Keeping Frozen Cells Alive - CAS  (03:30)
CAS stands for Cells Alive System, a revolutionary freezing technology that's now practically available. CAS freezes without destroying cellular structure - CAS frozen flowers will even begin blooming again after defrosting. This makes a huge difference to the taste, color and texture of frozen food products. Conventional flash freezing breaks down cells, so much taste is lost in liquid runoff after defrosting. Chefs are welcoming this technology, especially for marine products to be served raw far from the sites where they are frozen.

Highly polished skills   (03:08)
Polishing is a key metal working technique, and the old metal-ware center of Tsubame City in Niigata is renowned throughout Japan for the quality and high level of its polishing work. Even simple jobs like restoring the shine to old pots and pans require refined manual skills as well as fine control over polishing machines, but there are also high-tech manufacturing tasks — such as finishing the leading edges of aircraft wings — where the trained hands of a traditional Tsubame craftsman achieve precision greater than any machine

Umbrellas To Slip in a Pocket  (03:10)
An umbrella is essential in Japan, a land of frequent, unpredictable showers, so it's only natural that Japanese umbrella makers have long been pioneers in designing folding umbrellas that you can carry at all times, just in case. New technology is now allowing folding umbrellas to be made flatter, smaller and lighter - indeed, there are now umbrellas weighing just 192 g, that fold as small as a mobile phone. But designers are not yet satisfied - they hope to reduce this convenient item to the size of a fountain pen.

Lettuce From a Factory  (03:24)
Agriculture today faces problems from abnormal weather to chemical overuse that cause concern about the safety and reliable supply of our daily vegetables. One promising solution is the "plant factory," where food is grown indoors in a computer-controlled environment. Vertical stacked growing beds produce far greater amounts of crops than regular farms of the same area, while pest-free sealed environments simplify organic cultivation. New technologies are making factory-grown cultivation safer, more nutritious and more efficient than conventional farming.

A Better Way to Peaceful Sleep   (03:21)
Japan, like many parts of the world, suffers from biting insects during the hot, humid summer nights. Insecticides or air conditioning are not ideal for health or for the environment, so people are rediscovering the benefits of the traditional mosquito net for insect-free sleep. The Japanese kaya mosquito net is a uniquely spacious, box-like design, but the weave used for its netting impeded the flow of air, making it warm inside. Modern weaving techniques have now solved this, and the kaya is regaining popularity as a natural, healthy way to ensure a good night's sleep.

New Technology for Disabled Sports   (04:22)
A vital factor in the current worldwide advance of disabled sports is the development of specialized technology to allow athletes with disabilities to take part in competitive sports. Athletic wheelchairs and prosthetic equipment must be specially designed for each sport and also customized to meet the greatly differing requirements of each user. We introduce a Japanese company that has revolutionized sports wheelchair design with a new frame-building technique, and a sports trainer/equipment developer who refines his designs through daily feedback from the athletes he coaches.