Document 72 Hours: 2017
Season 8 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 7.
- 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 8 Progress Shield
Lines and Lives at Airport Immigration
Jan 13, 2017 · 25 min
In the days leading up to Christmas, the immigration inspection area at Narita Airport heaves with tens of thousands of tourists. Among the visitors having their passport checked a
A Cafe Awaits in Omiya
Jan 20, 2017 · 25 min
Omiya, a city where the largest train terminal in Saitama Prefecture links between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the suburbs. A step away from its bustling downtown streets is a
The Melodies of a Street Piano in Miyazaki
Jan 27, 2017 · 25 min
In Miyazaki Prefecture, a brightly colored piano stands in a street side plaza. This "street piano" can be played freely by anyone at any time. Players range from an elderly woman
Beppu: A Century of Hot Springs
Feb 10, 2017 · 25 min
Beppu, the hot spring paradise. The stage is a 138-year-old traditional hot spring, known as the face of the city. The hot spring, which has only one old-fashioned, weathered bath,
At a park in Yokosuka with a view of warships
Feb 17, 2017 · 25 min
The setting is a park in Yokosuka with a close-up view of huge warships. Passersby include local residents taking a stroll, families of US military personnel letting their children
Cheap Underwear: Searching for Warmth
Feb 24, 2017 · 25 min
Tokyo's Kita Ward. A three-day look at a cheap underwear store in a traditional shopping district that attracts 1,000 customers daily. Socks, underwear, and nightwear are priced at
Wishing Upon Golden Kushikatsu
Mar 3, 2017 · 25 min
Chiyobo Inari (commonly known as Ochobo-san) is the god of commerce in Gifu Prefecture. There is a kushikatsu restaurant that shines like gold on the crowded approach to the shrine
A Walking Path Where You Can See Giraffes
Mar 10, 2017 · 25 min
Since the Kumamoto earthquake in April last year, the zoo has been closed. During the suspension of animal exhibitions, a walking path where you can see giraffes and elephants bask
Welcome to Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong
Mar 17, 2017 · 25 min
Hong Kong, a city of the near future. Located on the city's main street is the somewhat suspicious giant building known as Chungking Mansions. Maze-like passageways are lined with
Tokyo's Crossroads of Life
Apr 7, 2017 · 25 min
In a residential area of Tokyo is an unusual intersection where 7 roads meet. Bicycles, vehicles and pedestrians constantly weave along these roads. Though there are no traffic lig
New Bags, New Beginnings
Apr 14, 2017 · 25 min
We spend 3 days in a long-established bag shop in Tokyo's Ameyoko Market Street. Parents and children come to buy school bags, their hearts filled with hope. A man picks out a larg
Small Funerals in a Big City
Apr 21, 2017 · 25 min
Small, personal funerals are becoming popular in Japan. At a one-stop funeral facility near Tokyo, a family arranges a simple ceremony in accordance with a deceased relative's wish
Mt. Kongo: A Climb to the Webcam
Apr 28, 2017 · 25 min
An hour's drive from Osaka, Mt. Kongo is the perfect mountain for a casual hike. Attracting many visitors is a live webcam located at the mountain top. The webcam captures a photo
Yoru no Mori: Sakura Tunnel
May 12, 2017 · 25 min
The Yoru no Mori area in Fukushima is famous for its cherry blossoms, with old trees lining a 2.4-kilometer stretch. Since the nuclear accident, few people visit, but in spring, fo
Fabric and Buttons and Me
May 19, 2017 · 25 min
From colorful cloth to stylish buttons to costume wigs: a large craft shop in Shinjuku carries over 500,000 types of craft materials and accessories. A man comes to buy Gobelin tap
I Tried Zen Temple Training
May 26, 2017 · 25 min
Over 1,000 people a year come to this Zen temple in Kyoto to try training. The secret to its popularity is how easy it is to join. You can book from a few thousand yen per night fo
The Secret Marriage Counseling Room
Jun 2, 2017 · 25 min
On one floor of a building in Shinjuku, awkward conversations between men and women can be heard from booths partitioned off like a net cafe... These “private room-style marriage c
The Daily Life of a Tokyo Mosque
Jun 9, 2017 · 25 min
One of the largest mosques in Japan, Tokyo Camii is a gathering place for followers of Islam living in Tokyo. People from over 50 countries come here to pray: a Pakistani who marri
Jellyfish Wonderland
Jun 16, 2017 · 25 min
Facing the Sea of Japan in Yamagata Prefecture is an aquarium with one of the world's largest collections of jellyfish on display. The most popular attraction is a 5-meter-wide tan
Truck Stop: A Break on Life's Journey
Jun 30, 2017 · 25 min
Long-haul truckers work and even sleep in their vehicles. A truck stop near a major distribution hub in Kyushu offers drivers a meal, bath and place to relax during grueling journe
Thoughts and Reflections on a Rooftop Ferris Wheel
Jul 7, 2017 · 25 min
The rooftop Ferris wheel in Matsuyama, western Japan, is an attraction that every local knows. During the slow 15-minute ride, people enjoy the view of the entire city and ponder o
Kitakyushu Kokura ‘100 Yen Bar’ Blues
Jul 14, 2017 · 25 min
Kitakyushu City has prospered as a steel town. The bar is located on a slightly retro and slightly shady street off the entertainment district. At the center of the bar is a machin
Giant Housing Complex: Hello and Goodbye at a Secondhand Shop
Jul 21, 2017 · 25 min
Tama New Town, located in the suburbs of Tokyo, is home to over 200,000 people. The setting for this episode is a giant secondhand shop with a sales floor area of 1,500 tsubo (appr
The Elderly Care Facility with a View of the Sea
Jul 28, 2017 · 25 min
The elderly care facility is located on a hill overlooking the sea in Kanagawa Prefecture. With an average age of 84, over 450 residents live quiet lives here. Some have spent over
Mountain Restaurant: Creating and Reliving Memories
Aug 25, 2017 · 25 min
Is this a restaurant or an amusement park? When the mountains in western Japan are enveloped by the darkness of night, this unique restaurant shines with vibrant colors. The restau
Summer Koshien: Another Youth
Sep 1, 2017 · 25 min
Summer Koshien. In Fukuoka, where strong teams abound, the prefectural East Chiku High School secured the representative spot for the first time in 21 years. Expecting a lively atm
Midsummer Akita: Longing for Baba's Ice Cream
Sep 15, 2017 · 25 min
It's the height of summer in Akita. From supermarket parking lots and national highways to tourist spots and even rocky areas where no one goes, colorful parasol stalls suddenly ap
When a Man Shines His Shoes
Sep 22, 2017 · 25 min
It's said that a man's shoes reflect his pride. This time, we spend 3 days in a street side shoeshine shop, a rare sight in modern-day Tokyo. The customers here are particular abou
The Base Town Adult Rock Festival
Sep 29, 2017 · 25 min
Fussa, Tokyo, home to the U.S. military's Yokota Air Base. In this area where American culture has taken root through music and fashion, there is a rock festival that has been goin
Born to be Wild: Motorcyclists' Road to Happiness
Oct 6, 2017 · 25 min
Riding a motorcycle might be hot in summer and cold in winter, but many riders would never consider any other mode of transport. Some even cut back on buying a daily coffee to save
Life Without a Smartphone
Oct 20, 2017 · 25 min
Could you get by if your smartphone stopped working? Our stage this time is a smartphone repair shop in Shibuya, Tokyo. The customers range from a young man wanting to restore prec
Kyoto's Too Quiet Library
Oct 27, 2017 · 25 min
Kyoto welcomes the autumn holiday. The setting is a library in a tourist area where talking is strictly prohibited. People head to their booths, maintaining absolute silence. Their
Spain's Canary Islands: Tuna Fishermen's Short Vacation
Nov 3, 2017 · 30 min
The Canary Islands are located 10,000 kilometers away from Japan. In September, Japanese-registered tuna fishing boats dock at the island's port. They repair their boats and refuel
“See You Again at the English Conversation School
Nov 10, 2017 · 25 min
An English conversation school in Osaka's Umeda district that prides itself on one-on-one instruction. From the rows of booths, you can hear the slightly awkward English of people
Guest House: A 3,000 Yen Per Night Oasis
Nov 17, 2017 · 25 min
3,000 yen per night. The setting is a low-cost accommodation facility called a “guest house.” Located in Kawasaki, this guest house can accommodate 200 people and is easily accessi
Muscle Stiffness
Nov 24, 2017 · 25 min
Saitama City, a bedroom community with a population of 1.3 million. At a “massage parlor” in a residential area, customers with tired bodies rush in day and night. The causes of th
Printing Shop: Lives in Print
Dec 1, 2017 · 25 min
In this age where the shift toward digitization and going paperless seems irresistible, one business in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district still goes through more than 10,000 sheets of pap
Ogasawara Islands: Weekly Delivery Service
Dec 8, 2017 · 25 min
The setting is Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara Islands, a 24-hour boat ride from Tokyo. The approximately 2,000 islanders look forward to the weekly delivery service. Thanks to
Bento Tales from a Northern Fishing Town
Dec 15, 2017 · 25 min
When the herring season starts and winter's icy grip tightens on northern Japan, the locals in the fishing town of Nemuro turn to a convenience store offering warming, satisfying m