Confectionery
Various sweets first came to Japan from the West, but the Japanese put their own distinctive stamp on them. Today, this "Western-style confectionery" is an important part of Japanese culinary culture. The first Western confectionery that came to Japan was brought by Christian missionaries from Portugal and Spain in the mid-16th century. In the mid-19th century, after being closed off for centuries, Japan opened to foreign commerce. New confections poured in from the West, and original recipes were adjusted to suit Japanese tastes. In the last 50 years, Western-style Japanese confections have earned popularity and acclaim in the West, and Japanese chefs have won top prizes in the world's most prestigious confectionery competitions. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at Japan's own brand of Western-style confectionery and what it reveals about Japanese culture.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Peacemaker
The series will explore the origins of the Peacemaker, a man who believes in peace at any cost - no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.
Resident Alien
Resident Alien is a dark, twisted and comedic fish-out-of-water story that follows a crash-landed alien named Harry who, after taking on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor, slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth — ultimately asking the question, "Are human beings worth saving?"
Futurama
Futurama follows pizza guy Philip J. Fry, who reawakens in 31st century New New York after a cryonics lab accident. Now part of the Planet Express delivery crew, Fry travels to the farthest reaches of the universe with his robot buddy Bender and cyclopsian love interest Leela, discovering freaky mutants, intergalactic conspiracies and other strange stuff.
Ghosts
Samantha and Jay throw caution to the wind when they convert their recently inherited country estate into a bed-and-breakfast. Call it mislaid plans. Not only is the place falling apart, but it's also inhabited by spirits of previous residents -- whom only Samantha can see and hear. Ghosts spins the funny, heartfelt story about a newfound dream that reveals connection and self-discovery aren't just for the living.
Hijack
Told in real time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Sam Nelson is an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.