito
Producer: Naoki Yonemoto
『One in Every Japanese』
(35) What does the 1/2 mean? Companies Without Successors
NHK Educational 5-minute program First broadcast date: Mar 9, 2026
1 in 2. In a survey of approximately 270,000 companies nationwide, 138,000 responded that they either have no successor or have not yet decided on one. This accounts for roughly half of the total. The reasons for this include the aging of business owners and an increasing number of cases where family members do not want to take over the business. There is also the risk of losing skills and jobs if the business goes out of business. A kamaboko shop in Fukuoka that was founded 135 years ago has had its business taken over by a third party who is not a family member. We interviewed a young president who continues to take on new challenges while meeting the expectations of the local community.
[Narration] Takashi Nagazumi [Hanaregumi]
[Director] Misato Moriuchi
[Producer] Naoki Yonemoto
『One in Every Japanese』
(34) What does the 1/390 mean? Visually Impaired People
NHK Educational 5-minute program First broadcast date: Mar 2, 2026
1 in 390. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, there are approximately 320,000 people nationwide with visual impairments, roughly one in every 390 Japanese people. Five years ago, a man began to lose his sight due to an incurable disease, and for a time he was overcome with anxiety, thinking, “If I can’t see, I won’t be able to do anything.” However, he continued to explore what he could do without his sight, and has taken on new hobbies, not only in his work but also in running and mountain climbing. What is the light he found in the darkness that he didn’t notice when he could see?
[Narration] Takashi Nagazumi [Hanaregumi]
[Director] Hiroki Horiguchi
[Producer] Naoki Yonemoto
STATUS SYMBOLS #7 Private Island
NHK, 45-minute program, first broadcast on Jan 12, 2026
Blue seas, white sandy beaches. Your own kingdom, a “private island.” A status only available to those with incredible wealth. At least once in your life, you’d like to set foot on this forbidden “sanctuary” where ordinary people are not even allowed to land! So begins another seemingly reckless journey.
Cast: AHN MIKA, Koji Higashino, Masanobu Sato
Narration: Yoshiko Sakakibara
Director & Producer: Toshimoto Uchida