Cycle Around Japan

In this edition, we will take you to a winter journey through Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan, to Kyoto. You will find the traditional winter life on lakeside, and "Setsu-bun" festival in Kyoto.

This time we're cycling up the Noto Peninsula. We'll meet the people who live on this land, fishing its seas and farming its hills. We'll see a distinctive Noto craft, deeply rooted local tradition.

Our summer trip this year takes us on a 290km-tour of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan's former entrance to the Asian Continent since ancient times. During the Sakoku Era, when a strict nationwide policy of isolation was in place, the city thrived as a gateway to the so-called Southern barbarian trade era. This led to the blossoming of unique crafts and culture born from exposure and fusion with foreign culture. Now, 70 years after the end of World War II, we see the Nagasaki residents continuing to pray. After enduring the horrific suffering caused by the atomic bomb in 1945, the city made a remarkable recovery. This show focuses on the locals who work hard to keep those memories alive. At the end of the trip, we visit Ikitsukishima, home to some of the Christianity-related artifacts which Japan is applying to register as a World Heritage Site. There, we meet locals who continue to believe in Christianity, for which their ancestors were punished during an infamous oppression against Christians. What are those people praying for now? What are they hoping for? This tour also features breathtaking views of Mt. Unzen and seashores of Genkainada, and introduces ways to use trains during a cycling trip.

Starting from Asahikawa, the 2nd largest city in Hokkaido, we will ride toward the Shiretoko Peninsula, the World Heritage Site. During 520km journey, we are going to meet people who live close to the nature in Hokkaido. We will visit the community of Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan. They still live in this region and struggle with maintaining their tradition and Ainu's way of life. You may find a mysterious lake near the Ainu's village where the water changes its color reflecting the sunshine. Our destination, the Shiretoko Peninsula is one of the most remote regions in all of Japan. The word "Shiretoko" is derived from an Ainu word, meaning "the place where the earth protrudes". The Shiretoko Peninsula is home to diverse wildlife, and UNESCO designated the area a World Heritage Site in 2005.