Season 16 (2025)

The Mountain Spirit of Shiiba Village
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February 4, 2025 • 28m

Shiiba, one of Japan's three great unexplored regions, is hidden in mountains over 1,000 meters tall. The people in this secluded ...Read more

Kyushu: Land of Samurai Swords
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February 18, 2025 • 28m

Kyushu is a region where the traditional skills of kenjutsu – Japanese swordsmanship – remain deeply embedded, with more dojo (pra...Read more

Enku's 120,000 Smiles over Gifu
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February 25, 2025 • 28m

Roughly hewed, smiling statues of deities and Buddhas... A monk named Enku is believed to have sculpted some 120,000 in Gifu Prefe...Read more

Hokuriku 1: Foods and Flavors of the Trading Ships
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March 4, 2025 • 28m

The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train connects Tokyo with Toyama, Ishikawa and (since March 2024) Fukui Prefecture. This region alo...Read more

Hokuriku 2: The Golden Age of the Trading Ships and Their Legacy
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March 11, 2025 • 28m

The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train connects Tokyo with Toyama, Ishikawa and (since March 2024) Fukui Prefecture. This region alo...Read more

Gunma: Raking in Good Luck
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March 18, 2025 • 28m

For centuries, Daruma dolls have been popular in Japan as talismans to bring good fortune. The largest producer of Daruma dolls in...Read more

Hida: Deep Winter Escape
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March 25, 2025 • 28m

We visit Furukawa, an old district of Hida City in Gifu Prefecture, which is surrounded by mountains and stunning scenery. Furukaw...Read more

Hokkaido Sapporo: Sensing the City through its Architecture
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April 1, 2025 • 28m

Sapporo is known for its rich architectural heritage, a symbol of its place as Hokkaido's hub of politics, economy, and culture fr...Read more

NIIGATA: SNOW COUNTRY WONDERLAND
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April 15, 2025 • 28m

Niigata is renowned for its heavy snowfall. Each winter it is transformed into a wonderland where the snow covers the landscape fo...Read more

Wakayama: The Cradle of Japan's Flavors
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May 13, 2025 • 28m

Wakayama is famous for shoyu, miso and umeboshi—staples in Japanese cuisine. In this episode, Shizuka Anderson meets artisans and ...Read more

Kure Port, Kochi — The Lure of Katsuo
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May 27, 2025 • 28m

Katsuo-bushi (bonito flakes) are one of the key ingredients in Japanese cuisine, for preparing dashi stock. They are made from the...Read more

Izu Peninsula: Volcanic Beauty
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June 10, 2025 • 28m

The Izu Peninsula was formed by long ago volcanic eruptions. It was designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark for its unique geologica...Read more

Nagaoka: Water, the Wellspring of Abundance
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June 24, 2025 • 28m

Located in the heartland of Niigata Prefecture, the city of Nagaoka is blessed with an abundance of water. It lies on the banks of...Read more

Matagi: Yamagata’s Spiritual Hunter-Gatherers
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July 1, 2025 • 28m

Japan is known for its fisheries and agriculture. But deep in the mountains, people called Matagi still maintain a hunter-gatherer...Read more

Nishio: Whisking up the Global Matcha Boom
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July 8, 2025 • 28m

The city of Nishio lies in the Mikawa district of Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. Thanks to the elegance of its traditional archi...Read more

Tochigi: Life Away from the Sea
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July 22, 2025 • 28m

Tochigi prefecture, which lies inland, is home to distinctive culinary traditions featuring fish. Leina Bambino visits the Nakagaw...Read more

Okinawa: A World in Bloom
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August 5, 2025 • 28m

Okinawa is a subtropical paradise blooming with vivid flowers. Photographer Alfie Goodrich captures the profound beauty of the isl...Read more

With Isabella Bird — Part 6: On the Road to Biratori
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August 12, 2025 • 28m

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after the Meiji Era began. Accompanied by a youn...Read more