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Great Japanese Railway Journey S01E04 Kanazawa to Kurobe Gorge
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00:04Japan.
00:05Michael, welcome to Japan, a railway paradise.
00:08Its huge population spread over Long Islands lives by its railways.
00:13Too like I'm driving.
00:14My new adventure takes me through the land
00:17that launched the high-speed train.
00:19I love Shinkansen.
00:21Where millions of journeys are made each day
00:24through some of the most bustling stations on Earth.
00:27Busy city.
00:28I'll ride Japan's vast railway network
00:32to uncover a land of bold innovation.
00:35Haven't quite got the hang of it yet.
00:37A place of enduring traditions,
00:40volatile geology,
00:42and remarkable people.
00:44Kanpai.
00:45Join me on an excursion like no other.
00:48I'm too excited to sit down.
01:17I'm soaring towards my next Japanese destination on this sleek Thunderbird train.
01:24The places that I've visited so far, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto,
01:29form a vast urban sprawl in the central part of Japan.
01:34I'm looking forward to going back to the countryside
01:37as I visit northern regions of the main island Honshu.
01:41And there I'll find a dramatic setting for a samurai castle
01:46and a spectacular challenge for an alpine railway.
01:57Honshu is the biggest and most populous of Japan's four main islands.
02:02Having visited the cities in its centre,
02:05I'm now striking north to the coastal city of Kanazawa
02:09and will finish today's leg traversing the steep cliffs of the Kurobe Gorge.
02:20To reach Kanazawa, I must leave my Thunderbird train
02:24to pick up a high-speed bullet train.
02:31My Shinkansen is, of course, exactly on time.
02:35At Shinkansen platforms,
02:37gates stop people falling onto the line
02:40and people queue, yes, queue at the right car number.
02:46Delays on the Shinkansen are exceptionally rare
02:50and they may be measured in seconds, not minutes.
02:53The service reflects national characteristics,
02:56a total commitment to quality, reliability and safety.
03:01For the visitor, train journeys offer a window
03:04onto Japanese values and the national psyche.
03:08Japan is superbly clean.
03:11Even on crowded streets, you don't see any litter,
03:14which means it must be down to the very good behaviour of the public.
03:18And the trains in Japan are even more impeccable.
03:22I'm going to see how the bullet trains are kept spotless
03:24and, indeed, reliable,
03:27because since they were introduced six decades ago,
03:29they have a 100% safety record.
03:34My first stop today is Kanazawa,
03:37a city that overlooks the Sea of Japan.
03:43Kanazawa Station, with its distinctive temple-inspired arch,
03:47is a major transport hub on Japan's west coast.
03:50For some services, this is the terminus.
03:55To maintain the Shinkansen's near-perfect punctuality,
03:59on reaching the end of the line,
04:01trains must be cleaned and returned to service
04:04in a matter of minutes.
04:06I'm going behind the scenes to join the team
04:09which keeps the carriages spotless
04:11and the departures on time.
04:17Konnichiwa!
04:18Konnichiwa!
04:19Hello! Konnichiwa!
04:22Konnichiwa!
04:23So, this is the crack team of cleaners
04:27who are going to make sure that the Shinkansen,
04:30which is coming in a moment,
04:31is turned around very, very quickly,
04:33sparklingly clean for the next set of passengers.
04:36Let's go for it!
04:50Everything about the Shinkansen is precision.
04:53The cleaners are here ahead of the train.
04:56They stand facing the track, ready for their task,
04:58which is that three of them will clean two cars in ten minutes.
05:03No ifs, no buts.
05:06The train is greeted with a bow.
05:11Plastic bags at the ready.
05:16And we're off.
05:18The countdown begins.
05:19Every surface is wiped clean.
05:22Litter collected.
05:24Every blind, every tray, every strap is reset.
05:27Floors are vacuumed.
05:30Exhausting even to watch.
05:35Every seat tray is checked for left items.
05:42This lady has a thermal imaging device,
05:45and she checks every seat.
05:47She's looking for wet patches.
05:53As Kanazawa is the terminus for this service,
05:56the next journey is in the opposite direction.
05:59With the flick of the switch,
06:01all the train seats have changed direction.
06:04Heaven forbid that anybody should get onto a train
06:07and find that the seat is not in the right position,
06:11that the blind is down,
06:13that the seat is reclined.
06:15Everything must be perfect for the arrival of the passenger.
06:22Final check.
06:25Spick and span and within ten minutes.
06:31Bye-bye.
06:36Such unrelenting attention to detail in all matters is the hallmark of the Shinkansen service.
06:43It accounts for the extraordinary safety record.
06:45There have been no passenger fatalities in its more than 60-year history.
06:51Maintenance facilities across the country check and recheck every inch of these trains.
06:57I've been given access to one of them,
07:00the vast Hakusan General Rolling Stock yard.
07:04Showing me around is manager Yuuya Yasuei.
07:08You have an immense plant here, Yasuei-san.
07:11What are the various activities that are conducted in the plant?
07:22This is a W7 model.
07:38Yes.
07:39They're incredibly elegant.
07:41And I love the color scheme.
07:45Nine tracks lead trains in and out of the 26,000 square meter depot.
07:52As each is composed of 12 carriages, there's around 400 meters of train to inspect.
08:00Now here's a piece of machinery on a cart.
08:02What is this gentleman doing here?
08:22Yes.
08:23Same.
08:24When you're operating a train at these speeds,
08:26260 km an hour,
08:28you need to be so incredibly careful about the perfection of the metal.
08:36Not all the tests are so high-tech.
08:54I think from the earliest days of railways, they've used a hammer and listened to the tap.
09:01It's charming.
09:06To run at high speeds, these trains draw from overhead cables huge amounts of power,
09:12which is conducted to the train by the pentagraph.
09:15This is a very dangerous place.
09:18This one is okay.
09:21This one is still running at 25,000 volts.
09:25Please be careful.
09:26Oh, my God.
09:28What do you look out for here?
09:30Yes.
09:31This one is still running.
09:31This one is still running.
09:37This one is still running.
09:51I'm working for Shinkansen.
09:52I'm driving on 260km.
09:55It's a speedway.
09:58It's a speedway.
09:59It's a speedway.
10:00It's a speedway.
10:01It's a speedway.
10:02It's a speedway.
10:08It's a speedway.
10:09It's a speedway.
10:09It's a speedway.
10:09It's a speedway.
10:41It's a speedway.
10:44period when Kanazawa was one of Japan's richest cities and the domain of one of the most important
10:50samurai clans in Japanese history. Although by legend Japan has had an emperor for more than
10:581300 years, in practice for centuries political power was exercised not by him but by aristocratic
11:06families. One of those the Maida family was second only to the Tokugawas who were shoguns or rulers
11:15of Japan from 1603 to 1868 and the Maida family built this magnificent Kanazawa castle.
11:25Here the curator of the collection is Yurika Okano.
11:31Hello. Hi. Hello. I'm Michael. How do you do? I'm Yurika Okano. Thank you.
11:37It's great to see you. Nice to meet you. Would you please tell me about this dynasty,
11:42the Maida family? Yes. Maida家は江戸時代にこの
11:55Kanazawaを中心とした加賀藩というエリアを統治していたそういう家になります.
11:56Were these people samurai? And what do we mean by samurai?
12:18Samuraiというのは時代によってその実態というのは変わりますが特に江戸時代について言えば将軍の下でそれぞれの地域を治めるといった支配者が侍と呼ばれています
12:22ただ江戸時代は平和な時代で
12:33ほとんど争いがなかったので皆さんが想像するような武力によって戦う領土を広げるそういった侍とは少し違うかなと思います。
12:35The Maida family were masters of creating alliances and avoiding conflict which allowed
12:42them to use their wealth not for military arsenals but to patronise the arts inviting highly skilled
12:49artisans to establish workshops in the castle grounds. Whilst the main castle has been recreated
12:56after several devastating fires, a villa built in the grounds in 1863 remains gloriously intact.
13:11This is a lovely room. Tell me about the house.ここは清尊閣と呼ばれる御殿で前田家の十三大当主のナリアスが母親のために作った御殿になります
13:24ここは清尊閣と呼ばれる御殿で前田家の十三大当主のナリアスが母親のために作った御殿になります
13:26Well, the first thing I see is this wonderful carved screen here. Tell me about that.これはランマといって日本の建築様式の中で部屋を区切ったりそれから色どったりそういったのに使われるそういったもの部材になるんですけれども
13:48Yes, beautiful colors.
13:50The Maida family supported artisans in woodwork, lacquerware, ceramics, embroidery, and a most opulent and luxurious craft.
14:02Oh, now this I believe must be gold leaf.そうですね。はい。ここだけじゃない。この部屋を見渡していただけるとこう、全面に金箔を用いた壁紙が使われているかと思うんですけれども
14:24金箔というのは自由自在に形を切り取れるのでこういった繊細な模様を作ることもできます.
14:25If I were anywhere in Japan and I said, where do you find the best gold leaf work, would people
14:32say Kanazawa?
14:45金箔という文字は金という文字はやっぱりゴールドになるのでそれもあいまってやっぱり金の町と言えるのかなと思います。
14:48That tradition has led Kanazawa to becoming the undisputed centre for gold leaf.
14:54And it's responsible for almost all the country's production.
14:58And today you can find some rather unusual applications.
15:02This is a first for me. May I have a gold leaf ice cream, please?
15:09Ah, with the skill of a craftsperson, gold leaf is applied to the ice cream.
15:18Arigato!
15:26I've heard of people using gold cutlery, eating off gold plate.
15:30I've even heard of gold baths.
15:32But those were at least durable or permanent.
15:36Surely there's nothing more decadent than a gold leaf ice cream.
15:39Here now? Gone in a moment.
15:49Hmm, enriching.
15:55The Maida family's commitment to art and beauty can be seen beyond the castle walls
16:01in the extraordinary garden that surrounds it.
16:04Kenrakuin is considered one of the three great gardens of Japan.
16:08I'm meeting local resident Marie to hear what she thinks makes it so special.
16:15Hello, Marie. Hello.
16:17This is such a lovely garden.
16:19Oh, yes, it is.
16:21When did you first come to this garden?
16:24So, when I was an elementary school student,
16:28I walked to my school with my father,
16:31and when I come back from school,
16:34I used to go back home through this garden.
16:37How perfect.
16:39Yes, it's very, very beautiful.
16:41This is regarded as one of the loveliest gardens in Japan.
16:44Mm-hmm.
16:45Why do you think that is?
16:46Why is this one of the best?
16:48Oh, because of the beautiful view.
16:50So, do you know the name of this garden?
16:53Kenrokuin Park.
16:55So, Kenrokuin, so there are three Chinese characters.
16:59The one, the first one, Ken, means to combine.
17:04Yes.
17:04And the roku, the second one.
17:06Roku means one, two, three, four, five, six.
17:12Yes, roku.
17:14And the last one, N, is garden.
17:18So...
17:19Combines six gardens.
17:21Six beautiful elements, I should say.
17:24Okay.
17:25Understood.
17:26The first one is this space.
17:28Yes.
17:28So, this is very, very big.
17:31Yes.
17:31And the second one is quiet.
17:34Yes.
17:35Okay, quiet.
17:36And the third one is the art.
17:39So, can you see that beautiful pine tree?
17:42I do.
17:42So, that pine tree is a natural one, but please look at the shape.
17:48So many people are working for that.
17:50Yeah.
17:51It's a creation of humanity.
17:53And the fourth one is a history.
17:55For example, that one is growing, growing, growing from the seeds,
18:00and then now it's like that.
18:02What is the next element?
18:03The fifth one is the water.
18:06And the sixth one?
18:08The last one is the beautiful view.
18:12You've known this garden all your life.
18:15Do you think they look after it well?
18:17Yes, I think so, because people are working for keeping this beauty.
18:22They are.
18:23And I see a couple of gardeners there up a tree.
18:25Yes.
18:26I think I might go and say hello.
18:27Oh, yes, yes, please.
18:29Thank you very much.
18:30Thank you very much.
18:31Such a pleasure.
18:33Thank you very much.
18:34Bye-bye.
18:34Thank you very much.
18:35Bye-bye.
18:38The garden was developed over three centuries by the Maida family,
18:42and today it's maintained by a dedicated team of professionals.
18:47Konnichiwa.
18:48Konnichiwa.
18:49A beautiful tree, does it need a lot of maintenance?
19:05How long have you worked here, sir?
19:10Oh, congratulations.
19:13May I thank you, for all the visitors, for the joy that you bring everyone with this beautiful garden.
19:19It's not me.
19:21It's not me.
19:21It's not me.
19:22It's not me.
19:22It's not me.
19:22It's not me.
19:23But thank you.
19:25Thank you very much.
19:26Thank you very much.
19:27Thank you very much.
19:29Thank you very much.
19:34From Kanazawa, I strike northeast, towards today's much anticipated final destination,
19:42the Kurobe Gorge Railway in the northern Japanese Alps.
19:47To reach there, I return to Kanazawa Station to take the Hokurikū Shinkansen Line.
20:17One of the many ways in which Japanese people are polite to each other is by being quiet.
20:23And this is particularly true on the Shinkansen train.
20:27If you raise your voice, people turn startled faces towards you.
20:33Nothing makes you feel more uncouth or more foreign than being loud.
20:40In the distance, the foothills of the Japanese Alps come into view.
20:45But to get up into the mountains, I need to change trains.
20:57I leave my Shinkansen to transfer onto the local Toyama Chihou Railway, departing from Shin Kurobe Station.
21:10The train for UNAZUKI温泉 is arriving.
21:14Please stay behind the wedge door position marks.
21:41Japanese people don't see nature and humanity as being separate in the way that Westerners do.
21:47The Shinto gods inhabit the living world.
21:52And that provides an extra reason to respect it and to live in harmony with it.
21:57So imagine how a train journey through exquisitely beautiful landscape replenishes the Japanese spirit.
22:05And seeking nourishment of my soul, I too will begin the ascent.
22:11The Shinto.
22:38TRI-LAX
22:40and final railway journey of the day, and it's going to be a treat.
22:58This is a very small train, dare I say cute, with tiny locomotives to match.
23:06These are the distinctive orange locomotives of the Kurobe Gorge Railway.
23:14A dinky train, perhaps, but reputedly a magnificent mountain railway.
23:20Yoshida-san, konnichiwa.
23:21Oh, Michael. Hello.
23:23Konnichiwa. Nice to meet you.
23:26Mamoru Yoshida is accompanying me on my ascent.
23:32Let's go.
23:33Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
23:39Known affectionately as the trolley train, its route begins by crossing the Kurobe River.
23:52Oh, this is going to be so exciting.
23:54We go across our own bridge and we look down on the other bridges.
23:57Hello, everyone, on the other bridges.
24:00Oh, this is lovely.
24:02I love this railway.
24:05This is so beautiful.
24:07Oh, this is fun. This is gorgeous.
24:11Construction of the railway started in 1923,
24:15and the full line of around 20km was completed in 1937.
24:20Tell me about the gorge. Tell me about the mountains.
24:24This Kurobe Gorge is a very deep and deep valley.
24:35What's this railway built for tourists?
24:38Yeah, Michael, this is not the first thing.
24:41Ah-ha.
24:42This is a railway built for the buildings to build the buildings.
24:49Throughout the gorge is a series of five dams,
24:52the biggest of which is Japan's tallest at 186 metres,
24:56and it drives the epic Kurobe Power Station.
25:01It was a monumental project.
25:04After seven years of construction, it was completed in 1963
25:09to supply the electricity required for Japan's post-war economic boom,
25:14and it continues to be an essential power source.
25:19The railway, which had been built to transport workers and materials to the site,
25:24was open to tourists in 1953.
25:28What amazing views!
25:32Such greenery!
25:35Such steep-sided valleys!
25:37Absolutely dramatic!
25:41Look at the waterfall!
25:45Built in some of Japan's most challenging terrain,
25:49the railway has a staggering 41 tunnels and 27 bridges.
25:54Oh, that is beautiful!
25:59I love to see a train snaking over a bridge.
26:07I'm too excited to sit down!
26:20Michael, look at this!
26:21Oh, wow!
26:25Oh, my goodness, look at that!
26:27Everything here is on a super scale!
26:30And yet, this is not the main dam!
26:32Oh, wow!
26:37Oh, my goodness, look at that!
26:38Everything here is on a super scale!
26:39The road is damaged to the top section of the line.
26:42And until it's fully repaired, the temporary terminus is Nekomata Station.
26:46That was a wonderful trip!
26:49That was a memorable view!
26:51A great railway journey!
26:55I'm so happy to see you as a man so much.
26:57I'm so happy to see you as a man.
26:58Yes.
27:07I'm so happy to see you as a man.
27:23In this awe-inspiring landscape, dwelling place of the Shinto deities,
27:29I think of Japan as a garden.
27:32It has the six attributes, spaciousness, tranquility, artifice, antiquity, water and magnificent views.
27:44The Japanese people show respect in all things, in their manners to each other and in their reverence for nature.
27:51If this garden is a celestial gift, they have responded by keeping it lovely and spotlessly clean.
28:08Next time, one is so distracted by this terrifying wave that it's possible to lose sight of the fact that
28:15Mount Fuji is here in the background.
28:17I have never seen wasabi growing before.
28:25That is extraordinary.
28:31Isn't that amazing? It comes alive at once.
28:34That's gorgeous.
28:36You're welcome.
29:00It's amazing.
29:05I'll see you next time.
29:05You
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