- 13 hours ago
- #japaneserailways
- #trainjourneys
- #japantravel
Embark on an extraordinary exploration of Japan's legendary rail network. Journey through picturesque landscapes and discover the cultural significance of these vital transportation arteries.
This episode delves into the intricate artistry and engineering marvels that define Japanese railways. Witness breathtaking vistas and gain a deeper appreciation for the seamless efficiency of this world-renowned system.
Explore the unique charm and operational excellence that make Japanese trains an essential part of the nation's identity. Experience the spirit of adventure and the enduring legacy of railway innovation.
#JapaneseRailways #TrainJourneys #JapanTravel
This episode delves into the intricate artistry and engineering marvels that define Japanese railways. Witness breathtaking vistas and gain a deeper appreciation for the seamless efficiency of this world-renowned system.
Explore the unique charm and operational excellence that make Japanese trains an essential part of the nation's identity. Experience the spirit of adventure and the enduring legacy of railway innovation.
#JapaneseRailways #TrainJourneys #JapanTravel
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FunTranscript
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.
01:08Today, my route is taking me to the country's wildest and most northern region.
01:15I'm travelling, as usual in Japan at high speed, from the largest to the second largest island.
01:21From Honshu to Hokkaido.
01:24There could be big surprises ahead.
01:26Hokkaido became part of Japan only in the late 19th century.
01:30And looking back 12,000 years, it was connected to Siberia by land.
01:36So, its climate, its wildlife and its people are distinct.
01:50To cross the sea, we're going underground.
01:54This is the Seikan tunnel, which passes under the Suguru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaido.
02:01It was opened in 1988 to carry both Shinkansen and narrow gauge railways.
02:08The part that is underwater is not as long as the channel tunnel between England and France.
02:14But overall, this tunnel is longer.
02:18It passes under the seabed at a depth of 100 metres.
02:22And in the tunnel, trains are authorised to travel at up to 160 miles per hour.
02:35Starting in the megalopolis of Tokyo on Honshu Island, I continue to Fukushima and then Sendai.
02:43On Hokkaido Island, I'll explore the coastal city of Hakodate, the volcanic lake Toya,
02:50and Sapporo, the island's capital, before finishing in the port of Otaru.
03:01After 33 and a half miles of tunnel, my mole-like Jinkansen pops out.
03:07And I have my first glimpse of Hokkaido.
03:14The island makes up a fifth of Japan's land mass, but it's home to just a twentieth of the population.
03:22Lots of pine forest. Looks quite different.
03:46My first stop is Hakodate, the island's third largest city with a population of just over 290,000.
03:56At the tip of the Oshima Peninsula, it lies at the foot of Mount Hakodate, which rises 1,100 feet.
04:06On its lower slopes, overlooking the bay, is the historic neighbourhood of Motomachi.
04:13It was established from the 1850s, when Hakodate became one of the earliest Japanese ports
04:19to start trading with the outside world.
04:22This is a part of town where there was a lot of foreign influence when Japan was first opened up.
04:27Today, it is absolutely gorgeous, full of greenery and steep hills, old preserved houses, and long, long views.
04:41Besides a grand town hall, the area also boasted three churches.
04:52This pretty Russian Orthodox Church was founded in 1858, at an unusual moment of cordial relations between Japan and Russia.
05:04Often, there is tension over Sakhalin Island, which is to the north of Hokkaido, and the Kuril Islands.
05:11In August 1945, the Soviet Union opportunistically declared war on Japan after the atom bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima.
05:20And as one of the victorious powers, it was rewarded with the Kuril Islands and a chunk of Sakhalin Island
05:28too.
05:29Japan has never accepted that, and to this day remains wary of its huge neighbours, Russia and China.
05:50I'm travelling a mile east to the waterfront neighbourhood of Sakaijo.
05:59Hakodate's fleet of trams, everyone a different colour, it seems, provides a very good way to see the city.
06:08Dating back to 1913, they were the first to run on the island.
06:12There are two routes with 26 stops, and tickets start at just a pound.
06:20Alongside wasabi and rice, another staple in Japan is miso.
06:26It's a paste which is made from fermented soy bean, and it has a thousand different uses in Japanese cuisine.
06:34A family firm in Hakodate makes it by the ton.
06:40Prized for its rich umami, or savoury taste, it's a staple ingredient in Japan,
06:46and is thought to have been brought here from China in the 7th century.
06:52Donan Shokoryukogio has been producing its Kiko Kawaichi miso since 1942,
06:58and moved to this traditional factory in the 1960s.
07:02It's owner is Takashi Kawano.
07:06Kawano-san, hello.
07:09I'm Michael.
07:11Very good to see you.
07:13The business was founded by Takashi's grandfather, Shigoni.
07:18At the time of the Second World War II,
07:22it was a very small amount of food.
07:25So I heard that I wanted to sell food and sell it,
07:29and I heard that the company was founded.
07:31What do the Japanese people use miso for?
07:35Miso is used in various dishes,
07:38but in Japan,
07:41it's the most important thing in Japan.
07:44Which I've often enjoyed and which I absolutely love.
07:48To create the miso paste, a mould has to be cultivated on steamed rice.
07:53It's also used to make soy sauce and sake.
08:13There were once more than 10 small miso producers in Hakodate.
08:18But now in this city, only this company makes it in the traditional way.
08:23Is Hokkaido a good place to make miso?
08:40May I see the process, please?
08:42I understand.
08:43The factory employs 18 people, including Takashi's uncle, cousin, and an old school friend.
08:52Konnichiwa.
08:53Wow, look at this great big vat of soy beans.
08:57They've offered to show me the ropes.
09:00Right, looks like I'm the vat operator.
09:06And down it comes.
09:11They're making very good use of my services here.
09:16Right, the soybeans are warm and steamy.
09:22Ah, and a wonderful aroma too.
09:27As you get to the bottom, it's hot.
09:40And from spade man to barrow man.
09:53For food on an industrial scale, this feels small scale and manual.
09:58It's very charming.
10:00We're spreading them out a bit now.
10:03Give them a chance to cool down.
10:07I've so often had miso without any idea about how it was made.
10:15Now the salt's being added.
10:18And all that gets mixed in.
10:21I've often been to food factories and what you normally see there are huge pulsating machines.
10:28It's so refreshing to come here and find that the implements are shovels and wheelbarrows and brushes.
10:37And a watering can.
10:42The mixture is pressed and then stored in an airtight vat and left to ferment to create the miso paste.
10:51Takashi has some ready for me to try.
10:54This is the finished miso.
10:56Can you taste it?
10:58I certainly would.
10:59Yes, please.
11:02It's a lovely, strong, earthy, fermented smell.
11:14It's quite strong, but it's a lovely flavour.
11:18Your miso, the miso you make here, what's special about it?
11:31I'm made with passion and you've got the whole family helping you.
11:46Three miles northeast in the center of the city is Hakodati's most important historic site.
11:54Fort Goryokaku.
11:56The 62-acre star-shaped citadel was the setting for the final battle
12:01in the 19th century Boshin War that would decide Japan's future.
12:07A critical moment in Japanese history was the ousting of the Tokugawa clan from power in 1868
12:15and their replacement by a new government that restored the emperor as titular head of state
12:21and opened up and modernized Japan.
12:25The last remnants of the Tokugawa military forces were chased across Honshu
12:32and arrived at Hakodati, where they made their last stand in this fort.
12:38Today it's a public park, but its moat, 140 feet at its widest, has been preserved as a reminder of
12:46the history that was made here.
12:49Yukio Nakamura is a local guide.
12:52Yukio.
12:53Hi.
12:54Hi, Michael.
12:55Nice to meet you.
12:56Nice to meet you.
12:57Konnichiwa.
12:58Konnichiwa.
12:59When was this fort built?
13:01It was built in 1864.
13:03It took about seven years to build.
13:05It's built in a star shape.
13:07I associate that with European forts.
13:10This is the largest western-style fort in Japan.
13:13The Tokugawa shogunate, who'd ruled Japan since 1603,
13:18controlled the Hakodati region of this island, then known as Ezo.
13:23The fort was built to protect their magistrate's office, the area's government headquarters,
13:28from foreign invaders.
13:30But it would come under attack from within Japan.
13:34Tell me about the Battle of Hakodati.
13:37The old shogun army, they left Edo, which is Tokyo now,
13:43and they stopped at the Sendai.
13:46Then they met other soldiers from old shogunate,
13:51and they just got warships and came to Hokkaido.
13:55And the leader was Enomoto Takeaki,
13:57and he was a vice-admiral of old shogunate navy.
14:02They decided to make this fort the base of their army.
14:09In January 1869, they declared a breakaway republic,
14:14with Enomoto Takeaki as president.
14:17But just four months later, the emperor's warships arrived in the harbour.
14:23How did the battle proceed?
14:26A new government army attacked Hakodati with almost 10,000 soldiers,
14:33much more than the old shogun army occupied in this area.
14:37About 3,000.
14:39They were badly outnumbered.
14:41Yes. The old shogunate army fought hard,
14:45but they lasted only a week.
14:50They just surrendered.
14:53Following their victory, the imperial army demolished
14:56all of the fort's buildings.
14:58But a faithful reconstruction of the magistrate's office,
15:01housing a museum, was opened in 2010.
15:04And then, with the success of the new government forces,
15:10that's the end of resistance by the old shogunate,
15:13what is the impact on Hokkaido of that battle?
15:17Hokkaido was very much an empty area, a big area.
15:23Very small population in Hokkaido at that time.
15:26So, after the war was over,
15:29a new government sent a lot of people to build road,
15:34and they, you know, made a lot of effort to develop their farms.
15:40Emperor Meiji's government officially annexed the island in 1869,
15:45changing the name from Ezo to Hokkaido,
15:49and sending farmer soldiers, or Tondenhei,
15:52to develop and defend the new frontier.
15:54An indigenous ethnic group, the Ainu,
15:57who'd lived here for over 10,000 years,
16:00was subjugated and forced to assimilate into Japanese society.
16:04By the end of the Meiji era in 1912,
16:08Hokkaido's population had gone from under 60,000 to 1.7 million.
16:14What was the significance of this battle in Japanese history?
16:18This is a kind of a symbol of the change from Edo era to Meiji era.
16:24After the battle was over in here,
16:27no more wars,
16:27the start of a new modern era of Japan.
16:45I'm leaving the city and continuing north to enjoy the natural beauty
16:50for which Hokkaido is famed.
16:54This Hokuto line hugs the Pacific coast,
16:57taking me 100 miles to my next destination, Lake Toya.
17:04Although I love the Shinkansen,
17:06it's actually quite a relief
17:09to journey at a slower speed,
17:11a more human velocity,
17:14and on a glorious autumn day
17:16to appreciate the landscape
17:19without the sound barriers
17:21which so often run alongside the high-speed lines.
17:34This is the least developed of Japan's four main islands,
17:39with cooler temperatures,
17:40snowy winters,
17:41and 31 active volcanoes.
17:46The train line skirts around the base
17:48of the Hokkaido Komagatake volcano.
17:52It rises to almost 4,000 feet.
17:55It was dormant for nearly 5,000 years,
17:58but in the 1640s,
18:00an eruption wiped out the local crops,
18:02causing a famine.
18:04And in modern times,
18:06there had been about 50 eruptions.
18:12There's no dining car on the train,
18:15but before I bought it, I picked up a takeaway
18:18known as an ekiben,
18:20or station bento box.
18:22I've got some scallop,
18:24some omelette,
18:25and crab, for which Hokkaido is famous.
18:29Oh, I also bought a bottle of wine made from cantaloupe melon,
18:37for which Hokkaido is also famous.
18:40Unfortunately, I forgot to pick up a glass or a cup.
18:43So, from the bottle,
18:47so refined.
18:55From the coastal town of Toyako on Uchiura Bay,
19:00it's just a couple of miles inland,
19:02to Lake Toya,
19:03part of the Shikotsu Toya National Park.
19:06The near circular lake,
19:08with four islands in the centre,
19:11stretches for just over 27 square miles.
19:14With the volcanoes,
19:15there's Mount Yotei to the north,
19:18and Mount Usu to the south.
19:19It's a popular holiday destination,
19:22known for its hot springs,
19:24hiking trails, and wildlife.
19:30On the lake's western shore,
19:32lies the area of Tsukyura,
19:34where there's a perfect spot to appreciate the beauty.
19:46This pick-your-own-herb farm,
19:48offers a choice of 40 different varieties.
19:51Konnichiwa!
19:53Visitors can collect their favourite flavours,
19:55or scents,
19:57to create bath salts, incense,
19:59or herbal tea.
20:01That is divine.
20:03Japan is noted for its spectacular views,
20:06but surely,
20:07that is one of the best.
20:13Thank you very much.
20:16Thank you very much.
20:18Thank you very much.
20:22Thank you very much.
20:23This landscape is all about volcanoes.
20:26The lake is a caldera,
20:29a dip that's left after an eruption,
20:32which then fills with water.
20:34This happened 110,000 years ago.
20:37But in the 1940s,
20:39the newest volcano emerged.
20:42In a matter of days,
20:44what had been a flat field
20:45became a mountain nearly 1,000 feet high.
20:50The volcanic lava dome was named Showa Shinzan,
20:54or New Mountain,
20:55reflecting the reign of Emperor Hirohito,
20:58known as the Showa Era.
21:00Imagine what this would have been like
21:02during one of those eruptions.
21:04And now it leaves us
21:06with one of the most lovely sights
21:08that any human being can observe.
21:12This stunning setting has attracted artisan businesses.
21:16And on the lakeshore,
21:18you find an outdoor gallery of 58 sculptures.
21:23I'm visiting the artist Daisuke Tokatomi.
21:26He trained at the Tokyo Glass Art Institute
21:30and worked for a company in the capital.
21:33But he opened his studio,
21:34GLAGLA, here in 2002,
21:36to create his own designs.
21:40Daisuke-san.
21:44Your glass work is absolutely superb.
21:46And you work in clear glass, not colored glass.
21:50Why did you make that decision?
22:03I entirely agree.
22:04Is it all right if I touch something?
22:06Of course.
22:07Let's look at this piece here,
22:10which is very lovely.
22:12This is so beautiful and so original.
22:13How do you make a shape like this?
22:16I don't have a shape like this.
22:18I don't have a shape like this.
22:19I'm making a shape like this.
22:21I'm making a shape like this.
22:23Alongside tableware,
22:25vases and lighting,
22:27Daisuke's work also includes large art installations
22:31that have been exhibited all over Japan.
22:34Maybe we could go outside?
22:35Yes, of course.
22:37I've just noticed your shoes.
22:39How very interesting.
22:41This is originally from Japan's old
22:45mountain climbing boots.
22:50This boots are very nice to the waist.
22:59These are so beautiful.
23:01Tell me about this creation.
23:02It's a beautiful
23:07of a river.
23:11It's a beautiful
23:11of a river.
23:12It's a tradition in Japan.
23:14It's a little light and
23:17it's a little light.
23:17It's a little heavy.
23:20It's a little heavy.
23:21It's a little heavy.
23:22How do I make it more?
23:23It's a little heavy.
23:25care. It's lovely. When you have a wind, do they all play?
23:48Daisuke and his assistant rely on simple tools and a mix of gravity and
23:54rotation, known as free blowing. He runs classes here in his workshop.
23:59Ah, the furnace glowing away. What temperature are we at here?
24:05This is about 1200 degrees. Today, I'm going to make a plate for a month.
24:12The moon is very important for people living here.
24:17My son's name is also known for a month.
24:22And you see the moon here reflected in the lake?
24:25Yes.
24:25Two moons?
24:26Yes.
24:28I'm going to put sunglasses on, so I'm going to make it to Michael.
24:34What do you think?
24:36Okay.
24:40I love to watch this. The glow of the furnace, it's really very hot even at this distance.
24:58How different is life for an artist on Hokkaido from Tokyo?
25:02No.
25:05No.
25:07No.
25:08No.
25:10No.
25:11Making sure the temperature is even.
25:15Glass has to be turned constantly.
25:17Each time it comes out, it's changed shape a little bit.
25:28This is a big responsibility.
25:33Yes.
25:34Open it up.
25:35Up.
25:36Up.
25:37Like that.
25:37Up.
25:39Deeper.
25:41Like that.
25:42Wow, you have to move fast here because that glass is cooling down.
25:45And one thing you have to do is obey orders.
25:48Okay.
25:49Is that okay?
25:50Out I come.
25:51Thanks.
25:55Arigatou.
25:56Arigatou.
25:58Well, the whole thing is urgent.
26:01You feel a tension at the same time as this creativity.
26:09Oh, it's changed completely.
26:12That is stunning.
26:14From a bowl, it's become a plate.
26:23Now, I'll cut off the little stem.
26:27And it's gone.
26:33And into an oven, which I guess is to slow the rate at which it cools down.
26:47I can see that that is the moon.
26:49The moon maybe with a little haze in front of it.
26:53Now, these bubbles here, how do you achieve that?
27:01Soda water.
27:03I never thought of that as being a tool of the artist.
27:06It's a most beautiful effect.
27:09What a pleasure to see you work.
27:17The Battle of Hakadati settled the future of Japan.
27:22It abandoned feudalism and ponytails and samurai,
27:26and it imported and copied foreign technology
27:29to become important militarily and industrially.
27:34The people, led by an emperor whom they regarded as divine,
27:39who adopted a Western hairstyle and Western clothes,
27:41embraced the change.
27:43The world's great powers, who had patronized Japan
27:47and urged reform, were forced to take her seriously.
27:51And we've since learned never to underestimate Japan.
27:59Next time.
28:01Potatoes, mushrooms, and can you see that?
28:05Oh, look at the salmon's head.
28:08That looks wonderful.
28:11Inside this bottle.
28:1410 knob hearts.
28:15How did he do that?
28:19Oh, lovely fire in the throat.
28:21I'm not sure I've tasted a Japanese whiskey before.
28:23Really?
28:24And that is a very pleasant start.
28:25Yeah.
28:28Yeah.
28:55MUSIC PLAYS
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