Two-Month Programming Event Includes Premieres of Ken Watanabe – A Compassionate View, Anime Supernova Work, and Sequel to Five Years, Five Stories Documentary

TOKYO, March 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NHK WORLD-JAPAN, the English-language international service of Japan’s sole public broadcaster, NHK, today announced it will present 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.

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 notoriety 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. The program airs Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6.

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 US markets through its partnerships with public television broadcasters in each market, and across the country via DIRECTV (channels 322 and 2049). 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.

About NHK WORLD-JAPAN

NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan’s sole public broadcaster, operating the nation’s largest domestic and international television network. In Japan, NHK broadcasts six TV channels including 4K and 8K along with three radio stations. NHK also transmits two international television channels, NHK WORLD-JAPAN (English, HD, 24/7) and NHK WORLD PREMIUM (Japanese, HD, 24/7), as well as international radio services in eighteen languages. NHK WORLD-JAPAN reaches over 380 million households in 160 countries and regions via local satellite and cable TV providers. Online live streaming and VOD (video-on-demand) services through the free mobile app and the website, give viewers access to NHK WORLD-JAPAN anywhere and anytime. You can also connect through Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Presenting an extensive range of Asia-centered programming, NHK WORLD-JAPAN is your window to Japan, Asia, and the rest of the world. For more details, visit nhk.jp/world.

About Japan International Broadcasting, Inc.

Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of NHK, is responsible for the worldwide distribution of the HD English language news/lifestyle channel “NHK WORLD-JAPAN,” as well as the HD Japanese language channel “NHK WORLD PREMIUM.” Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international plus domestic satellites in their respective markets and reach households, hotels, and others via DTH, cable, IPTV, and terrestrial broadcast.

CONTACT: Krista Van Lewen, krista@boylepublicaffairs.com, 415-608-0263

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ecb1b513-4f88-440e-a7e8-ff62cbe5363f

Ken Watanabe - A Compassionate View

Actor Ken Watanabe visits the Tohoku region of Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami