{"id":23751,"date":"2025-09-10T08:50:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T10:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T14:44:13","slug":"wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildlife Trends: The View from NHK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japanese pubcaster NHK remains among the world\u2019s 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\u2019s new Hidden Japan<\/em>\u00a0series and former head of the pubcaster\u2019s natural history unit, talks to\u00a0TV Real<\/em>\u00a0about the latest in wildlife filmmaking trends.<\/p>\n

TV REAL:<\/strong>\u00a0How do you assess the state of the wildlife docs segment at present?
\nHAYAKAWA:<\/strong> I\u2019ve had the privilege of serving as a jury member for both Wildscreen and Jackson Wild. Looking at the programs submitted to\u00a0these 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\u2014or perhaps necessity\u2014of streaming platforms for serialized content over stand-alone films.<\/p>\n

While audiences around the world are able to enjoy compelling series, I feel it is important for us\u2014as creators and commissioning editors\u2014to remain mindful of preserving diversity in the wildlife documentary space, especially when it comes to creative and innovative storytelling.<\/p>\n

TV REAL:<\/strong>\u00a0How important are co-productions for getting some of these shows off the ground?
\nHAYAKAWA:<\/strong>\u00a0International 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\u2014allowing us to produce more impactful and ambitious programs.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

TV REAL:<\/strong>\u00a0What trends are you seeing in demand for wildlife docs? Are there particular areas or themes buyers and commissioners are looking for?
\nHAYAKAWA:<\/strong>\u00a0At NHK, our main wildlife slots are\u00a0Darwin\u2019s Amazing Animals<\/em>, a highly formatted 30-minute program designed to introduce rare and surprising animal behaviors to children and family audiences\u2014and\u00a0Wildlife<\/em>, 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\u2014such as a human element or emotional narrative\u2014so they can be adapted to fit either slot.<\/p>\n

At the natural history unit, we\u2019ve recently enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Doclights and NDR, co-producing several Japan-based stories such as\u00a0Mighty Monkeys<\/em>\u00a0(produced by NHK\/NEP and Doclights, in association with NDR, ARTE and ZDF Studios),\u00a0Gift from the Ice\u2014Japan\u2019s Wild North<\/em>\u00a0(produced by NHK and Doclights, in association with NDR, ARTE and ORF) and\u00a0IRIOMOTE\u2014The Fabric of Life<\/em>\u00a0(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.<\/p>\n

Our newest production,\u00a0Hidden Japan<\/em>, set to premiere internationally next summer, is a two-part series that explores the beauty of Japanese nature through the uniquely Japanese concept of \u201cen.\u201d While \u201cen\u201d is often translated as \u201cconnection\u201d or \u201crelationship\u201d in English, it carries a deeper, more nuanced meaning\u2014referring 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.<\/p>\n

TV REAL:<\/strong>\u00a0How is new technology transforming your ability to capture this footage?
\nHAYAKAWA:<\/strong>\u00a0NHK has always embraced new technology to pioneer fresh styles of visual expression. A recent example is our success in capturing the world\u2019s first-ever video footage of a group of coelacanths\u2014along with behavior indicative of reproduction\u2014all in stunning 8K resolution. The film,\u00a0Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth<\/em>, was co-produced with ZDF\/ARTE and OceanX.<\/p>\n

This achievement was made possible through a groundbreaking 72-hour continuous observation expedition\u2014another world first\u2014enabled by the development of new equipment and the use of OceanX\u2019s spherically transparent submersibles, which offered a 360-degree panoramic view of the deep sea. Given the coelacanth\u2019s 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\u2014one 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\u2019s development.<\/p>\n

TV REAL:<\/strong>\u00a0How do you see AI impacting the business?
\nHAYAKAWA:<\/strong>\u00a0NHK 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\u2014particularly storytelling\u2014I 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\u2019s something only people can truly bring to life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Masa Hayakawa, former head of NHK\u2019s natural history unit, talks about the latest in wildlife filmmaking trends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":23760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,69],"tags":[11603,11602,851],"class_list":["post-23751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-interviews","category-top-stories","tag-hidden-japan","tag-masa-hayakawa","tag-nhk","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nWildlife Trends: The View from NHK - TVREAL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wildlife Trends: The View from NHK - TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Masa Hayakawa, former head of NHK\u2019s natural history unit, talks about the latest in wildlife filmmaking trends.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T12:50:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-15T14:44:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/09\/NHK-HiddenJapan-0925.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"394\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mansha Daswani\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mansha Daswani\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/\",\"name\":\"Wildlife Trends: The View from NHK - TVREAL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-10T12:50:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-15T14:44:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#\/schema\/person\/83da304c8bad8bfdb3edd7eb47cfe5ad\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wildlife-trends-the-view-from-nhk\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Wildlife Trends: The View from NHK\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/\",\"name\":\"TVREAL\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#\/schema\/person\/83da304c8bad8bfdb3edd7eb47cfe5ad\",\"name\":\"Mansha Daswani\",\"description\":\"Mansha Daswani is the editor-in-chief and associate publisher of World Screen. 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