- 22 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:04Japan.
00:05Michael, welcome to Japan, a railway paradise.
00:08Its huge population spread over Long Islands lives by its railways.
00:13I feel like I'm driving.
00:14My new adventure takes me through the land that launched the high-speed train.
00:19I love Shinkansen.
00:21Where millions of journeys are made each day through some of the most bustling stations on earth.
00:27Busy city.
00:28I'll ride Japan's vast railway network to uncover a land of bold innovation.
00:35Haven't quite got the hang of it yet.
00:37A place of enduring traditions, volatile geology and remarkable people.
00:44Kanpai.
00:45Join me on an excursion like no other.
00:48I'm too excited to sit down.
01:13Japan is a country of enigmatic contrasts.
01:17From its dazzling high-tech cities to its breathtaking natural landscapes, steeped in history and ritual, these islands strive to
01:27surge forward with technologies of the future.
01:31I'm beginning a long journey exploring Japan by train.
01:36From the devastation of the Second World War and by the qualities of its people, Japan became, in the 1970s,
01:44the second largest economy in the world.
01:46And its bullet train or Shinkansen offered proof to the world of its engineering excellence.
01:53In brash cities and spiritual mountains, I will investigate the Japanese, who value the elderly, nature, tradition, religions and the
02:07literature and painting of their past.
02:09As I search for the soul of Japan.
02:18I start on the largest of Japan's four main islands, Honshu.
02:23Using its world-famous bullet trains, regional trains, underground trains and trams, I'll take in the cities of Kyoto, Osaka,
02:33Hiroshima and the capital Tokyo, as well as visiting the Japanese Alps.
02:37I'll cross the southern island of Kyushu before finishing in the northern region of Hokkaido.
02:50I begin, not in the capital Tokyo, but in Japan's dynamic second city.
02:58My journey in Japan will take me to Osaka, known as the nation's kitchen, both as a centre for trading
03:05rice and a great place to eat.
03:09I'll then ride on the route of the very first high-speed railway in the world to Nagoya.
03:15And there I'll lift the lid on a product that is flooding the Japanese market.
03:22Osaka is vibrant, a thrilling metropolis.
03:25It's home to 2.8 million people and is known for its nightlife, its food and its friendly locals.
03:32An important port since the sixth century, it's long been a key centre of trade and today is an economic
03:40powerhouse.
03:41This cityscape is a mixture of old and new.
03:45During heavy bombing by the US Air Force during the Second World War, around a third of the city was
03:51levelled.
03:55Osaka Castle, first constructed in 1585 by the powerful warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was damaged but survived and is now one
04:05of Japan's most famous landmarks.
04:11The skyline is also punctuated by modern architectural statements such as the 40-storey arch of the Umeda Sky Building.
04:25To explore the city, I'll make the most of its extensive metro system.
04:36Osaka is a city of approaching 3 million people. Along with Kyoto and Kobe, that forms a metropolitan area of
04:43getting on for 19 million.
04:45So for a long time it was clear they needed underground railways.
04:48They now have a subway system that was begun in the 1930s that covers eight underground lines, a one tram
04:55line, 134 stations.
05:21принципing adventure in the MINUS
05:22Whilst Japanese written characters are daunting for Western visitors, It's very simple to follow the coloured lines on the map.
05:29and to identify stations by their number.
05:33I'll be alighting at M22, otherwise known as Dobutsenmaye.
05:49I'm starting in one of Osaka's most colourful and lively areas.
06:00This rather crazy district of Osaka is called Shinsekai
06:04and it was based around the site of the National Industrial Exposition of 1903
06:12and that, in turn, featured recreations of Coney Island in Brooklyn and Paris,
06:19hence the Eiffel Tower, sort of.
06:22Well, after the Second World War, this became a pretty run-down and unapproachable district,
06:27but it's certainly now revived.
06:29It now has a speciality in battered and deep-fried food,
06:34so not exactly a health farm.
06:43Street food is a huge part of Osaka life
06:46and I'm intrigued to try the city's signature dish.
06:50Hello.
06:52Hello.
06:53Takoyaki, please.
06:55Six-piece.
06:55Six-piece.
06:56Yeah.
06:57Thank you very much.
06:59Fried in a specially moulded grill, takoyaki are octopus-filled balls of batter
07:06and originated in Osaka in the early 1900s.
07:09Thank you very much.
07:13Arigato.
07:14So these are my takoyaki.
07:16On top we've got some mayonnaise with some seaweed and some bonito flakes.
07:21I'm warned they're going to be very, very hot.
07:24So I'll dig a hole.
07:36Well, it's the creamiest octopus I ever came across.
07:44And it's like seafood meets doughnut.
07:57I'll dig a little bit.
08:00Shinsekai is a showcase for a cartoon-like artistic style
08:04that's unmistakably Japanese.
08:07It developed during the 20th century.
08:15I'm heading north-west of the city to Takarasuka,
08:19on the trail of an artist
08:20who took this uniquely Japanese aesthetic to readers around the world.
08:27After the Second World War, Japan made an amazing recovery
08:31in which exports were important.
08:34Remarkably, including exports of culture,
08:37notably manga, which are comic books or illustrated novels.
08:42They won devoted fans in the West,
08:45despite the fact that they were evidently rooted in Japanese culture.
08:50Amongst the creators and authors of manga,
08:53the outstanding name was Tezuka Osamu.
08:57Hailed as the godfather of manga,
09:00here in his hometown,
09:02a museum is dedicated to the man's imagination.
09:05Yasuchi Mizuno runs it.
09:07Welcome to Tezuka Osamu.
09:09Welcome to Tezuka Osamu.
09:10Welcome to Tezuka Osamu.
09:10Welcome to Tezuka Osamu.
09:12Welcome to Tezuka Osamu.
09:12I'm Michael.
09:13I've seen photographs of Tezuka Osamu.
09:16And he wore a beret like you.
09:19Are you dressed like him?
09:21Yes.
09:22Yes.
09:23Tezuka Osamu.
09:24Mudoki.
09:25And tell me what you're wearing around your neck.
09:28This is a Tetsuan Atom.
09:31In the United States,
09:32I think it's called Astro Boy.
09:37Created in 1951, Astro Boy was set 50 years in the future
09:42and featured a kind-hearted and adventurous robot boy
09:45who battled against discrimination and injustice.
09:49He became a worldwide phenomenon in the post-war era.
09:53Yet he was just one of the many characters
09:55that Tezuka created in the more than 700 manga that he produced.
10:00Please tell me who was Mr. Tezuka.
10:03Tell me a little bit about his childhood.
10:06Tezuka Osamu was born in Osaka.
10:08I'm living in Osaka since 5 years,
10:10because I spent a little while at TheUnis.
10:13I was a little so handsome.
10:20I was a lot of pictures of my childhood.
10:23I had a little artsy for bookings and I had to look at this kid.
10:24It was also a youngassi ku shin.
10:26And I was a youngassi who was born in Osaka.
10:31It was a youngassi who was born once in the future.
10:35I was a youngassi who were born in Osaka.
10:38He was born once in Tokyo.
10:41So he was a medical doctor?
10:43He brought his medical background to bear in his manga series Black Jack,
11:06in which a brilliant unlicensed surgeon operates outside the medical establishment.
11:12Using sci-fi and supernatural elements,
11:15it explores themes of life, death and ethics.
11:18What was different about Tezuka?
11:20Yes.
11:21The most important thing to me is to make a message in the manga series
11:28and make a message in the manga series.
11:33We also have a great message in the manga series.
11:35It's the highest of the manga series.
11:36Although Tezuka died long ago in 1989 at the age of 60,
11:41his work remains a huge influence on today's generation of manga artists.
11:46Hello.
11:47Hello, nice to meet you.
11:48Hello, nice to see you.
11:49What a pleasure.
11:50May I sit with you?
11:52Sun Nwanshin came from China to study manga at Kyotoseka University.
11:59Sun, were you inspired by Tezuka?
12:02Yes, allowed.
12:04He had a medical background and so do I.
12:09And the medical background really drives me to create works,
12:16create stories that bring people comfort and celebrate the joy of life.
12:22Tezuka is called the father or the god of Japanese manga.
12:27Why does he have that title?
12:29It's because of how he brought cinematic techniques into manga,
12:35such as powerful close-ups and dramatic perspectives.
12:41Some of the techniques might feel normal to us now,
12:47but back then they were really revolutionary.
12:50Yes, and the stories are not just entertaining, but also meaningful.
12:55Tell me a little about your own work.
12:57May I see some of your work, please?
12:59Okay, actually I bring my very first original manga.
13:04Oh.
13:05Yes.
13:06It's in Chinese.
13:08This story is about disorderly amnesia,
13:13a condition where people lose memories after trauma.
13:17Yes.
13:18The story is about this guy, a magician,
13:23who can erase other people's painful memories.
13:28So it's about if we could erase our painful memories,
13:33would that make us happier?
13:36Or are we defined by the memories we have?
13:41A very good question. It's fantastic.
13:44Do you think I could make a manga character?
13:47Of course, of course.
13:51Actually, it's the first time I draw a real person,
13:54so I'm a little nervous.
13:56But I'll do my best.
14:00Cute nose.
14:02It's quite a big nose, actually.
14:04Big and cute.
14:09Is there anything you want to add to this drawing?
14:13I travel a lot by train.
14:15Oh, okay.
14:17A train behind you, is that okay?
14:19A train behind me would be perfect.
14:22In traditional Japanese manga,
14:24we don't do colors.
14:27Finished.
14:29Oh, that's very good.
14:31It's called chibi characters,
14:33means small and cute.
14:35Oh, thank you.
14:36You've made me small and cute.
14:37You are cute.
14:54I'm returning to Osaka Station
14:57to continue my journey on one of the nation's iconic high-speed Shinkansen.
15:02At this station, two Shinkansen lines intersect.
15:15Magnificent beast.
15:20One line heads west, towards the island of Kyushu,
15:23and the other east, to connect to the capital, Tokyo.
15:28The first Shinkansen, or bullet train, began operation in 1964,
15:33just a few days before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
15:37It ran between Osaka and Tokyo.
15:40It was called the Takedo Line,
15:42because it ran along the route of a Pacific road
15:45that was very historic, littered with inns.
15:49The impact of the railway was tremendous.
15:52Within a year, it had cut the journey time
15:54between Tokyo and Osaka
15:56from seven hours to three hours and ten minutes.
16:00There are now seven Shinkansen lines,
16:03and with each new generation of train,
16:05they've simply become faster,
16:08and the journey times shorter.
16:19I'm travelling along the original Takedo Line,
16:22connecting Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.
16:25Each day, there are a staggering 432,000 passenger journeys
16:30along this line.
16:33Today, I've been given access to a Shinkansen
16:36that has no passengers.
16:39It's being repositioned between cities.
16:42There is an advantage to that,
16:44because it's thought impolite
16:46to raise your voice on a Shinkansen.
16:49And when I'm enjoying my journey,
16:51I tend to speak very enthusiastically.
16:57Accompanying me on this journey
16:58is Naoyuki Ueno,
17:01an engineer and senior executive
17:03at Central Japan Railway Company.
17:05Mr Ueno.
17:07Hello.
17:08How lovely to see you.
17:09Hello, nice to see you.
17:10On this beautiful Shinkansen.
17:13Ah, thank you very much.
17:14Mr Ueno, when did you first become involved
17:16with the Shinkansen?
17:17So, I joined my company in 1996.
17:20And so, I started my career as a driver.
17:23So, that's almost 30 years.
17:26Now, how did it feel to drive a Shinkansen?
17:28Well, it was wonderful,
17:30because the speed is, you know, 285 km an hour.
17:34I have not experienced that.
17:36I was so excited,
17:37because I wanted to be a driver when I was a child.
17:40But, so, I finally made it.
17:44How long did you continue to drive Shinkansen?
17:47Ah, just only for six months or so.
17:51My background is in mechanical engineering.
17:53So, I was involved in designing the Shinkansen train.
17:56So, that's just a kind of experience.
17:58Tell me about the changes.
18:00What have been the big advances
18:02since the first Shinkansen?
18:03OK.
18:04So, firstly, the speed was 210 km per hour.
18:10But now, the speed is 285 km per hour.
18:15We use an aluminum alloy body.
18:18So, instead of using the steel, for example,
18:21it is light, lighter than before,
18:23and everything is energy efficient.
18:25Quite a lot of improvements.
18:28The first model of Shinkansen was the Series Zero,
18:32with its distinctive aerodynamic nose
18:35and futuristic styling,
18:37it was the world's first high-speed train.
18:40It strikes me it must have been an enormous boost
18:42to national self-confidence, self-esteem,
18:45in the 1950s, to produce this sort of train.
18:49Correct.
18:49At that time, people didn't have confidence after the war.
18:53But, you know, thanks to Shinkansen,
18:55we were proud of this technology.
18:57It is very symbolic of the recovery.
19:00We finally made it the first in the world.
19:03It's also very symbolic of Japanese virtues,
19:07reliability, safety, total quality control.
19:11I think Shinkansen is not just only a technology,
19:14but also it is, you know, operated by humans, right?
19:17So, people are well-trained,
19:19they are very punctured, they follow the rules.
19:22Everything should be perfect.
19:23That is the Japanese people's, you know, mindset.
19:27Since their inception, Shinkansen trains have transported
19:31over six and a half billion passengers,
19:34and the safety record is impeccable.
19:36There have been no fatalities in the history of the service.
19:40You have seven Shinkansen lines today.
19:43Will you have more?
19:43Yeah, so we constructed the Maglev train.
19:49Of course, it is a high-speed railway system,
19:51but, you know, we use a different technology.
19:54We use an electrical magnetic system.
19:59Explain the technology of the Maglev to me, please.
20:02At first, the Maglev train lands using the wheel,
20:06like a conventional train.
20:09But when the speed reaches 150 km per hour,
20:14the wheel is so retracted,
20:16and so it is like an aeroplane.
20:18But the power is using the electric magnetic forces.
20:23So, above 150 km per hour,
20:27it's essentially flying,
20:28but held in its position by electromagnets.
20:33Yeah.
20:33What speeds will it make possible?
20:35500 km per hour.
20:38500 km per hour.
20:39Yeah, that's correct.
20:40That's amazing.
20:43The first line of this extraordinary service
20:46is planned to run between Tokyo and Nagoya,
20:50which is my next stop.
20:51Located in between Osaka and Tokyo,
20:54it's right in the centre of Japan.
20:58In addition to the high-speed Shinkansen service,
21:02six other main lines radiate from this station
21:04across central Honshu.
21:08Japan's rail network is one of the best in the world,
21:11and as such, it's enthusiastically used.
21:15Of the 50 busiest stations in the world,
21:1845 are in Japan,
21:20and over a million people pass through Nagoya station each day.
21:23As with many urban stations in Japan,
21:27a vast commercial development rises above the tracks,
21:31built to generate revenue which is reinvested into the railway.
21:35Nagoya station towers over 50 storeys high,
21:39with 410,000 square metres of floor space,
21:44hosting offices, a luxury hotel, and a shopping centre.
21:50This shop caters for the Japanese custom of omiyage,
21:55which means that when you go away,
21:57you tend to bring something back for your friends,
22:01for your neighbours, for your family, for yourself,
22:03for your pet sitter.
22:04And shops like these deal in particularly sweet and savoury treats
22:09already boxed for you to take home on your return.
22:19With a population of around 2.2 million people,
22:23Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan.
22:27Originally constructed in the early 1600s,
22:30its castle was rebuilt in 1959
22:33after being damaged during the Second World War.
22:36With its port and network of rivers and canals,
22:41Nagoya's Japan's manufacturing heartland,
22:44a centre for the automotive, aerospace, robotics,
22:48IT and AI industries.
22:51This morning I'm heading to a factory
22:53behind one of Japan's latest high-tech sensations.
22:57Welcome to the seat of the smart toilet industry.
23:03Oh, thank you very much.
23:07If I were handed this object outside the context of this factory,
23:12I wouldn't know what it was.
23:14It doesn't look anything like the lavatory that I own.
23:18Indeed, I think it probably looks a bit more like my TV.
23:22But this is the product that's being made here,
23:25and this may well take over the world.
23:32Electronic toilets are everywhere in Japan,
23:35thanks in part to Toto,
23:37a company that's turned the humble loo into a high-tech experience.
23:42Showing me around the factory is Hideki Miyashita,
23:46also known as Andy.
23:49Andy, it's a very impressive factory, a very busy one.
23:52What is the history of your company?
23:53Our company was founded over a century ago,
23:571917.
23:59Our founder was driven a strong vision,
24:03providing healthy and civilised way of life.
24:07And this founding philosophy to improve public health
24:12through sanitary wear still remains at the core of everything we do now.
24:20Now, you invented a new sort of lavatory.
24:24Yeah.
24:25With a washlet, a spout.
24:27Yes.
24:27When did that begin?
24:29We started to sell the washlet in 1980.
24:34Did you find that it quickly became popular in Japan?
24:37No.
24:39It takes a long time to selling well, about ten years, even in Japan.
24:47What other developments have there been in the electric operated laboratory?
24:51The lid automatically opens.
24:54Like welcoming you, the seat is heated when you approach.
25:00And for cleansing, it sprays warm water enriched with air.
25:05When flushed, our tornado flush technology cleans the bowl.
25:10Next very important theme for us is wellness.
25:15We start to sell with stool scan equipment.
25:20You can analyse your stool.
25:22Right.
25:23Yeah.
25:24Oh, my goodness.
25:25Can you?
25:26How much does one of these machines cost in Japan?
25:30Our flagship model, it costs 700,000 Japanese yen.
25:35Yes.
25:36About 3,500 pounds.
25:38Yes.
25:40Despite their high price tag, these toilets are not a luxury for the uber rich,
25:45but standard in the majority of Japanese homes.
25:49To date, over 60 million have been sold worldwide,
25:53with 3,000 made in this factory every day.
26:01Time to see one in action.
26:09The lid rises to greet me.
26:12There's a sound here intended to mask any sounds that you make yourself.
26:18And here we have a range of controls.
26:22The seat is warm.
26:24We have things like back wash and front wash and so on.
26:28Whether these become the world standard or not,
26:31that is a question that will be flushed out in coming decades.
26:36The students.
26:36The people in the room.
26:40From the room.
26:54The cetimo.
26:58The one in the room.
26:59The other in the room.
27:00The other in the room.
27:07The inauguration of the Shinkansen in the 1960s symbolised the spectacular post-war recovery of Japan.
27:17But since the 1990s, the economy has slowed and during this century the population has been shrinking.
27:23And in the field of cultural exports, the lead that Japan once enjoyed with the manga of Tezuka Uzama has
27:32been lost.
27:34But perhaps Japan will recapture the world's attention with the new generation of Shinkansen flying along at 300 miles per
27:45hour.
27:48Next time, from our dedicated track, we've now moved on to the streets of the city where the driver has
27:56to compete with the traffic.
28:00The look is beginning to look like an umbrella.
28:11How very elegant.
28:17The次
28:17A
28:17A
28:17A
28:17A
28:18A
28:18A
28:19A
28:19A
28:19A
28:46Transcription by CastingWords
Comments