FRONTRUNNERS

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.

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.

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.