all in one place.
Log what you watch. Rate your favorites. See what friends are into.
Season 1
Activity from Friends
Conveyor Belt Sushi
S01 E01 • Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 • Mar 18
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, we discover conveyor belt sushi, an invention that's trundled its way to countries and regions around the world. The technology, in which plates of sushi are delivered via a rotating conveyor belt, actually traces its origins to a single eureka moment in a beer factory in 1950's Japan. This time, the inside story of the one man who brought this Top Invention to life.
Shinkansen
S01 E02 • Thursday, Apr 19, 2018 • Apr 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time: the Shinkansen, sometimes called the bullet train, which set a new record for high-speed rail, 256km/h, in its trial runs. The inspiration for unlocking that incredible speed came from aerodynamic airplanes. Shinkansen technology is now being adopted around the world in places like the UK and Taiwan. This time, we discover the drama behind the creation of this high-speed invention.
Automatic Rice Cookers
S01 E03 • Thursday, May 17, 2018 • May 17 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, electric rice cookers, which create fluffy, great-tasting rice with the press of a button. Developed in Japan in 1955, these automated rice cookers keep growing in popularity: in 2016, exports hit a record high. In Asia and around the world, this invention plays an essential role in creating rice-based dishes. This time, the unknown story behind the birth of the electric rice cooker.
Electronic Bidet Toilets
S01 E04 • Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 • Jun 21 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, electronic bidet toilets, which clean your bottom with a spray of warm water. On sale since 1980, some 40 million of these toilet seats have shipped, and are now sold in many countries and regions including the U.S. and China. But the creation of this high-tech, revolutionary product was anything but easy. This time, the dramatic tale behind electronic bidet toilets.
Quartz Wristwatches
S01 E05 • Thursday, Jul 19, 2018 • Jul 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, quartz wristwatches, which caused a "timepiece revolution" with their accurate timing. Built in Japan in 1969, the world's first quartz wristwatch drifted only 0.2 seconds a day, making it about 100 times more accurate than previous watches. Even now, 96% of watches around the world use the same system. We trace the drama behind the creation of this super-accurate timepiece.
Instant Ramen
S01 E06 • Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 • Aug 16 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, a product first produced in Japan in 1958: instant ramen. With over 100 billion servings eaten every year, this instant meal has become a worldwide staple. The inspiration for this invention came from a surprising source: the deep-fried Japanese dish known as tempura. This time, we bite into the story behind instant ramen, a food loved around the world.
Portable Music Players
S01 E07 • Thursday, Sep 20, 2018 • Sep 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the gadget that lets you enjoy music anytime, anywhere with just a pair of headphones: the portable music player. The world's first of these portable players was developed by a Japanese manufacturer in 1979. Listening to music on the go is now a part of daily life around the world. This time, the story of the invention that made it all possible.
Gastrocameras
S01 E08 • Thursday, Oct 18, 2018 • Oct 18 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time we focus on gastrocameras, which have led to a revolution in cancer treatment. The first gastrocamera, the predecessor of those now used by hospitals around the world, was developed in Japan in 1950. We probe the untold drama behind the creation of the gastrocamera and look into the technological evolution that continues today.
Handheld Calculators
S01 E09 • Thursday, Nov 22, 2018 • Nov 22 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we focus on electronic calculators. Pocket-sized calculators have become so common that everyone can have one, and are still used today. The world's first pocket-sized calculator was developed in Japan in 1972, and made calculators available to the general public for the first time. Let's discover the story behind its creation, including inspiration from a surprising source: bowling!
Erasable Pens
S01 E10 • Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 • Dec 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we feature erasable pens, which allow users to erase their writing just like with pencil. Released in 2006, these pens' usefulness has made them a hit: over 2 billion have been sold in some 100 countries and regions around the world. Discover the unknown story of these erasable pens, whose creation was inspired by the changing leaves of autumn.
Season 1
2018 • 10 Episodes
Activity from Friends
Conveyor Belt Sushi
S01 E01 • Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 • Mar 18
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, we discover conveyor belt sushi, an invention that's trundled its way to countries and regions around the world. The technology, in which plates of sushi are delivered via a rotating conveyor belt, actually traces its origins to a single eureka moment in a beer factory in 1950's Japan. This time, the inside story of the one man who brought this Top Invention to life.
Shinkansen
S01 E02 • Thursday, Apr 19, 2018 • Apr 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time: the Shinkansen, sometimes called the bullet train, which set a new record for high-speed rail, 256km/h, in its trial runs. The inspiration for unlocking that incredible speed came from aerodynamic airplanes. Shinkansen technology is now being adopted around the world in places like the UK and Taiwan. This time, we discover the drama behind the creation of this high-speed invention.
Automatic Rice Cookers
S01 E03 • Thursday, May 17, 2018 • May 17 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, electric rice cookers, which create fluffy, great-tasting rice with the press of a button. Developed in Japan in 1955, these automated rice cookers keep growing in popularity: in 2016, exports hit a record high. In Asia and around the world, this invention plays an essential role in creating rice-based dishes. This time, the unknown story behind the birth of the electric rice cooker.
Electronic Bidet Toilets
S01 E04 • Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 • Jun 21 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, electronic bidet toilets, which clean your bottom with a spray of warm water. On sale since 1980, some 40 million of these toilet seats have shipped, and are now sold in many countries and regions including the U.S. and China. But the creation of this high-tech, revolutionary product was anything but easy. This time, the dramatic tale behind electronic bidet toilets.
Quartz Wristwatches
S01 E05 • Thursday, Jul 19, 2018 • Jul 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, quartz wristwatches, which caused a "timepiece revolution" with their accurate timing. Built in Japan in 1969, the world's first quartz wristwatch drifted only 0.2 seconds a day, making it about 100 times more accurate than previous watches. Even now, 96% of watches around the world use the same system. We trace the drama behind the creation of this super-accurate timepiece.
Instant Ramen
S01 E06 • Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 • Aug 16 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, a product first produced in Japan in 1958: instant ramen. With over 100 billion servings eaten every year, this instant meal has become a worldwide staple. The inspiration for this invention came from a surprising source: the deep-fried Japanese dish known as tempura. This time, we bite into the story behind instant ramen, a food loved around the world.
Portable Music Players
S01 E07 • Thursday, Sep 20, 2018 • Sep 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the gadget that lets you enjoy music anytime, anywhere with just a pair of headphones: the portable music player. The world's first of these portable players was developed by a Japanese manufacturer in 1979. Listening to music on the go is now a part of daily life around the world. This time, the story of the invention that made it all possible.
Gastrocameras
S01 E08 • Thursday, Oct 18, 2018 • Oct 18 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time we focus on gastrocameras, which have led to a revolution in cancer treatment. The first gastrocamera, the predecessor of those now used by hospitals around the world, was developed in Japan in 1950. We probe the untold drama behind the creation of the gastrocamera and look into the technological evolution that continues today.
Handheld Calculators
S01 E09 • Thursday, Nov 22, 2018 • Nov 22 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we focus on electronic calculators. Pocket-sized calculators have become so common that everyone can have one, and are still used today. The world's first pocket-sized calculator was developed in Japan in 1972, and made calculators available to the general public for the first time. Let's discover the story behind its creation, including inspiration from a surprising source: bowling!
Erasable Pens
S01 E10 • Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 • Dec 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we feature erasable pens, which allow users to erase their writing just like with pencil. Released in 2006, these pens' usefulness has made them a hit: over 2 billion have been sold in some 100 countries and regions around the world. Discover the unknown story of these erasable pens, whose creation was inspired by the changing leaves of autumn.
No previous
season
Season 2
Season 2
No poster
Completed
2018
S1Season 1
10 Episodes
14 min / episode
2h 15m total
Aired
Mar 18, 2018 - Dec 20, 2018
Network
NHK WORLD-JAPANGenres
Season 1
Activity from Friends
Conveyor Belt Sushi
S01 E01 • Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 • Mar 18
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, we discover conveyor belt sushi, an invention that's trundled its way to countries and regions around the world. The technology, in which plates of sushi are delivered via a rotating conveyor belt, actually traces its origins to a single eureka moment in a beer factory in 1950's Japan. This time, the inside story of the one man who brought this Top Invention to life.
Shinkansen
S01 E02 • Thursday, Apr 19, 2018 • Apr 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time: the Shinkansen, sometimes called the bullet train, which set a new record for high-speed rail, 256km/h, in its trial runs. The inspiration for unlocking that incredible speed came from aerodynamic airplanes. Shinkansen technology is now being adopted around the world in places like the UK and Taiwan. This time, we discover the drama behind the creation of this high-speed invention.
Automatic Rice Cookers
S01 E03 • Thursday, May 17, 2018 • May 17 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, electric rice cookers, which create fluffy, great-tasting rice with the press of a button. Developed in Japan in 1955, these automated rice cookers keep growing in popularity: in 2016, exports hit a record high. In Asia and around the world, this invention plays an essential role in creating rice-based dishes. This time, the unknown story behind the birth of the electric rice cooker.
Electronic Bidet Toilets
S01 E04 • Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 • Jun 21 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, electronic bidet toilets, which clean your bottom with a spray of warm water. On sale since 1980, some 40 million of these toilet seats have shipped, and are now sold in many countries and regions including the U.S. and China. But the creation of this high-tech, revolutionary product was anything but easy. This time, the dramatic tale behind electronic bidet toilets.
Quartz Wristwatches
S01 E05 • Thursday, Jul 19, 2018 • Jul 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, quartz wristwatches, which caused a "timepiece revolution" with their accurate timing. Built in Japan in 1969, the world's first quartz wristwatch drifted only 0.2 seconds a day, making it about 100 times more accurate than previous watches. Even now, 96% of watches around the world use the same system. We trace the drama behind the creation of this super-accurate timepiece.
Instant Ramen
S01 E06 • Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 • Aug 16 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, a product first produced in Japan in 1958: instant ramen. With over 100 billion servings eaten every year, this instant meal has become a worldwide staple. The inspiration for this invention came from a surprising source: the deep-fried Japanese dish known as tempura. This time, we bite into the story behind instant ramen, a food loved around the world.
Portable Music Players
S01 E07 • Thursday, Sep 20, 2018 • Sep 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the gadget that lets you enjoy music anytime, anywhere with just a pair of headphones: the portable music player. The world's first of these portable players was developed by a Japanese manufacturer in 1979. Listening to music on the go is now a part of daily life around the world. This time, the story of the invention that made it all possible.
Gastrocameras
S01 E08 • Thursday, Oct 18, 2018 • Oct 18 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time we focus on gastrocameras, which have led to a revolution in cancer treatment. The first gastrocamera, the predecessor of those now used by hospitals around the world, was developed in Japan in 1950. We probe the untold drama behind the creation of the gastrocamera and look into the technological evolution that continues today.
Handheld Calculators
S01 E09 • Thursday, Nov 22, 2018 • Nov 22 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we focus on electronic calculators. Pocket-sized calculators have become so common that everyone can have one, and are still used today. The world's first pocket-sized calculator was developed in Japan in 1972, and made calculators available to the general public for the first time. Let's discover the story behind its creation, including inspiration from a surprising source: bowling!
Erasable Pens
S01 E10 • Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 • Dec 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we feature erasable pens, which allow users to erase their writing just like with pencil. Released in 2006, these pens' usefulness has made them a hit: over 2 billion have been sold in some 100 countries and regions around the world. Discover the unknown story of these erasable pens, whose creation was inspired by the changing leaves of autumn.
Season 1
2018 • 10 Episodes
Activity from Friends
Conveyor Belt Sushi
S01 E01 • Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 • Mar 18
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, we discover conveyor belt sushi, an invention that's trundled its way to countries and regions around the world. The technology, in which plates of sushi are delivered via a rotating conveyor belt, actually traces its origins to a single eureka moment in a beer factory in 1950's Japan. This time, the inside story of the one man who brought this Top Invention to life.
Shinkansen
S01 E02 • Thursday, Apr 19, 2018 • Apr 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time: the Shinkansen, sometimes called the bullet train, which set a new record for high-speed rail, 256km/h, in its trial runs. The inspiration for unlocking that incredible speed came from aerodynamic airplanes. Shinkansen technology is now being adopted around the world in places like the UK and Taiwan. This time, we discover the drama behind the creation of this high-speed invention.
Automatic Rice Cookers
S01 E03 • Thursday, May 17, 2018 • May 17 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, electric rice cookers, which create fluffy, great-tasting rice with the press of a button. Developed in Japan in 1955, these automated rice cookers keep growing in popularity: in 2016, exports hit a record high. In Asia and around the world, this invention plays an essential role in creating rice-based dishes. This time, the unknown story behind the birth of the electric rice cooker.
Electronic Bidet Toilets
S01 E04 • Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 • Jun 21 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, electronic bidet toilets, which clean your bottom with a spray of warm water. On sale since 1980, some 40 million of these toilet seats have shipped, and are now sold in many countries and regions including the U.S. and China. But the creation of this high-tech, revolutionary product was anything but easy. This time, the dramatic tale behind electronic bidet toilets.
Quartz Wristwatches
S01 E05 • Thursday, Jul 19, 2018 • Jul 19 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, quartz wristwatches, which caused a "timepiece revolution" with their accurate timing. Built in Japan in 1969, the world's first quartz wristwatch drifted only 0.2 seconds a day, making it about 100 times more accurate than previous watches. Even now, 96% of watches around the world use the same system. We trace the drama behind the creation of this super-accurate timepiece.
Instant Ramen
S01 E06 • Thursday, Aug 16, 2018 • Aug 16 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, a product first produced in Japan in 1958: instant ramen. With over 100 billion servings eaten every year, this instant meal has become a worldwide staple. The inspiration for this invention came from a surprising source: the deep-fried Japanese dish known as tempura. This time, we bite into the story behind instant ramen, a food loved around the world.
Portable Music Players
S01 E07 • Thursday, Sep 20, 2018 • Sep 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the gadget that lets you enjoy music anytime, anywhere with just a pair of headphones: the portable music player. The world's first of these portable players was developed by a Japanese manufacturer in 1979. Listening to music on the go is now a part of daily life around the world. This time, the story of the invention that made it all possible.
Gastrocameras
S01 E08 • Thursday, Oct 18, 2018 • Oct 18 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time we focus on gastrocameras, which have led to a revolution in cancer treatment. The first gastrocamera, the predecessor of those now used by hospitals around the world, was developed in Japan in 1950. We probe the untold drama behind the creation of the gastrocamera and look into the technological evolution that continues today.
Handheld Calculators
S01 E09 • Thursday, Nov 22, 2018 • Nov 22 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we focus on electronic calculators. Pocket-sized calculators have become so common that everyone can have one, and are still used today. The world's first pocket-sized calculator was developed in Japan in 1972, and made calculators available to the general public for the first time. Let's discover the story behind its creation, including inspiration from a surprising source: bowling!
Erasable Pens
S01 E10 • Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 • Dec 20 • 15m
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we feature erasable pens, which allow users to erase their writing just like with pencil. Released in 2006, these pens' usefulness has made them a hit: over 2 billion have been sold in some 100 countries and regions around the world. Discover the unknown story of these erasable pens, whose creation was inspired by the changing leaves of autumn.