“Me-Tele Document: Time Lag of Salvation – The Groaning of a Pediatric Cancer Doctor” won the Grand Prize at the 31st PROGRESS Awards!

“Me-Tele Document: Time Lag of Salvation – The Groaning of a Pediatric Cancer Doctor” wins the Grand Prize at the 31st PROGRESS Awards! ​
Metere Press release: October 31, 2025 To Members of the Press “Me-Tele Document: Time Lag of Salvation – The Groaning of a Pediatric Cancer Doctor” won the Grand Prize at the 31st PROGRESS Awards! This is our fifth time winning the Grand Prize in five years! “Me-Tele Document: Time Lag of Salvation – The Groaning of a Pediatric Cancer Doctor,” produced by Me-Tele (Nagoya Television Broadcasting), won the Grand Prize at the 31st PROGRESS Awards, selected by representatives of the TV Asahi affiliate’s Program Council. This is the fifth time that a Me-Tele program has won the Grand Prize, the first time in five years since “Me-Tele Document: Interview Report – Immigration and Human Rights” in 2020. The PROGRESS Award was established in 1995 as the highest award recommended by the Program Council members of the 24 TV Asahi affiliates. It was established at the initiative of the Program Council members to further improve the quality of broadcast programs and the production capabilities of each affiliate station. “PROGRESS” represents progress, improvement, and growth, and is intended to support the daily efforts of creators. All affiliated companies participate, submitting one in-house program, regardless of genre, that aired in the previous fiscal year (April 1 to the end of March of the following year). The winners of each award are determined through a two-stage selection process (regional and national) by members of each company’s program council (selection committee). This program will be rebroadcast on 24 TV Asahi affiliated stations. 31st PROGRESS Award [Grand Prize] “Me-Tele Document: Time Lag of Salvation – The Groaning of a Pediatric Cancer Doctor” Broadcast: Friday, March 14, 2025, 1:30 AM – 2:32 AM Producer: Fuminori Murase, Director: Juri Kosumi Cinematography: Takahiro Tezuka, Sound: Shiki Kojima, Editing: Shiori Okubo Narration: Saki Shimazu
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Chihiro Kubota and Dr. Yoshiyuki Takahashi receiving treatment in Italy ■ Program Overview Yoshiyuki Takahashi (57), a pediatrician at Nagoya University Hospital, has seen many children die from cancer due to the lack of a cure. Chihiro Kubota (9), who came from Saitama Prefecture for treatment, is a patient with neuroblastoma, a cancer that develops in nerve cells. She began treatment at the age of three and was even discharged from the hospital. However, nearly four years after her discharge, during the summer vacation of her third year of elementary school, she was told her cancer had “recurred.” Chihiro’s neuroblastoma is considered to be the most difficult to cure, a high-risk type, and if it recurs, there is no treatment available in Japan. An effective new drug was discovered in Italy, but it has not been approved in Japan, so they decided to travel there. Like Chihiro, Yui Takahashi (6) is receiving treatment at Nagoya University Hospital. Yui is also a high-risk patient with recurring
neuroblastoma, but was unable to travel to Italy, so she continued to wait in Japan for the new drug. Dr. Takahashi, the doctor who treats the two, is researching a drug similar to the one in Italy, but there are many obstacles to administering it to patients in Japan. What are the circumstances facing the country, pharmaceutical companies, and university hospitals? Why are lives not being saved in Japan? We investigated the “time lag” in cutting-edge medical treatment caused by differences between countries.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/14977/1444/14977-1444-8057c91218ac9223ac5c533b080e3bb6-3900×2925.jpg Producer Murase and Director Kosumi attended the award ceremony on October 30th at TV Asahi in Tokyo. ■ Commentary A masterful structure. A deep gaze. Depicting not only the lives of patients and their families, but also the doctors themselves, the film draws viewers into the doctors’ struggles while empathizing with the patients. The camera travels from Japan to America and Italy, unpacking the current state of medicine in a straightforward manner, including the system, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and the logic of capital. Tracking the time lag between the development of new drugs and the progression of disease, the film offers a masterful documentary of the silent human struggle, akin to prayer. ■ Comment from Producer Fuminori Murase We believe this award is a testament to the sincere attitude and honest personality of Dr. Takahashi Yoshiyuki, who continues to conduct research at his leisure in an effort to save as many lives as possible, and the preciousness of the lives of all the children who appeared on the program, which resonated with the program’s committee members. We are proud of the hard work of Director Kosumi, Cameraman Tezuka, and the entire staff, who strive to convey the reality of drug waste to viewers. ■ Comment from Director Juri Kosumi Thank you for this honorable award. Since the broadcast, Chihiro Kubota’s neuroblastoma has recurred, and she is once again pinning her hopes on treatment in Italy. For the sake of Chihiro, Yui Takahashi, who passed away during an interview, and Dr. Takahashi, the pediatrician, I want to continue to spread awareness of the issue of drug waste. I hope to save the lives of as many children as possible.