Grade levels: Adult

Faster than a speeding train, Ingram and Stillwell examine the technology that contributes to that accelerated pace of urban life in Japan. Monday’s highlights include: High-speed transportation; Crowded Japan – There are over 30 million people in the greater Tokyo area; Robots – Discover what’s behind Japan’s obsession with robots and Samurai sword making. Mount Fuji – Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain and it’s national symbol. Also in this episode, “Chindogu,” (weird tools and inventions); Robotcam.

Day two of Daily Planet Goes to Japan conquers the mysteries of the natural world – from snow to space – then goes high-tech and test-drives the latest in electric cars. Highlights include: Snow fence – At the Nagoaka Institute of Snow and Ice Studies scientists study severe snow and ice disasters. Subaru Telescope – Ivan Semeniuk, Daily Planet’s astronomy expert, visits Japan’s largest astronomical observatory. Eliica car – Find out what makes the electric Eliica car work. Kobe earthquake – Learn how engineers at Japan’s Building Research Institute are using data from the devastating 1995 Kobe earthquake to prevent buildings from collapsing in a future quake. Ai, the counting chimp – Meet the professor who has been working with Ai, a counting chimpanzee for 25 years. The Science of Sake and virtual studio.

Stillwell and Ingram go quintessentially Japan – but with a scientific twist, of course. Highlights include: Text messaging. Sushi delivery. Kimonos – Stunningly beautiful silk kimonos are traditional Japanese clothing. Sumo – Daily Planet studies the science of sumo. Pedestrian Dummies, a Talking Robot and 3D animation.

From satellites to the space station – the lengths scientists will go to gather data to enlighten the world around us is in the spotlight of today’s episode. Highlights include: Earth Simulator – One of the fastest computers on earth and as large as four tennis courts. Japanese astronaut, Android Science, Reassembling Robot, Tokyo Design, HDTV, Macaques and “Akihabara” (Electric City – Tokyo’s electronics shopping district).

Daily Planet Goes to Japan winds up with a look at what makes the earth move and sushi that only looks good enough to eat. Highlights include: Earthquake Science – Japan lies in one of the most active earthquake regions of the world. Smart Car – Buckle up! Asteroid mission – Semeniuk follows an ambitious Japanese space mission to chase an asteroid. Anime – We visit Production IG, the anime house that produced Ghost in the Shell .Stone Play.Plastic Sushi – This “Behind the Scenes” segment examines how plastic food is made for sushi displays.

Pack your bags for another look at the week’s best stories in this one-hour special. “The Future Is Now” will also feature cutting-edge television technology from Japan’s broadcaster NHK. From Super High Definition TV – which takes HDTV a step further- to 3D animation technology that will allow sports presenters to hold the 3D image of a star pitcher in the palm of their hands.

National Olympic Stadiums – At the center of Beijing, the National Olympic Stadium and National Swimming Centre will be the architectural yin and yang of the 2008 Olympic site. Manned Space – The amazing achievements of the Chinese space program continue to grow. Terra Cotta Warriors – Emperor Qin’s Terra Cotta Warriors are one of China’s biggest tourist attractions and one of the world’s most prized archeological discoveries. Also in this episode: the construction of the record-breaking eight-kilometre-long Sutong Bridge crossing the Yangtze River; increasing the endangered panda population with a little passion; the physics of Ping Pong.