Journeys in Japan - Season 17

The San'in Kaigan Geopark Trail is a 230-kilometer-long course connecting the Sea of Japan coastline along Tottori, Hyogo, and Kyoto prefectures. It is a designated UNESCO Global Geopark. On the second half of his journey, Canadian actor Kyle Card explores the dynamic landscapes shaped by the separation of the Japanese archipelago from the Asian continent, as well as the culture and way of life that developed in the region.

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after start of the Meiji Era. "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is her highly praised account of her journey deep into Japan's hinterland. After traveling from Yokohama all the way up to Hokkaido, Bird then made her way to Kansai, where she visited Kyoto, Nara and Mie Prefectures. As a student, Rachael Aoki studied in Kyoto at a university that Isabella visited during her stay. In this episode, Rachael retraces Bird's steps from the Nara deer park to the Ise Jingu Shrine, with a stop at Hasedera Temple en route.

Two years ago, on New Year's Day of 2024, a massive earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, leaving over 200 dead and wrecking thousands of homes and other buildings. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Kyle Card visits two of the worst-hit areas, to meet the people of Noto and see how they are starting to bounce back from tragedy and devastation. In Wajima, he meets people from the city's iconic Morning Market, who are working vigorously at a temporary location. And he meets with artisans who are keeping alive the traditions of Wajima-nuri lacquerware. He also visits a Buddhist temple, Soji-ji Soin, which suffered significant damage, and sees how the priests are restoring this essential pillar of the community. He then travels to Suzu City on the far tip of the peninsula, where he is astonished by the changes he finds to the natural landscape.

Akan, in eastern Hokkaido, is renowned for its breathtaking winter landscape with majestic volcanic mountains and ice-blanketed lake. The area is home to an indigenous Ainu community, which has long protected its distinctive traditions and culture. Kit Nagamura gets to know some local Ainu people and discovers their deep ties to the natural world.

Through the generations, Hokkaido has been home to people from diverse backgrounds, who have developed their livelihoods and established distinctive cultures in each area. Confronting the harsh natural environment of this vast northern island, the inhabitants have poured their feelings — joy, anxiety, prayers and wishes — into songs that are cherished to the present day. Those songs continue to bring local communities together through shared memories and values. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, British photographer Alfie Goodrich visits areas of Hokkaido that are home to the following songs: Esashi Oiwake, Soran Bushi, Tokachi Uma-uta, Hokkai Bon-uta and the Upopo songs of the Ainu people. Through this soundscape so deeply rooted in each community, he explores Hokkaido's history, culture and local traditions.

Dean Newcombe discovers Kushimoto, the southernmost town on Japan's main island. Thanks to the warm Kuroshio Current that flows northward in the Pacific, the town is blessed with a warm climate and a bountiful sea that supports a diverse ecosystem. It is home to a significant number of seafood species and a thriving fishing industry. He checks out bluefin tuna aquaculture and a boat festival, gets close to sea turtles and kayaks out to sea to take in stunning rock formations.

Scenic northern Yatsugatake in Nagano Prefecture is an outdoor lover's paradise just two hours from Tokyo. It's defined by a series of peaks rising above 2,000 meters. Novice mountaineers can enjoy snow climbing safely if they travel with a guide and proper equipment. This time Michael Keida, who is new to mountaineering, traverses the area on cross-country skis, snowshoes and with crampons to fully explore the snowy mountains.

Kokuto is Okinawa's traditional form of sugar, which is made simply by boiling down sugarcane juice, a method first introduced from China about 400 years ago. Despite Okinawa's turbulent history, the skills have been passed down through the generations, and artisan kokuto continues to play an essential role in the life and culture of the prefecture. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Michael Keida visits the island of Ie-jima, as well as Okinawa's main island, to explore the enduring appeal of this home-grown source of sweetness and the deep roots of Kokuto culture.

Architect James Lambiasi discovers the living culture of mingei folk craft in Toyama, north-central Japan. James visits a 92-year woodturning artisan in the town of Shogawa, a nearby ironware workshop, and a museum displaying traditional medicine peddlers' tools. He stays in a restored farmhouse and enjoys its displays of work by prominent mingei figures, as well as contemporary pieces. All in all, he sees how mingei still permeates the spirit of local communities.

Tsuruoka lies on the Sea of Japan coast of Yamagata Prefecture. In 2014, it was named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the first of its kind in the country. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, American chef David Wells visits the Tsuruoka area to observe how the local people are keeping alive their food culture, protecting their heirloom crops and continuing traditional practices — such as a 400-year-old slash-and-burn farming method that creates a sustainable cycle linking the mountain and forests with the rivers and sea. David also climbs a peak in the sacred Dewa Sanzan area, where he is served dishes prepared from the wild plants that grow on the slopes. And he is introduced to the spirit of uketamau — reverence for nature, gratitude for its bounty, and acceptance of things as they are.