Hometown Stories - Season 16 / Year 2026

In northern Japan, a senior esports team with an average age of 69 is aiming high. Pushed relentlessly by their coach, more than 30 years their junior, they dream of competing in a world championship.

Despite earthquakes and isolation, the people of Akusekijima Island work to uphold local traditions, including the mysterious Boze deities. A new generation is helping to keep those traditions alive.

An energetic mix of brewers strives to enliven the sake scene in Tochigi Prefecture, a place not well known for its breweries. With pride and innovation, they bring new life to an ancient tradition.

Cancer treatments can leave a patient's fingernails weak and dark, adding to their anxiety. So a doctor opened a nail salon to help clients improve both their appearance and their outlook on life.

Two doctors in western Japan have an alter ego as the music duo Insheart, whose songs bring hope to patients and families. We follow them and the fans who find strength and comfort in their music.

In Ehime Prefecture, children on horseback take part in a 600-year-old tradition. With fewer participants each year, one strict trainer sees promise in a young rider spurred on by his love of horses.

For the past century, Saga Prefecture's Yobuko morning market has been one of Japan's leading destinations for fresh seafood. We cover recent changes, as old shops close and new ones take their place.

Mako and Fahmi, an international couple living in a small Japanese town. Their farm is a gathering place for people of diverse backgrounds, including foreign residents and people with disabilities.

In winter, seasonal workers arrive at mandarin orange groves for the two-month harvest. While living in communal lodgings, they share their views of the world, and plot new paths in life.

We follow people with younger-onset dementia in their daily lives, their work as public speakers, and the support they receive from those around them as they seek life's fleeting moments of happiness.

Every winter, a group of performers in Kikonai, Hokkaido drench themselves in freezing water in hopes of inviting a bountiful harvest and catch. We follow efforts to preserve this timeless ritual.

In a rural town in Hokkaido, wind ensembles from neighboring junior high schools have a longstanding rivalry. As they face off in a big national competition, which one will take home the prize?

A high school allows students with international roots to use their native language while learning Japanese. Teachers hope it will help them build confidence and adapt better to their environment.

The Funky Girls are a women's tug-of-war team with an average age of 50. Three nights a week, they forget all their personal problems and practice in pursuit of a shared dream—champions of Japan.

A retired kindergarten principal has a magical ability to understand her former students' needs. But illness is affecting her ability to speak. What lies ahead for her and those who seek her advice?