Abstract
Nihon no sugao (Japan Unmasked) is a TV series produced and broadcast from November 1957 through April 1964, which built a foundation of production methods of Japanese TV documentaries. Several techniques and procedures emerged as new production methods in the course of making the program; they are now regarded as basic methods of producing TV documentaries. Some of them, such as the use of narration for commentary and explanation, were extensively embraced from the start, while others, including interviews, were timidly implemented at first. This study paper is a four-part series that examines what kinds of methods appeared on what timings and how they were developed along the way.
The first part of the series points out that the production methods of Japan Unmasked underwent changes over time and presents a quantitative analytical framework to grasp the changes.
