Hometown Stories

Season 12, Episode 10

Episode Title: Hard Rain: A Village Divided

Air Date: 2023-05-07

Overview:

Across Japan, climate change is causing torrential rains and flooding. In response, the government is pursuing sweeping measures to protect communities and save lives, including a large flood-control reservoir in rural Kumamoto Prefecture. But the proposed location is currently occupied by the riverside village of Okaki, home to 58 households that would be displaced. As the reservoir project moves forward, a divide begins to form in a community faced with tough decisions about its future.