Journeys in Japan

The city of Nishio lies in the Mikawa district of Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. Thanks to the elegance of its traditional architecture, the town has been nicknamed the "Little Kyoto of the Mikawa area."
Nishio is one of the largest producers of matcha in Japan, and tea is widely grown across the city. There are many tea houses that serve matcha and also offer sweets made from the powdered green tea.
On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Elisabeth Llopis soaks in Nishio's deep culture of matcha, samples other delicacies such as unagi (freshwater eel), and visits an island that has become known for its arts and crafts.

Tochigi prefecture, which lies inland, is home to distinctive culinary traditions featuring fish. Leina Bambino visits the Nakagawa River to try its cherished ayu sweetish and then continues on to Nikko to delight in its yashio-masu—a type of rainbow trout developed in the area. And in Tochigi city she samples traditional dishes featuring shark meat.

Okinawa is a subtropical paradise blooming with vivid flowers. Photographer Alfie Goodrich captures the profound beauty of the island's nature. Along the way, he meets a couple who incorporates blossoms into cuisine, as well as a flower farmer creating jobs for individuals with special needs. Alfie also encounters a mysterious tree that comes into bloom at dusk and vanishes at dawn.

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after the Meiji Era began. Accompanied by a young man who served as both interpreter and attendant, she traveled deep into the hinterland. "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is her highly praised travelogue of that journey.

One of the main reasons for her visit to Japan is said to have been to write about the indigenous Ainu people living in Hokkaido. After reaching Hakodate, Isabella traveled to Biratori by horse and by rickshaw. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Tijana, a resident of Hokkaido, learns about Ainu culture at Nibutani Kotan, where an Ainu settlement has been recreated.