NHK is the national broadcaster in Japan, similar to Canada’s CBC, England’s BBCs and ABC in Australia. The similarity is only in the acronym, however. NHK is head and shoulders above any of these networks, at least in my opinion. Every show or series that I watch gives me another reason to love Japan and want to move there.
In keeping with my theme of oral/written histories, watch a few episodes of the NHK show ’72 Hours’. It’s a simple concept, a film crew sets up their camera and interviews people in a particular place. One episode could be in a restaurant, another in a gas station, yet another in a popular tourist destination.
The commonality in each of these episodes is the stories that everyday people have to share. Some are retired, many live alone, a few are couples going on a date, you get the picture. The location isn’t the star of the show, the people being interviewed are. Their stories are funny sometimes, very sad other times.
What this probes to me is that everyone, young or old has memories and stories to share. If you think someone is too young or too old to be interviewed, you’re wrong. A boy who had just ordered food at a popular street restaurant told us about his mother, how much he loved her and how he wanted to grow strong to protect her. In the episode today, a 94 year old woman talked about her career, how she often stays up all night making leather bags and dolls for her customers as well as saying, “I’ve lived through tough times so I can handle anything.”
I’m sure you already know where this is going. You have a story, too. It’s never to late to share it or too early to start. I always say that it gets easier once you begin, and that goes for anything, not just writing or recording your memories. But we’re here for jumpstarting your writing project so grab a pen and get going. Let me know how it goes, OK?
Take a moment to write a comment at the bottom of this page. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading.
Brian Mahoney
December 29, 2024