About 70% of Japanese women say they regularly wear nylons - typically called tights in the UK and pantyhose in the US. Japanese nylons come in a vast range of styles and designs, and 150 million pairs are made each year. The technology behind them is now being applied to revolutionary artificial blood vessels. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is women's nylons. We'll explore the lengths to which Japanese women go to make their legs look stylish, and the cultural history behind it.

Japan has every kind of character and mascot you can imagine. It's said that over 80% of Japanese people own some sort of character or mascot-related merchandise. An affinity for images of this kind has been around in Japan for centuries, and with the 21st century has come a new breed of character: a "virtual idol" that gives live concerts. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is characters and mascots. Loved all over Japan, they offer deep insights into the country's culture.