Titanium Tiles for Temple Roofs  (03:46)
Roofs in Japan were traditionally covered with heavy ceramic tiles. These gave excellent protection against fire and storms, but their weight was a drawback in this earthquake-prone country. The long search for a lightweight replacement finally resulted in titanium tiles, which are both stronger and 26 times lighter. First used, for safety and esthetic reasons, to retile famous temple roofs, they are now being adopted nationwide.

How Old Firms Survive  (03:31)
Japan has a very large number of old family firms still prospering a century or more after their founding. The secret to the success and survival of these firms through both good times and bad appears to be an attitude that combines respect for traditional skills and techniques with an open-minded readiness to react to changing conditions by adopting new methods and businesses.

Green Revolution Transforms City Rooftops  (03:43)
Japan's cities are controlling rising temperatures due to the urban "heat island" effect by planting greenery on building rooftops and walls. Rooftop gardens are dramatically cooler than concrete, and can now be added to most buildings thanks to new types of light, nutrient rich soil and special lightweight surfaces. Rooftop gardens are now a popular place to relax, and soon people will also be growing vegetables and rice on top of city buildings.

Tiny Satellite Carries a Big Dream  (04:14)
A scientific satellite launched on Jan. 23, 2009 was unusual in a number of ways. This tiny 50cm cube was the independent project of a group of small factories in Higashi-Osaka. Machi-koba is the term for small urban factories working under contract to major corporations, and these have been responsible for many of Japan's technological advances. Instead of simply supplying parts for other companies' products, this group wanted to design their own project and complete it using their own technology. The result is now in orbit, helping research into lightning storms.

The Healing Powers of the Jellyfish  (04:03)
Jellyfish have always been common in the seas around Japan, but just recently the Japanese have begun looking at these graceful, translucent creatures in a new light. The old image was of a stinging animal one tried to avoid when swimming, but the unexpected success of one aquarium's jellyfish displays has made people realize the soothing, healing effect of watching jellyfish swim. For example, customers at a bar in central Tokyo find that watching its large tank full of exotic jellyfish is an ideal way to unwind and relax after a stressful day at work.

Ready to Eat. Instantly, Anywhere  (03:56)
Over 100 billion instant noodle meals are now eaten worldwide each year – a huge change in our eating habits that began 50 years ago with a new technology invented in a Japanese garden shed. Flash-frying in oil to quickly dry noodles created a tasty product that was easy to cook and had a long shelf life. Today, we can choose from a vast variety of instant meals, not just noodles. They are eaten at home, at the office, and even by astronauts in space. And they have proved especially valuable as emergency food supplies for disaster zones.

Bamboo's Deep Roots in Japanese Life  (04:00)
The bamboo has been an ever-present, well-loved part of Japanese daily life and culture for centuries. You see it in house exteriors and interiors, children still play with traditional bamboo toys like stilts and tops, and it's widely eaten in season. Traditional arts like the tea ceremony feature fine accessories and utensils crafted from bamboo. It is modern too – the first electric light bulbs used Japanese bamboo filaments, and innovative new bamboo products continue to be developed, ranging from silky textiles to bamboo charcoal soaps and anti-allergy products.

Fun Ways to Get Fit  (03:46)
Japanese toy and game manufacturers have made huge advances in home entertainment technology, and now they are starting to apply this knowledge for health, fitness and healing. Families enjoy exercising together in front of the TV, thanks to interactive sports games using advanced motion sensors and monitors. Walkers and runners listen to voice instructions providing expert guidance through their headphones, with music scientifically optimized for greatest aerobic benefit. And playing with lifelike robot pets is having a rejuvenating effect on the brains of many senior citizens.

Japanese Denim - High Fashion and Eco-Friendly  (03:31)
Japanese denim, currently the favorite material for high-fashion jeans worldwide, was the theme of the Japan Blue Exhibition, part of this year's Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo. The world's fashion houses choose Japanese-made denim for a number of reasons: the excellent appearance produced by Japan's local indigo dye and traditional dyeing techniques, the leading ideas of contemporary Japanese jeans designers, and the pioneering efforts of Japanese jeans and denim companies to make the manufacturing process more eco-friendly.