Season 12 Episodes
1. Shiga - From Lake to Mountains
Shiga Prefecture, site of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is home to centuries-old crafts like Shigaraki ware and Wana velvet. We explore an island in the lake by tricycle before climbing into the mountains.
2. Ibaraki - Passion for Tradition
In Ibaraki Prefecture, we explore how local wisdom has been passed down to the present day. We visit a town famous for organic farming, see how traditional silk fabric is made, and experience catching icefish.
3. Yamaguchi - Where Kindness is King
On the islands and coast of the Yamaguchi end of the Seto Inland Sea, we experience a warm welcome in these hard-working small communities, poor in amenities but rich in happiness and human kindness.
4. Japan's Northern Alps - Life-Giving Mountains
On an early spring ride around the base of this extensive mountain range, we meet an artisan making traditional snowshoes, a family making salmon trout sushi, and villagers picking medicinal herbs.
5. Kumamoto - Blessings of Ancestry and Nature
In Kumamoto, we meet people who cherish their ancestry and nature, such as a traditional inlay artisan, a group passing on the history of the building of an embankment, and a brown cattle breeder.
6. Izumo Highway – A Road That Builds Bonds
We travel the Izumo Highway, which has been used since ages past, and meet people who value human connection, such as a magatama jewelry artisan and a pro wrestler learning farming in a village.
