Culture Crossroads - Season 9 / Year 2025

Bara Kyoushitsu in Kani City, Gifu Prefecture, is a preschool designed to eliminate the number of foreign children who stop attending school because they don't understand Japanese.

RAMUNE, a descendant of Japanese emigrants to Brazil, is a performer of rakugo, Japan's traditional storytelling. Performing in multiple languages, she helps foreigners experience Japanese culture.

In a stand-up comedy club in Tokyo, people from all over the world try out bilingual jokes. For James from Australia, comedy has changed his life, helping him find a place where he feels he belongs.

Ukrainian musician Kateryna gives concerts all around Japan playing the bandura. Russia's invasion prompted her to support displaced people in Japan, hoping her music will bring peace to her homeland.

More and more foreign students come to Japan to become certified auto mechanics and find long-term employment. We follow one such student, a young woman from Myanmar who pursues her Japanese dream.

Is there a meal you'll never forget? People with international roots living in Japan take you on a tasty exploration of the dishes that brought timely emotional support in their lives.

Hana no Kai is an elderly day care facility in Kobe that welcomes people from diverse backgrounds. It makes the lives of those living out their final years in a foreign land more active and dignified.

A Sri Lankan student participates in the Mie Prefecture "Youth Police Supporters" volunteer program that works with communities to build a safer society by preventing crimes before they occur.