Monday is Marine Day, a national holiday, and as has been its tradition for a decade, Nippon TV will air a 90-minute afternoon special about sustainability hosted by Osaka-based announcer Seiji Miyane. "Nippon no Shoku no Mirai" ("The Future of Food in Japan," 2:55 p.m.) attempts to project the future of Japanese food culture by looking at how other countries address their own food issues.

This year, the theme is monsoons, which are vital to the ecology of southern Asia. TV personality Mari Hoshino goes to Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia to talk to fishermen and learn how they prepare their catch as preserves that can be stored indefinitely. In addition, reporter Kazuki Namioka goes to Cenderawasih Bay in Indonesia and Akinobu Shinoyama visits Guangzhou in China to learn about their respective food cultures.

A new TV drama by beloved scriptwriter Taichi Yamada premieres Friday at 9 p.m. "Yoso no Uta, Watashi no Uta" ("Someone Else's Song, My Song," Fuji TV) stars Tsunehiko Watase as Takashi, a retired university professor who tries to find meaning for the rest of his life.