Forging Ahead into the Future - Daito Manabe, Programmer/Artist

He has amazed the world with creative endeavors across a stunning range of media and venues: figure skating exhibitions, concerts for pop supergroup Perfume, video for Tokyo's 2020 Olympic bid, high-profile TV commercials and much more. He is Daito Manabe, and his philosophy for creative expression is extremely simple: Do stuff nobody else does. With any project Manabe is involved in, he will expend every ounce of energy he has to bring forth something no one has ever achieved before. Manabe says of himself, "I have a tendency to avoid things that other people are likely to be trying. I want to do one-of-a-kind work. That's the value I have. That leads to really terrible cost-performance, which makes things hard. I always think about what I'll be doing in 3 years, when anyone can do this and it's not special. I guess that's a factor in being able to keep creating new things".
To help him create the kinds of spectacles that no one has seen before, once a week Manabe visits a university research lab or company to check out state-of-the-art devices and materials. He is also very interested in historical forms of expression - for example, how technology has been incorporated into dance performances in various eras. He has posted the results of his historical explorations, stretching all the way back to the 17th century, on a website. Keenly interested in the very latest innovations and the trends of bygone eras, Manabe believes that engaging with both of them, day in and day out, gives him the inspiration to create new things.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler
The eight-episode fast-paced, nostalgia-fueled series will take viewers on a thrilling ride through America's past.

The Mega-Brands That Built America
The Mega-Brands That Built America is the newest series in History's "That Built" franchise, telling the origin stories of some of the most successful businesses in history: from mega-stores like Costco and Walmart to sporting goods giants like Spalding and Wilson, titans like Ivory Soap, Schick and Gillette, to shipping giants like Fedex and UPS, and countless more of the biggest brand names in history. Each story is told through the "That Built" franchises' signature blend of expert interviews and archival, mixed with original premium recreations. Through the eyes of the visionaries and entrepreneurs behind the brands, the series takes viewers on a journey; starting with how it all began, following the innovations, the failures, and all the incredible achievements that forever changed the way Americans live. It's everything you didn't know about the colossal brands you know so well.

Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing
Twelve of Naked and Afraid's toughest and most experienced all-stars take on South Africa's punishing Oribi Gorge in a completely new type of challenge. For the first time ever, survivalists will compete head-to-head through a grueling, multiphase challenge and have their primitive skills tested for the chance to win $100,000. The competition is fierce, as survivalists can use any means necessary - even sabotage - to take home the grand prize. At the end of 45 days, only one can be crowned the Last One Standing.

History's Greatest Mysteries
History's Greatest Mysteries will investigate a wide range of historically compelling topics and the mysteries surrounding each including the Titanic, D.B. Cooper, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth, and more. Each program within the franchise will showcase fresh, new evidence and perspectives including never-before-released documents to the general public, personal diaries and DNA evidence to unearth brand-new information about these infamous and enigmatic chapters in history.