The Last Samurai of the Far North: Tanikawa Rokuya, Neurosurgeon

The Professionals

44m 30s
Broadcast on October 9, 2022 Available until December 5, 2023

In Sapporo, on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido Prefecture, is a neurosurgeon who has successfully handled numerous diseases considered impossible to treat elsewhere: 60-year-old Tanikawa Rokuya. Within the brain, the slightest damage could cause severe post-surgery after-effects. With skill considered the greatest in the world, Tanikawa preserves even the thinnest artery in the brain's dense network. During surgeries that can take over 10 hours, he's constantly standing at a crossroad of choices, yet his conviction encourages him onward. Through the eyes of this awkward, blunt man known as "The Last Samurai," what future lies ahead for medicine?

Program Outline