Document 72 Hours: 2021
Season 12 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Document 72 Hours Season 11.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 12 Progress Shield
Warming Body and Heart at a Yakiimo Shop
Jan 22, 2021 · 30 min
On a cold winter day in Japan, a piping-hot sweet potato baked so a natural sweet syrup oozes from its skin is hard to beat. An old-fashioned, no-frills shop in Ibaraki Prefecture
Tanga: The Market With a Big Heart
Jan 29, 2021 · 30 min
Tanga Market, a century-old market of 120 shops in western Japan, is known as the "kitchen of Kitakyushu." Although the market will soon be redeveloped, its old-fashioned charm kee
Seeing Out 2020 in the Heart of Tokyo Bay
Feb 5, 2021 · 30 min
The Umihotaru parking area in the heart of Tokyo Bay offers 360-degree views of the surrounding area. Among the visitors we met over 3 days at the end of 2020 were a married couple
The Old Year and the New Year in a Multinational Housing Complex
Feb 12, 2021 · 30 min
The setting is one of the country's leading “multinational housing complexes,” where 20% of the residents have foreign roots, including Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. How do they sp
Fukushima Bento Shop: Serving Meals and Hope
Mar 12, 2021 · 30 min
It has been 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami occurred, and nuclear meltdowns forced the town of Namie to evacuate. Work to decontaminate and rebuild this
Document 1DAY: Yokohama Under Emergency Declaration
Mar 19, 2021 · 30 min
A 72-hour spin-off project. A multi-location simultaneous documentary of a day under emergency declaration. Cameras are set up at health centers, special cleaning companies, PCR te
Life Stories at a Hospital Convenience Store
Apr 2, 2021 · 30 min
A convenience store inside a major hospital in Kamakura City, just south of Tokyo, is open around the clock for doctors, nurses, patients and their families. Among the customers we
New Beginnings from an Osaka Bus Terminal
Apr 16, 2021 · 30 min
In Japan, spring is a time when many people move for school or work. A highway bus terminal linking Osaka Prefecture with over 60 cities is a magnet for people starting the next ch
Starting Fresh: One-Stop Uniform Shop
Apr 23, 2021 · 30 min
A uniform specialty store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, sells an exhaustive range of attire for medical staff, chefs, security guards and various other workers. What does a brand-new uniform
Water Taxis: Across the Sea and Beyond
Apr 30, 2021 · 30 min
For the approximately 1,100 residents of Kakeroma Island in southern Japan, water taxis that travel to Amami Oshima, a nearby larger island, are a vital mode of transport for going
Ginza Snack Rhapsody
May 7, 2021 · 30 min
The setting is a long-established snack specialty store in Ginza. It is a favorite among nearby bars and clubs, offering about 300 varieties of snacks such as rice crackers, nuts,
The Station Under the Cherry Blossoms
May 21, 2021 · 30 min
A small, unmanned train station on the Noto Peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, is quiet for most of the year. But each spring, the station comes to life as about 100 cherry blossom
Quiet Prayers at a Secluded Shrine
Jun 11, 2021 · 30 min
Near the towering apartment buildings in Tokyo's Tsukuda area is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it alley. But tucked away down the narrow passage is a stone carving of a Buddhist guardian
Why I came to the blood donation center
Jun 18, 2021 · 30 min
The setting is a blood donation center near Skytree. Although the observation deck is closed due to the state of emergency, about 60 people come to donate blood every day. A compan
Taking a Break at a Coffee Bean Stand in Kyoto
Jun 25, 2021 · 30 min
The setting is a stand-style specialty coffee bean shop in the heart of Kyoto. Kyoto, known for its traditional Japanese culture, actually has the highest coffee consumption in Jap
Tokyo Stationery Store: Messages from the Heart
Jul 9, 2021 · 30 min
Meeting in person isn't easy these days, so sending a written message is a personal way to stay in touch. A stationery shop in Ginza, Tokyo, has over 5,000 items in a two-floor car
Giant Tropical Fish Store: A Life with Small Lives
Aug 20, 2021 · 27 min
The stage is a giant tropical fish store, one of the largest in the country. The aquariums contain 400 species of fish, including betta, discus, medaka, and arowana, making it look
Midsummer Tokyo: The Phantom Marathon Course
Sep 10, 2021 · 30 min
Leaving the National Stadium, the 42.195 km course loops around Asakusa, Tokyo Tower, and other landmarks before returning to the starting point. This was the planned course for th
The Fishermen's Convenience Store
Sep 17, 2021 · 30 min
As bonito season peaks in mid-July, the port in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, buzzes as fishermen unload their catches and prepare to return to sea. A portside store selling food a
Fireworks Shop: Lighting Up a Quiet Summer
Sep 24, 2021 · 30 min
From handheld sparklers to skyrockets and novelty fireworks, a small shop in Yamanashi Prefecture sells over 400 kinds of fireworks. Locals and visitors flock to this shop during a
Salvaging Bargains at a Tokyo Grocery Store
Oct 1, 2021 · 30 min
A store in a Tokyo suburb selling short-dated, surplus or imperfect yet edible food items cheaply is a magnet for thrifty shoppers. They can find vegetables costing just 27 US cent
At an Underground Bicycle Parking Lot
Oct 22, 2021 · 30 min
The huge underground parking lot at Tokyo's Kasai Station can hold about 10,000 bicycles. Each day, from very early until very late, workers, students and other commuters store the
Listening at an Earphone Specialty Store in Akihabara
Nov 5, 2021 · 30 min
Akihabara is one of Japan's leading electronics districts. The stage is a specialty store that handles about 5,000 types of audio equipment, such as earphones and headphones. With
Drone Training Ground: Take Flight into the Sky
Nov 12, 2021 · 30 min
Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are used in a variety of fields, such as aerial photography and disaster assessment. They also attracted attention at the opening ceremony of t
Hair and Makeup Salon: Grooming the Eyebrows and Mind
Nov 19, 2021 · 30 min
With half of the face covered by masks, eyebrows can make a big statement. About 80% of the customers who visit the hair and makeup salon in Namba, Osaka Prefecture, come to get th
Big City: 24-Hour Cheap Bento Shop
Nov 26, 2021 · 30 min
A 24-hour bento shop located in Okubo, Shinjuku Ward. All bentos, including fried chicken, grilled meat, and mapo tofu, are priced at 290 yen each, making them extremely affordable
Boards and Bonds at a 24-Hour Skateboard Park
Dec 3, 2021 · 30 min
A large 24-hour skateboard park in an industrial area of Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture, is popular with skateboarders of all ages and abilities. It is free and packed with fun obs
Tokyo, Koganei: At the Neighborhood Water Pumping Station
Dec 10, 2021 · 30 min
The setting is a local “water pumping station” where natural groundwater flows. Located between apartment buildings in Koganei City, Tokyo, it's an inconspicuous spot, yet people k
Finding Your Style at a Used Clothing Store
Dec 17, 2021 · 30 min
A huge used clothing store in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, has racks filled with 100,000 garments including jackets, jeans and sweaters. The customers at this clothing treasure tro