NHK WORLD PRIME
Season 3 Episode 14 - MATAGI - Worshipping Bears
Since ancient times, mountain people known as "matagi" have supported themselves in the snow country of Japan by hunting bears. One of the last "matagi" communities that continues the traditional ways is located in the foothills of Mt. Chokai, a famous peak in the northern Tohoku mountains. There, bears are worshipped as messengers of the mountain gods, and bears that are shot are considered divine blessings that provide crucial sustenance. Today the "matagi" have nearly vanished because of depopulation and environmental changes that make it difficult to sustain their lifestyle. Yet, some continue to pursue the traditional way of life while seeking a harmonious relationship with nature.
Episodes in Season 3
A Doctor Beside the Deathbed
50 min
Epic Challenge: A Race Across the Japanese Alps
50 min
Reviving Kumamoto Castle
45 min
Class Struggle: Changes to China's Education System
49 min
A Vanished Dream: Wartime Story of My Japanese Grandfather
50 min
Vessel of Friendship: An Untold Story
49 min
Battling a Radiation Emergency: The Doctors at Fukushima Part 1
50 min
Battling a Radiation Emergency: The Doctors at Fukushima Part 2
49 min
Split-Screen Documentary: Nuclear Ghost Town - After 8 Years
43 min
A Journey through Genders
49 min
Bettering Tibet
50 min
I too was a Child of Camp.
49 min
Hope in the Dark
50 min
MATAGI - Worshipping Bears
50 min
Helping Hands - The Lives of Atomic Bomb Orphans
49 min
The United Red Army: A Troubled Legacy
50 min
The Lives of Japanese War Brides in America: Part 1
50 min
The Lives of Japanese War Brides in America: Part 2
50 min
1971 - Japanese Rugby Takes On England, And The World
49 min
Chinese Internet Celebrities: Influencing the Huge Online Market
Henoko: Living with an American Base
49 min
Digging the Untold History
50 min
No More Plastic: In Search of a Sustainable Future - Part 1: Clearing Plastic from the Ocean
50 min
No More Plastic: In Search of a Sustainable Future - Part 2: Frontlines of Global Business
50 min
