In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

A representative of a property management firm in Fukuoka City gestures around a warehouse cluttered with TVs, fridges, tables, chairs, and other items. "This is all from the homes of people who died," he says. "We can't throw any of it away without permission."

Steve Jobs helped shape the modern world with his products at Apple, and it appears we can partly thank the unique aesthetic of Japanese ceramics for some of his most iconic designs.

Oscar-winning Japanese director Hamaguchi Ryusuke's latest film "Evil Does Not Exist" is garnering acclaim at the Venice International Film Festival, where it has become the only Asian film this year in the running for the top Golden Lion prize. The winner will be announced on Saturday.

Japan's rice cracker industry has been facing hard times, recently grappling with sluggish consumer demand for the traditional snack. But one company is looking to buck the trend with some fresh thinking and an international vision.

"If I'd remembered that promise right away, I might have seen my mother again," says Ueda Keiko, now 94, who has spent decades agonizing over her failure to recall a rendezvous pact she had made with her mother. This, and the apocalyptic visions of Hiroshima after the bombing, have tormented her ever since, but it was only ten years ago that she finally told her story.

Tokyo-based NHK World news director Kateryna Novytska hails from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. She regularly speaks with her family and friends to see how they're coping with the ever-present threat of attack by Russian forces, and the impact it has on their day-to-day lives and well-being. Recently, she arranged a group online call with three close friends to ask them a range of questions submitted by NHK viewers.

The Cannes Film Festival came to a close on May 28, and while the event was as glamorous as usual, the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine was reflected throughout the 12-day celebration of all things filmic.

Iida Kunihiko insists age is no barrier to learning English. And the 81-year-old has the most profound source of motivation. He survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and wants to share his experience of the tragedy first-hand with as many people as possible.

Ukrainian diasporas existed around the world long before the 2022 Russian invasion. Israel is one country with a big Ukrainian community. But for some reason, people there persist in referring to Ukrainians as "Russians." This time, I want to highlight the actions of one of my Ukrainian friends and his background.

Artyom Dubitski was born in Ukraine and raised in Israel, where he was always pigeonholed as Russian. On a recent assignment, his tact and dedication were extraordinary.

The pleasures of eating out can come with hurdles for some. Japanese culinary enthusiasts have taken two innovative approaches to help the vision-impaired, as well as people who find it difficult to swallow — and they've coined catchy phrases to describe those efforts.