Wildlife Trends: The View from NHK

Japanese pubcaster NHK remains among the world’s stalwart supporters of blue-chip wildlife fare, tapping into its long heritage of co-productions and investing in the latest technologies to uncover the natural wonders of the Earth. Masa Hayakawa, executive producer of NHK’s new Hidden Japan series and former head of the pubcaster’s natural history unit, talks to TV Real about the latest in wildlife filmmaking trends.

TV REAL: How do you assess the state of the wildlife docs segment at present?
HAYAKAWA: I’ve had the privilege of serving as a jury member for both Wildscreen and Jackson Wild. Looking at the programs submitted to these festivals, I think there is a growing trend: an increase in wildlife series and a decline in one-off creative documentaries that feature personal storytelling. I believe this shift is largely driven by tighter broadcaster budgets, fewer available slots and the preference—or perhaps necessity—of streaming platforms for serialized content over stand-alone films.

While audiences around the world are able to enjoy compelling series, I feel it is important for us—as creators and commissioning editors—to remain mindful of preserving diversity in the wildlife documentary space, especially when it comes to creative and innovative storytelling.

TV REAL: How important are co-productions for getting some of these shows off the ground?
HAYAKAWA: International co-production is vital in two key aspects: financially and creatively. While NHK has been able to maintain its wildlife programming slots, we too, like many broadcasters around the world, face the challenge of shrinking budgets. Collaborating with our international partners enables us to pool funding, talent and resources—allowing us to produce more impactful and ambitious programs.

Even more important is the creative aspect of co-production. These collaborations bring fresh ideas and new perspectives, helping us keep our content engaging and relevant for the global audience.

TV REAL: What trends are you seeing in demand for wildlife docs? Are there particular areas or themes buyers and commissioners are looking for?
HAYAKAWA: At NHK, our main wildlife slots are Darwin’s Amazing Animals, a highly formatted 30-minute program designed to introduce rare and surprising animal behaviors to children and family audiences—and Wildlife, our flagship 90-minute series that explores the vibrant lives of animals through innovative storytelling and cutting-edge technology. When looking for content, we typically look for stories that showcase new animal behaviors and offer something more—such as a human element or emotional narrative—so they can be adapted to fit either slot.

At the natural history unit, we’ve recently enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Doclights and NDR, co-producing several Japan-based stories such as Mighty Monkeys (produced by NHK/NEP and Doclights, in association with NDR, ARTE and ZDF Studios), Gift from the Ice—Japan’s Wild North (produced by NHK and Doclights, in association with NDR, ARTE and ORF) and IRIOMOTE—The Fabric of Life (produced by NHK and Doclights, in association with NDR, ARTE and ORF). I believe the deep connections and extensive footage we have access to in Japan are particularly appealing to European producers.

Our newest production, Hidden Japan, set to premiere internationally next summer, is a two-part series that explores the beauty of Japanese nature through the uniquely Japanese concept of “en.” While “en” is often translated as “connection” or “relationship” in English, it carries a deeper, more nuanced meaning—referring to the invisible bonds or fateful ties between people and the world around them. Given the enduring global interest in Japanese culture, the project has attracted strong attention from international producers since its development stage and will be co-produced with European partners.

TV REAL: How is new technology transforming your ability to capture this footage?
HAYAKAWA: NHK has always embraced new technology to pioneer fresh styles of visual expression. A recent example is our success in capturing the world’s first-ever video footage of a group of coelacanths—along with behavior indicative of reproduction—all in stunning 8K resolution. The film, Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth, was co-produced with ZDF/ARTE and OceanX.

This achievement was made possible through a groundbreaking 72-hour continuous observation expedition—another world first—enabled by the development of new equipment and the use of OceanX’s spherically transparent submersibles, which offered a 360-degree panoramic view of the deep sea. Given the coelacanth’s low metabolic rate, nocturnal habits and extreme sensitivity to disturbance, we knew long-duration filming would be essential. Our equipment development focused on three key requirements: extended recording capability, ultra-high sensitivity and ultra-high resolution. This led to the creation of two specialized 8K deep-sea camera systems—one optimized for wide-angle shots and the other for macro close-ups. It took us three years to complete, but fortunately, we were able to use the downtime during the pandemic to advance the system’s development.

TV REAL: How do you see AI impacting the business?
HAYAKAWA: NHK currently does not use AI in the natural history genre, but I can understand its potential. For example, AI could be useful in selecting scenes from the vast amount of footage we capture or in refining the wording of scripts. However, when it comes to the creative aspects—particularly storytelling—I believe that human insight and intuition remain essential. The heart of natural history filmmaking lies in how we interpret and emotionally connect with the natural world, and that’s something only people can truly bring to life.