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FRONTRUNNERS highlights professionals at the very forefront of their field. We showcase their amazing work, discover their motivations, and learn about the challenges they face in the future.
2025
Wildlife vet Saito Keisuke has worked with endangered raptors in Hokkaido Prefecture for 30 years. He treats and releases the many birds injured by human activity, while also working to prevent such accidents.
Oba Carlos is a social entrepreneur leveraging local Wi-Fi networks to close the gap in access to information and opportunity between urban and rural populations in the African nation of Benin.
Watanabe Go is among the world's leading heart surgeons. He's an expert in robot-assisted keyhole surgery techniques that save lives while minimizing burden on the patient.
Japanese researcher Takama Takeshi founded an organization on the island of Bali, Indonesia to study climate change and help farmers to adapt its effects.
Noguchi Tomohisa makes leather from discarded fish skin. We investigate his efforts to utilize waste in the seafood industry, and contribute to sustainability.
In Japan, around 5,200 trees fall each year, causing accidents that can even be fatal. Tree surgeon Goto Mizuho diagnoses and treats them, utilizing innovative technology and techniques.
In Hiroshima, as atomic bomb survivors age, preserving their memories has become a pressing issue. We follow Sumioka Kenta's efforts to further the cause of peace, through the creativity of youth.
Taira Yuiko promotes composting of food waste to create a sustainable cycle. She works with an NGO in Mongolia to form a local nutrient cycle, enriching the soil and teaching composting techniques.
Fukuoka's summer traditional festival, Hakata Gion Yamakasa, features huge floats decorated with elaborate dolls. We meet Nakamura Hiromine, a fourth-generation dollmaker fusing this tradition with modern ideas.
Matsumoto Myokei, a "once-in-a-century" sculptor of Buddhist statues, is passing his skills onto his grandson, Shukan. 80 years on from the atomic bomb attacks, Shukan sculpts a message of peace.
Mongolia's culture of meat-eating is contributing to health problems in this developing economy. Chef Suzuki Yuko aims to introduce more vegetables through workshops and improved hospital menus.
Children with microtia are born with underdeveloped ears. Wearing a mask or glasses is difficult, and they may be bullied. We meet Dr. Yotsuyanagi Takatoshi, a leading reconstructive surgeon.
Social entrepreneur Ishikawa Naohito creates opportunities for Sri Lankans to enrich their lives. Projects include a massage salon employing the visually impaired, and an organic vegetable business.
Much of the stonework supporting Japan's terraced fields is in danger of collapse. There's an urgent need to train new stonemasons to carry out repairs. Kaneko Reo runs workshops around the country.
Hayase Kumi was the first deaf Japanese to earn a pharmacist's license. She is also a cyclist competing in the Deaflympics - an international sports competition for deaf athletes.
2023
Usui Fumio is one of the most trusted prosthetists in Japanese para-sports. An early pioneer in the discipline, having developed sporting limbs since the 1980s, he now works arm-in-arm with athletes to craft prosthetics that match their precise needs, underpinning countless successes on both track and field. Away from sports, he also strives to create prosthetics that express users' own identities, appearing on stage in both dance events and fashion shows.
Near Kyoto, in the mountain village of Hanase, is a traditional inn with 130 years of upholding approaches to cuisine and hospitality attuned with the rich local nature and the passage of the four seasons. It is run by fourth-generation head Nakahigashi Hisato, whose refined take on wild food and foraging has made fans of some of the world's leading chefs. We follow Nakahigashi through the winter months and gain unique insights into his pioneering update on time-honored culinary lore to suit modern tastes.
Rope rescue is an emergency practice that deftly deploys cords, clasps and pulleys to reach individuals stranded on hillsides and cliffs, or amid floods, rubble, and in other locations that helicopters and emergency vehicles struggle to reach. Hayashida Akihiro leads a fire service rope rescue team that, in 2022, won first prize at a global rope skills tournament in Belgium. We follow his efforts to promote these lifesaving techniques to rescue services across Japan.
Tagawa Hisato is the founder of a unique children's hospice in Yokohama that aims to support families left socially isolated and emotionally and financially drained by intensive treatment for incurable pediatric conditions. Motivated by the loss of his own daughter to cancer aged just six, and remorse at having neglected quality time to focus on treatment, Tagawa works to provide memorable palliative care that helps families to face the end with peace and positivity.
A restaurant in Tokyo emerged as the top-rated business on a popular online guide carrying consumer ratings for over 110 thousand vegan restaurants worldwide. And as well as being entirely plant-based, owner Kusumoto Katsumi's menu also caters to those with faith-based dietary restrictions or allergies by eschewing alcohol and artificial ingredients. This time on FRONTRUNNERS, we follow a chef promoting a truly borderless approach to traditional Japanese cuisine.
In rural Chiba Prefecture, Shibata Chiyo runs a pioneering cheeseworks out of a 120-year-old farmhouse. Her focus is 100% local fermented cheeses, and just three years after launching in 2014, she became the first female cheesemaker to win a prestigious award from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, before going on to place third out of 3,804 entries in the 2019 World Cheese Awards. This time on FRONTRUNNERS, we follow a cheesemaker with a uniquely Japanese approach to fromage and sustainability.
Kitayama Yasuo is a 74-year-old master gardener. He has created over 70 of Japan's famous gardens, and receives commissions from all over the world. His specialty, the traditional rock garden, involves the careful manipulation of light and shadow. Rocks and pebbles are used to represent water. His final major project is in a city devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. We follow Kitayama as he works hard to create a garden where people can heal, through love for life.
Airborne physician Tsugita Nobuyuki provides a vital service to island communities in west Japan's Seto Inland Sea. Despite aging populations, the islands of Momoshima and Sagishima lacked their own medical facilities. To address this situation, doctor and air-show exhibition pilot Tsugita opened clinics in both communities, and trained for a helicopter license. He flies between them, providing consultations and home visits as well as round-the-clock emergency care.
Kyo-yuzen is a famous dyed textile from Kyoto Prefecture, used in kimono. The Tabata family have been top producers for decades; they've produced garments for a royal wedding, costumes for maiko in a popular dance performance and modern kimono too. The 88-year-old, 5th generation owner, Tabata Kihachi, produces dynamic, contemporary designs that preserve traditional techniques. At a solo exhibition in Tokyo, he shares his wisdom with visitors, and explains why people wearing kimono seem to glow.
The thatched roofs found on traditional Japanese houses are declining in number. They're hard to maintain, and passing on the relevant skills is difficult. However, Sagara Ikuya is giving this ancient craft an innovative twist. He also works hard to develop the skills of young people. Thatched roofs represent the wisdom of our ancestors, who struggled to coexist with nature, and we discover how Sagara is using that tradition to explore new possibilities.
Dr. Kato Yoko is an expert in the treatment of deadly strokes, with over 3,000 surgeries to her name across a career spanning almost five decades. She also trains med students from around the world.
2024
Meet salt maker Sato Kyojiro, whose unique, naturally produced, labor-intensive creations have earned fans among Japan's leading chefs.
Follow Dr. Minamitani Kaori, head of a pioneering medical center in Osaka Prefecture that is leading the way in providing care to patients from overseas with limited Japanese skills.
Meet Ueda Kanayo, an Osaka-based poet, activist and NPO founder helping disadvantaged former manual laborers to build community and discover themselves through the creative arts.
Globally-renowned chef Kuwakino Keiko uses a new take on traditional methods to showcase the culture, climate and produce of Minami-Uonuma, one of the snowiest places in Japan.
Watanabe Hiroki is co-founder of an NGO in Bangladesh. It gives long-term support to underprivileged children on the street, proving that they can make a positive contribution to society.
Meet Nakai Yosuke, a qualified prosthetist and German-certified orthopedic shoe "meister" leveraging his skills to help Japanese seniors maintain their mobility and independence well into old age.
Ashikari Seiya explores the potential of crickets as a nutritious solution to the global food crisis. He works with farmers in Cambodia to establish green, sustainable production methods.
Monbetsu Atsushi is a cultural and wildlife advocate working to preserve Hokkaido Prefecture's traditional Ainu culture through ancient practices including bowhunting and forest management.
Oda Yuriko suffers from a progressive disease, but by running a patient association, developing an app and other activities, she's working toward a society in which anybody can enjoy life.
Mizui Yu is tackling poverty in the Philippines using coconuts—he develops food and cosmetics for sale in Japan. His business is improving lives. What products will he develop next?
Kitamura Asako is the first female floatmaker in the 300-year history of Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri, battling prejudice as she upholds this very male tradition while also imbuing a fresh new sensibility.
Dr. Oshiro Kazue is a skilled mountain medic, dedicated to promoting awareness of alpine safety, and even spending her summers treating climbers from a cabin near the peak of the iconic Mt. Fuji.
In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, heavy traffic hinders the delivery of blood for transfusions. Kawanoue Kazufumi hopes to overcome this challenge using drones, and build out a new aerial infrastructure.
Joy through travel: the mantra of Dr. Ito Reiya, who helps critical and chronic patients to plan trips. He accompanies them to the sea, familiar places or to see family, bringing them happiness.
We follow a unique initiative led by expert horse-handler Iwama Takashi as he strives to harness the potential of horse-drawn carts to provide renewable electricity to off-grid communities in Senegal.
Kobayashi Kunio (76) is a celebrated bonsai artist working to secure the future of this traditional art form through outreach to children, and through efforts to protect the iconic shimpaku juniper.
2026
Matsubara Masanori uses a natural, sustainable farming method to produce cheese that wins international prizes. His cows and goats live in the mountains, feeding on leaves and grass.
92-year-old Shiraishi Yuriko teaches women in Côte d'Ivoire to make surimi, a Japanese fish paste, supporting their independence and improving nutrition across the nation.
Japanese pizza entrepreneur Masuko Yosuke is revolutionizing the restaurant industry in Vietnam and beyond, working to spread happiness through delicious food, great hospitality and green initiatives.
Health tech entrepreneur Ajima Masumi has developed an app to analyze the condition of children with developmental disorders, aiming to help them reach their potential regardless of their background.
In 2024, an earthquake damaged the production of Wajima lacquerware, a tradition with a shrinking number of practitioners. Lacquer artist Akagi Akito works to pass on his skills, and revive the craft.
In 2024, master blender Akuto Ichiro was inducted into a prestigious international whisky Hall of Fame. His latest challenge is to produce grain whisky, using corn grown in northern Japan.
Every year, breeders of colorful carp (koi) compete in Tokyo for the title of World Champion. The Mano brothers, Futoshi and Shigeru, endured a devastating earthquake, and are seeking victory.
Social entrepreneur Doya Yuto supports Ghana through his fashion brand and NPO. By providing fair wages and reinvesting profits, he builds schools and expands education in disadvantaged communities.
Japan's population is aging, and millions suffer from dysphagia-they find it difficult to chew and swallow food. Nutritionist Egashira Fumie has helped thousands continue to eat normally.
Higashi Mitsuhiro works to revitalize regional communities by combining solar power generation with agriculture. He's been perfecting the idea in Japan, and has begun implementing it in Ethiopia.
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2025
