Japan loves golf. The number of golfers in Japan is around 10 million - 1 in every 13 people. But playing golf in Japan can be expensive. If you want to hit the ball but can't go to the course, you go to the driving range. Japan has more driving ranges than any other country in the world. Golf was introduced to Japan in the early 20th century. The popularity of the sport grew with Japan's postwar economic rise. Golf was used to entertain business clients, and memberships to exclusive clubs were traded like assets. One survivor of the earthquake that struck Kobe in 1995 defied the odds and realized his dream of becoming a professional golfer...at age 60! A group of engineers is trying to apply the techniques used in a traditional Japanese craft to cutting-edge golf gear. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is golf. It Japan, it is much more than just a sport.

This month, we present a special talk-show series called Japanophiles, featuring lively interviews with foreigners living in Japan. For so many people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, life still hasn't returned to normal. One man making an effort to keep spirits up among disaster refugees is American shakuhachi player Bruce Huebner. The shakuhachi is a Japanese woodwind instrument with over 1,000 years of history. Huebner, who grew up playing the flute and saxophone, came to Japan when he was 23 and began his study of the shakuhachi. He eventually became a shakuhachi teacher and has been a pioneer in incorporating the shakuhachi into Western musical genres, including jazz and blues. For several years, Huebner lived in Fukushima, an area severely affected by this year's disaster. After the disaster, Huebner began performing free shakuhachi concerts at the area's evacuation centers and temporary housing complexes. We will meet Bruce Huebner, listen to his music, and find out how he feels about disaster-stricken Fukushima.