NHK's documentary program "Document 72 Hours" (General). The annual "Year-End Special 2025," which looks back on the top 10 programs of the past year as chosen by viewer votes, will be broadcast on December 30th from 12:15pm to 8:42pm (with occasional interruptions for news, etc.). This year's broadcast will be in an expanded time slot, with passionate fans of "Document 72 Hours" gathering in the studio from all over the country. There will also be a new initiative where viewers will be able to share their own "ways of enjoying the program." What is the background behind the creation of such "passionate fans"? We spoke to the program's chief producers, Okabe Ayako and Sakurai Kazuki.
◇The program features "ordinary people"
This documentary program focuses on a single location each time, observing the various human dramas that occur there over a period of 72 hours. It listens to the stories of people who meet by chance, capturing the current era.
The people featured in the show are "ordinary people" who you would barely notice if you were walking down the street without even thinking about it, and who you would simply pass by. The words of these people are filled with much empathy, discovery, and awareness, which we would never have known if they hadn't appeared on the show. This "realism" may be one of the things that never ceases to attract viewers.
As a result, rather than just looking at one theme (place), you get the feeling that you are "looking at an era." Regarding this point, Okabe says, "It's something that is important to the program, and I think it's an aspect that is well-received by viewers."
Sakurai also told us, "I get the impression that viewers don't necessarily want to hear 'good stories,' but rather are looking for the real story of what it means to 'live'."
◇ "There are many cases where things don't go as expected," but...
When producing the program, the director in charge of each episode tries to carefully edit in the parts that interest him or her, such as what it is about the people they meet on location that makes them want to know more or tell them more. There are words that make you say, "What do you mean?" and make you want to remember them, and you may also realize things that you thought you knew but didn't.
Okabe says, "I think the program still retains the feeling of having your imagination overturned - that if the filming location was this kind of place, then these kinds of people would be there, and these kinds of stories would come out - and the satisfaction of discovery. Other documentary programs might do additional interviews or structure the story in a logical manner, but this program sticks to the chronological order, adheres to the rule of completing filming in 72 hours, and relies entirely on what we heard and felt from the people we met in that place on that day. I think the important things are the stories that only the people the director met could tell, and the details of the words that come from each person's perspective."
Of course, they do make assumptions, such as "If I go to this place, on this day, at this time, this type of person will come," but assumptions are just that: assumptions. "There are many cases where things don't go as expected at all," Sakurai reveals.
"Of course, we do anticipate themes that are tied to the location, but in the end, things don't always work out as planned. People's lives are complicated, after all, and that's what makes them interesting. Each person has their own history, so we just discover them on site, face them with an open mind, and listen to them. We do anticipate what kind of stories we might hear, but I think it's very important in the production of this program not to be bound by them."
By the way, the locations for the interviews are basically planned by each director. On-site, two teams are set up each time, with a director, cameraman, and sound engineer making up one team. The "Year-End Special 2025" broadcast on the 30th will also feature a "live broadcast" from the location that was being filmed on the day of the program's recording.
◇What is unique about "Document 72 Hours"?
"Document 72 Hours" is a 30-minute program that usually airs every Friday from 10 p.m. It has a mysterious charm that makes you feel lighter in your heart and kinder to others as the week draws to a close.
Okabe explains, "I don't feel the need to present any big themes or messages. I just want each viewer to be able to take something away from listening to the various stories of the people featured. That tone and warmth is one of the things I value."
What do you think makes "Document 72 Hours" so unique? "In the end, it comes down to 'realism,' but people are deeply moved by things that may seem trivial," says Okabe, who has felt this through producing the show.
"I think that's why it's so well-received by viewers. It never prescribes anything or presents a single, sweeping theme, but rather makes viewers think, 'There are so many different things going on in everyone.' Isn't it people, groups of people, that create the times? By continuing to capture real fragments of the times created by these people, I feel that the program records changes in the times and changes in values," he concludes.
On the other hand, Sakurai said, "I think this is a program where there is always something that resonates with you every time, depending on your generation and the situation you are in. There are ways to watch and enjoy it, not just the 30-minute program as a whole, but also by looking at 'this person in this episode,' and I hope that it will continue to be a program that people of all ages can relate to in some way."
