Kaori Yamada joined NHK in 2002. She has since worked in Osaka, Tokyo, and Hiroshima, directing and producing a diversity of programs. Notably, she has made numerous programs on social exclusion, children and families, gender, and local issues. At the time of the 2008 financial crisis, she worked on a major NHK Special documentary series that examined the collapse of Japan’s labor and social security systems and the issue of child poverty. This series won numerous Japanese awards. Yamada went on to make programs as diverse as a human-focused documentary about families formed through adoption, animated short films based on the memoirs of Hiroshima atomic bombing survivors, and programs highlighting community efforts to confront depopulation and a declining birthrate. She is currently a producer for news programs and investigative documentaries.