Journeys in Japan

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. He is also struck by the warmth of the staff at the Suzu Horse Park, who are working to provide healing for the local people through their interactions with the horses.

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.