N

early a year ago, on March 11, 2011, Japan was rocked by one of its biggest natural disasters ever.

A magnitude-9.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami that caused widespread destruction across the country — towns were engulfed, industries destroyed and lives lost.

In the aftermath, Japan persevered in its largest reconstruction effort since World War II in the face of extraordinary challenges.

The country’s heroic recovery efforts — from rebuilding whole towns from scratch to defending the traditional livelihood of seaweed growing — have taken to the screen.

Starting on March 5, Discovery Channel, first launched in 1985 and now reaching more than 182 million subscribers in Asia Pacific and 401 million in 210 countries globally, observes the first anniversary of the disaster with Rebuilding Japan, a series featuring six inspirational stories on the country’s heroic recovery efforts.

James Gibbons, senior vice president and general manager — Japan, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said the initiative to launch the series was made after the channel received requests from viewers, who had seen the touching on-air messages of sympathy and support from Discovery’s key talents, such as Bear Grylls, the Mythbusters, Jeremy Wade and Dave Salmoni.

“They wrote in to ask us to record and broadcast Japan’s recovery from the disaster. We are sure that the theme of the project — the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity — will resonate with our viewers not just in Japan but also around the world,” Gibbons said during the
series’ launching in Japan.

Kicking off the commemorative special is “Beyond the Tsunami with Ken Watanabe”, a 30-minute program that follows the Hollywood actor as he visits the northeastern region of Tohoku region to observe Japan’s recovery from the tsunami and earthquake.

The story captures the nation’s spirit and resilience as told through the eyes of one of its greatest ambassadors, one with a personal passion to help rebuild his country.

Following this is the premiere of the six-part series Rebuilding Japan, which covers a range of topics, from tradition to technology and manufacturing to motorsports.

The six hour-long episodes, to be aired from March 6 to March 11, are woven together by a common thread — the theme of hope, community, courage and recovery in the face of adversity.

In the episode “Dreaming of Utopia”, directed by Shiro Toma, the film follows Futoshi Toba — mayor of a small town called Rikuzen-Takata, a sleepy town in northeast Japan which was hard hit by the disaster and where over 1,700 residents lost their lives — as he strives to implement cutting-edge solutions to the town’s problems, while at the same time dealing with the grief of losing his wife in the disaster.

“Photos from the Sea” by Hideyuki Tokigawa showcases the efforts of a group of volunteers who have dedicated themselves to restoring and preserving photographs that were lost or destroyed in the tsunami. Each picture is a precious record of better times and loved ones.

With the help of modern technology, these volunteers hope to return these precious records of better times with loved ones and their happy memories to as many people as possible.

“Super Trains” will show viewer how Japan’s past experiences have played a part in building its famous bullet train’s safety and the sophisticated technology that lies behind its extensive safety system today.

The episode, filmed by Hiroshi Nakazawa, will also take a look at the innovative features that are being devised to further safeguard passengers.

“Return of the K-Cars”, filmed by Takahiro Sato, delves into Japan’s legendary motor industry and the unique sport of racing small and thrifty family vehicles called “K-Cars”.

The livelihoods of the residents of Kesennuma centered on brewing sake until the tsunami destroyed the internationally renowned brewery there.

Following the disaster, it was discovered that a small portion of moromi mash — an ingredient required for sake making — survived. “Brewing Hope”, by filmmaker Shogo Sugawara is the story of the town’s revival after the disaster.

The final episode, Naho Shimazu’s “The Seaweed Makers” follows a group of generations-old seaweed makers in Miyagi prefecture who are determined to continue the tradition of nori making.

Faced with many challenges including radioactive contamination, they hope to once again achieve the honour of supplying their produce to Japan’s imperial family.

Captured from a uniquely Japanese point of view, the six documentaries witness the emotional drama, bravery and the Japanese people’s fighting spirit in rebuilding their homes and lives.