Cycle Around Japan
(2014)Streaming Episode Guide
Season 11 | Season 10 | Season 9 | Season 8 | Season 7 | Season 6 | Season 5 | Season 4 | Season 3 | Season 2 | Season 1 | Top 5 Episodes
Season 11
Shizuoka - Energy of the Forest
Episode 9 - 9-21-2024
Shizuoka Prefecture has everything from beaches to mountains, but this time our road takes us through its deep forests, from wild rides on timber trails to a wild taste experience in the birthplace of wasabi.
Haven't Seen
Yatsugatake - Riding High
Episode 8 - 9-14-2024
Each of the Yatsugatake highlands has a unique character. We see kids discover themselves on horseback, eat prehistoric style, go star gazing with an astronomer and explore a bird sanctuary forest.
Haven't Seen
Hokkaido - Crossing the Summer Plains
Episode 7 - 8-03-2024
A ride through Hokkaido Prefecture in early summer. We meet an artisan teaching handicrafts of the indigenous Ainu to the next generation, and a legendary trainer of an unusual horse race.
Haven't Seen
Aomori - Cold Winds, Warm Hearts
Episode 6 - 7-20-2024
Aomori Prefecture is beautiful, but its northern climate can be harsh. Our cyclist enjoys the warmest of welcomes in communities that historically had to cooperate closely in everything in order to survive.
Haven't Seen
Kii Mountains - Climbing Uphill with a Smile
Episode 5 - 6-16-2024
Our cyclist climbs the Kii Mountains in western Japan, and encounters the culture that developed on the secluded slopes. Artisans work with rare black bamboo, and make pigment using an old method.
Haven't Seen
Kiso Three Rivers - Going with the Flow
Episode 4 - 5-18-2024
Our cyclist travels three large rivers in central Japan: the Kiso, the Nagara and the Ibi. He explores unique cultures related to the rivers, like cormorant fishing and an exciting float festival.
Haven't Seen
Awajishima and Ieshima - An Island Journey
Episode 3 - 3-15-2024
On Awajishima and Ieshima in the Seto Inland Sea, islanders utilize the strong winter winds and waves to enhance local specialties like sweet onions, handmade noodles, incense sticks and seaweed.
Haven't Seen
Sanriku - A Coast Reborn
Episode 2 - 2-16-2024
The Sanriku Coast was the area hardest hit by the massive earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Its restored communities are rediscovering their local traditions and the unique beauty of this landscape.
Haven't Seen
Yamagata - Seeking the Flavors of Autumn
Episode 1 - 1-13-2024
Yamagata Prefecture is famous for its food, some unique to late autumn and certain localities. Our gourmet cyclist explores the regional cuisine, from edible chrysanthemums to Japanese taro, turnips and salmon.
Haven't Seen
Season 10
Nagasaki - Free to Enjoy Life
Episode 20 - 12-16-2023
The prefecture of Nagasaki, historically Japan's gateway to the west, has a culture influenced by centuries of foreign trade. With over 1,400 islands, it also makes for a unique cycling experience.
Haven't Seen
Saitama Traditions - Tokyo's Scenic Neighbor
Episode 19 - 11-17-2023
The late autumn gingko trees are a brilliant yellow in Tokyo's neighboring prefecture of Saitama. Surprisingly unexplored, this is an area of great natural beauty with its own distinct traditions. We learn how a family of dollmakers breathes life into their creations, treasured for generations. In Kawagoe, a town with the atmosphere of centuries past, we marvel at the speed and skill of an old-style candy maker. And we discover how Saitama's special climate is the secret behind a world-class whisky.
Haven't Seen
Kochi - Land of Rivers
Episode 18 - 11-10-2023
Kochi Prefecture is known for mountains, forests and above all, rivers. On the Niyodo River, we learn a special technique for catching sweetfish so good they're mostly bought by exclusive Kyoto restaurants. We climb a steep hillside to meet a couple who irrigate their organic farm with pure mountain springwater. Historically, the highest-grade charcoal came from Kochi's oak forests, and we meet its leading charcoal maker, a man who builds his own kilns and plants new forests for the sake of future artisans.
Haven't Seen
Into the Kyoto Countryside
Episode 17 - 10-20-2023
A 400km ride through Kyoto – the prefecture, not the city. Farms in this lush countryside supported the ancient capital's unique cuisine and tea culture, while artisans used local wood and stone to craft tools for Kyoto artists. We take tea in an 800-year-old teahouse, go deep in the forest with a whetstone craftsman to mine for stone, experience a 1,000-year-old drumming tradition, and finally, on the Sea of Japan coast, hear the story of a mother and daughter selling fish from their mobile store.
Haven't Seen
Fukuoka - Always Thinking Ahead
Episode 16 - 10-13-2023
Historically the nation's gateway to Asia, Fukuoka Prefecture is where Japan's rice-growing culture began. We meet a couple reviving their community through tourism and organic farming, a singing boatman in a city of canals and a maker of traditional fireworks. After helping villagers maintain a century-old stone bridge, we hear the history of coal in this area - once a major industry driving Japan's modernization - from the last of its miners, as he sings old songs of the harshness of life below ground.
Haven't Seen
Fukushima - Taking Life Day by Day
Episode 15 - 9-22-2023
Fukushima Prefecture, with its beautiful mountains and coastline, is home to people who have survived disaster and come out stronger. We meet a peach grower thriving again after the great 2011 quake, a family that rebuilt their seaside hotel destroyed by the tsunami, shopkeepers organizing a summer festival after a two-year pandemic gap, highschoolers continuing Fukushima's samurai horse riding legacy, and three women friends who have staffed a tiny country station together for 35 years.
Haven't Seen
Sado - Island of Hidden Treasures
Episode 14 - 9-15-2023
Historically Japan was famous for gold, much of it mined on Sado. The prosperity this created left the island with unique cultural traditions like its strong Noh theater. We meet an actor teaching a new generation of Noh performers, cycle Sado's beautiful coastline and spectacular mountains, paddle hangiri shallow-water fishing boats, visit a sake brewery built in an old school, and meet the man who rescued the Japanese crested ibis from extinction to Sado's current population of 500 birds.
Haven't Seen
The Old Hokuriku Kaido - Exploring a Forgotten Highway
Episode 13 - 8-18-2023
Japan's pre-modern network of highways, the Kaido, is now largely forgotten. In the first of a new series, we explore the Old Hokuriku Kaido between Fukui and Niigata Prefectures, discovering unique local cultures inspired by travelers on the old highway. Visiting post stations that provided food and rest for weary voyagers, and the castle town of Kanazawa, with its wooden machiya townhouses, we also meet an artist in glass and some inventive highschoolers revitalizing their town with locally-sourced products.
Haven't Seen
Southern Nagano - Exploring Its Hidden Valleys
Episode 12 - 8-11-2023
From Shiojiri, 2.5 hrs by train from Tokyo, we'll ride the 400-year-old Nakasendo highway that linked Edo and Kyoto. After meeting a traditional comb artisan in the post station of Naraijuku, we try green tofu in the village of Achi, and amid the rice fields of the Ina Basin, discover a tradition of crafting rice straw for use in everything from sumo rings to Shinto rituals. Climbing into the mountains, we see salt made from hot spring water, and at the southern tip of Nagano Prefecture, we scale the steep slopes of a tea plantation.
Haven't Seen
Kagoshima - Legacy of Determination
Episode 11 - 7-21-2023
Kagoshima Prefecture, known as the land of brave samurai, was called Satsuma in ancient days. Our cyclist takes in scenic views on his ride along the sea and an active volcano. He discovers jars filled with a local specialty, fermented black vinegar, which make a tart and powerful beverage. In the mountains, he meets a craftswoman who revives old, beautiful buttons. He then finds a secret martial art inherited from samurai. Discover the spirit of this historic land on our 290km ride through Satsuma.
Haven't Seen
Tanegashima and Yakushima - Inspired by Nature
Episode 10 - 7-14-2023
Riding up Tanegashima's western coast with its sandy beaches, our cyclist visits a scissor craftsman, last of a 500-year old tradition. The east coast takes him past rocks carved by the ocean into fantastic shapes to Japan's biggest space center. Local schools here host children from all over the country for a year to learn about space and experience island life. Finally, he crosses to legendary Yakushima to explore its millennia-old forests and discover how nature inspires its islanders.
Haven't Seen
Okayama - Sunshine and Smiles
Episode 9 - 6-16-2023
Okayama Prefecture, known as the Land of Sunshine, is a fertile farming region. At the coastal town of Kurashiki, we meet high school students revolutionizing its famous denim, then ride to Kojima Bay to use an old-style scoop net to fish for our dinner. Deep in the countryside we find a traditional rakugo storyteller, and discover how local volunteers have restored a millennium-old terraced hillside with over 1,000 rice paddies. And finally, in an old post town we meet an artisan making inkstones for calligraphy.
Haven't Seen
Tochigi - The Cycle of Life
Episode 8 - 6-09-2023
Tochigi is a lush green inland prefecture on the Kanto Plain, north of Tokyo. It's the height of spring, fields glistening with snow melt from the mountains and nature returning to life as we ride through the Nasu Highlands under hundreds of streaming carp banners, catch spawning river fish fat with eggs, learn the secrets of clay making from a Mashiko potter, and join a local festival, helping carry a hand-crafted dragon through town to ward off misfortune. Our final encounter is with a young couple committed to farming in tune with the natural cycle, even making their own soil from gathered leaves.
Haven't Seen
Fukui - The Strength to Succeed
Episode 7 - 5-19-2023
We set off under the bright summer sun to the coast of Fukui Prefecture. After a night with a fishing family, it's out before dawn on their boat to help with the day's catch, served up later for breakfast. Then to Echizen, center of traditional crafts, trying our hand at a unique method of decorating washi paper before meeting a master knifemaker, famous worldwide for his blades. Finally, we ride with a high school cycling team, youthful examples of the Fukui spirit of developing inner strength as the way to success.
Haven't Seen
Hiroshima - Going it Alone
Episode 6 - 5-12-2023
In the city of Hiroshima we visit a community where the families who survived the devastation of the atomic bomb in the Second World War managed to revive their traditional farming specialty. In the islands to the south, we meet a potter uniquely making glazes from cast-off oyster shells, and in the mountains, a farmer tells of his passion for making animals happy. The last individual we encounter who has stuck to his own path in life is a carver of traditional instruments seeking the perfect sound.
Haven't Seen
Tokushima - Where Teamwork Runs Deep
Episode 5 - 4-21-2023
As the cherry blossoms bloom in spring, our cyclist Bobby rides through Tokushima Prefecture from the coast to its hidden mountain valleys. At the Naruto Straits, famous for their whirlpools, he goes out with a team of fishermen to catch cherry sea bream. High in the mountains at Kamikatsu, he finds a town where the elderly population have a thriving business cultivating plants to decorate Japanese cuisine. And in an even deeper valley, he discovers a village with an unusual approach to attracting visitors.
Haven't Seen
Okinawa - A Unique Island Culture
Episode 4 - 4-08-2023
The subtropical island of Okinawa Prefecture has an environment, climate and culture very different to mainland Japan. An independent kingdom and trading hub until the 17th century, the influence of other Asian cultures is still seen in things like traditional textile designs. We hear folk songs recalling the sufferings and troubled history of Okinawa, from the samurai conquest incorporating it into Japan to the US invasion of WWII. We also discover the secret of the Okinawans' famous longevity – the island food.
Haven't Seen
Tokyo's Islands Niijima and Hachijojima
Episode 3 - 3-11-2023
A cycle tour of two remote islands that lie within Tokyo's city limits. On Niijima, we see homes built with a hard volcanic rock called Koga stone, which is also used to make glass art. Locals still carefully tend the graves of exiles banished here during samurai times, who brought education to the island. On Hachijojima, an ancient textile tradition creates complex, subtle patterns using only three colors of plant-dyed yarn. We also sample island food and learn about a much loved local newspaper.
Haven't Seen
Akita - The Wisdom of Nature
Episode 2 - 2-11-2023
From sea to mountains, nature in Akita Prefecture is spectacular. As we ride through the gales of late fall, we see people preparing for the long snows of winter with pickles and preserves. We visit a village where an 800-year-old lacquerware tradition uses timber made fine-grained and strong by the harsh winters. Among the rice paddies we find farmers crafting a huge straw guardian deity, and in a mountain village we meet a man living the ancient way, where everything in life is a gift from the nature gods.
Haven't Seen
The Nagasaki Kaido - Japan's Sugar Road
Episode 1 - 1-14-2023
In our second episode on Japan's pre-modern highway system, we follow the Nagasaki Kaido. During the Edo period (1603–1868) when the Shogunate prohibited external trade, they allowed one exception – the port of Nagasaki Prefecture. Ideas, technology, culture and goods flowed from this port along the Nagasaki Kaido to the rest of Japan. Named the "Sugar Road" after one of the most important trade goods, the old highway and those who traveled it had a lasting influence on the communities along its route.
Haven't Seen
Season 9
The Old Hokuriku Kaido - Exploring a Forgotten Highw
Episode 11 - 12-10-2022
Japan's pre-modern network of highways, the Kaido, is now largely forgotten. In the first of a new series, we explore the Old Hokuriku Kaido between Fukui and Niigata Prefectures, discovering unique local cultures inspired by travelers on the old highway. Visiting post stations that provided food and rest for weary voyagers, and the castle town of Kanazawa, with its wooden machiya townhouses, we also meet an artist in glass and some inventive highschoolers revitalizing their town with locally-sourced products.
Haven't Seen
Fukushima - Taking Life Day by Day
Episode 10 - 10-08-2022
Fukushima Prefecture, with its beautiful mountains and coastline, is home to people who have survived disaster and come out stronger. We meet a peach grower thriving again after the great 2011 quake, a family that rebuilt their seaside hotel destroyed by the tsunami, shopkeepers organizing a summer festival after a two-year pandemic gap, highschoolers continuing Fukushima's samurai horse riding legacy, and three women friends who have staffed a tiny country station together for 35 years.
Haven't Seen
Into the Kyoto Countryside
Episode 9 - 9-10-2022
A 400km ride through Kyoto - the prefecture, not the city. Farms in this lush countryside supported the ancient capital's unique cuisine and tea culture, while artisans used local wood and stone to craft tools for Kyoto artists. We take tea in an 800-year-old teahouse, go deep in the forest with a whetstone craftsman to mine for stone, experience a 1,000-year-old drumming tradition, and finally, on the Sea of Japan coast, hear the story of a mother and daughter selling fish from their mobile store.
Haven't Seen
Okayama - Sunshine and Smiles
Episode 8 - 8-13-2022
In Okayama, Land of Sunshine, we meet high school students revolutionizing a town's famous denim, then ride into the countryside to see a traditional story teller and millennium-old rice terraces.
Haven't Seen
Fukui - The Strength to Succeed
Episode 7 - 7-09-2022
We set off under the bright summer sun to the coast of Fukui Prefecture. After a night with a fishing family, it's out before dawn on their boat to help with the day's catch, served up later for breakfast. Then to Echizen, center of traditional crafts, trying our hand at a unique method of decorating washi paper before meeting a master knifemaker, famous worldwide for his blades. Finally, we ride with a high school cycling team, youthful examples of the Fukui spirit of developing inner strength as the way to success.
Haven't Seen
Gunma - An Unstoppable Energy
Episode 6 - 6-11-2022
In early spring, Australian cyclist Zac Reynolds rides through Gunma Prefecture. Starting from the capital Maebashi, he sees a 5th century ritual atop an ancient king's burial mound before cycling up the Tone River to Itakura, famous for its catfish. In Kanna-town, he meets a master blacksmith whose hand-crafted blades are in demand nationwide. Finally, in the mountain village of Nanmoku, he talks with a young man revitalizes the area backed by the encouragement and advice of its energetic elderly inhabitants.
Haven't Seen
Tokushima - Where Teamwork Runs Deep
Episode 5 - 5-14-2022
As the cherry blossoms bloom in spring, our cyclist Bobby rides through Tokushima Prefecture from the coast to its hidden mountain valleys. At the Naruto Straits, famous for their whirlpools, he goes out with a team of fishermen to catch cherry sea bream. High in the mountains at Kamikatsu, he finds a town where the elderly population have a thriving business cultivating plants to decorate Japanese cuisine. And in an even deeper valley, he discovers a village with an unusual approach to attracting visitors.
Haven't Seen
Mie – A Cultural Crossroads
Episode 4 - 3-12-2022
Zac Reynolds has lived in Japan for over 20 years, and now works for a bicycle maker in Mie Prefecture. As a crossroads on the old Tokaido Highway, Mie has a unique cultural legacy. In the post station of Sekijuku, we visit a sweets store run by the descendants of a famous ninja spy. We meet young newcomers using organic farming to revitalize a country town, and on the south coast, a couple who have cultivated pearls for 45 years. This remains one of Japan's most vibrant and exciting places to live.
Haven't Seen
Tokyo to Chiba - Finding Art along the Way
Episode 3 - 2-12-2022
On this winter ride through sun and snow from northern Tokyo into neighboring Chiba Prefecture, our New Zealand cyclist Paul Imperatrice encounters a variety of artists. He meets an artisan with 55 years of experience in traditional Edo embroidery who now creates his own groundbreaking designs, another who uses local rice and seaweed to craft astonishingly complex sushi rolls, and in the old castle town of Sakura, he visits a dojo where the martial arts of the samurai are taught in all their original depth.
Haven't Seen
Selfie Ride in Iwate - A Home Away From Home
Episode 2 - 1-15-2022
James Hobbs, living in Japan for 30 years, teaches at a medical university in Iwate Prefecture. He takes us along on some hard weekend training with cycling friends and on a camping trip with his wife to enjoy the famous evening views of Mt. Hayachine, where they show their skill at cooking local Iwate ingredients. After riding along the Sanriku coastline, James tackles a tough hill climb with a friend who describes how cycling gave him the strength to recover from the devastating tsunami of 2011.
Haven't Seen
Saitama Traditions - Tokyo's Scenic Neighbor
Episode 1 - 1-08-2022
The late autumn gingko trees are a brilliant yellow in Tokyo's neighboring prefecture of Saitama. Surprisingly unexplored, this is an area of great natural beauty with its own distinct traditions. We learn how a family of dollmakers breathes life into their creations, treasured for generations. In Kawagoe, a town with the atmosphere of centuries past, we marvel at the speed and skill of an old-style candy maker. And we discover how Saitama's special climate is the secret behind a world-class whisky.
Haven't Seen
Season 8
Best Picks - Your Favorites #2
Episode 5 - 12-21-2021
Our cyclists picked 10 of their personal favorite scenes, and viewers voted on our website for the ones they most wanted to see again. There are 2 episodes showing the top picks, along with some previously unseen footage. In this episode, we see the 2 scenes that were most popular among Facebook and YouTube users, in which our cyclists discover a curious temple in downtown Tokyo, and learn the story behind the living jewels in Niigata Prefecure's rice paddies.
Haven't Seen
Best Picks - Your Favorites #1
Episode 4 - 12-20-2021
Our cyclists picked 10 of their favorite scenes, and viewers voted on our website for the ones they most wanted to see again. There are 2 episodes showing the top picks, along with some previously unseen footage. In this one, we see the 2 that gained most votes overall. Interestingly, they're both about food, featuring unique regional dishes. There's an unusual type of country sashimi, and a huge pork dish from one of the southern islands.
Haven't Seen
Kanagawa Selfie Ride
Episode 3 - 12-11-2021
After 30 years in Japan, Michael Rice recently settled in Odawara, where he runs a cycling cafe. He shows us Odawara Castle, and introduces artisans making traditional local specialties such as Kamaboko fish paste and paper lanterns. After Yabitsu Pass, a popular day trip for Tokyo cyclists, Michael explores nearby places he has yet to visit, including Manazuru, a small town on this beautiful coast known for its easy-going lifestyle and commitment to guarding the surrounding unspoiled nature.
Haven't Seen
Hiroshima - Going it Alone
Episode 2 - 3-12-2021
In the city of Hiroshima we visit a community where the families who survived the devastation of the atomic bomb in the Second World War managed to revive their traditional farming specialty. In the islands to the south, we meet a potter uniquely making glazes from cast-off oyster shells, and in the mountains, a farmer tells of his passion for making animals happy. The last individual we encounter who has stuck to his own path in life is a carver of traditional instruments seeking the perfect sound.
Haven't Seen
Nagano - Life in the Mountains
Episode 1 - 2-12-2021
The mountain ranges known as the Japanese Alps are a spectacular backdrop to our ride across Nagano Prefecture, its forests glowing with the late autumn colors. With many 3,000m peaks, Nagano is popular with climbers and we're given a brief taste by a world-class mountain guide. We'll meet people drawn to live here by the forests, including a man who left a top cabinet making career in Tokyo to craft uniquely distinctive furniture from these wild trees, and a group of friends who devote their spare time to caring for the woods.
Haven't Seen
Season 7
Cycle Bingo - Tokyo
Episode 11 - 12-11-2020
In this episode, we send 2 cyclists to explore some lesser known parts of Tokyo as they compete in our special bingo game. They have 2 days to find typical items and places in the city that correspond to squares on their cards. Pursuing this quest they discover little known facts about the city, see how a popular traditional snack is made, visit a boatyard that's been making wooden craft for 200 years and a family farm hidden among suburban houses, and play along with an ingenious drum maker.
Haven't Seen
A Deeper Side to Tokyo
Episode 10 - 11-14-2020
From Shibuya's newest skyscraper to nearby Shinjuku, where a man in a tiger mask cycles the city streets. Why did he choose such a life? After he introduces us to Shinjuku's lively back alleys, we ride west into a surprisingly natural landscape. By a tranquil river, we meet an artisan reviving a 200-year old dyeing craft, and in a mountain forest a far-sighted woodsman explains his ecological approach. City and society change with the times, but these are people holding fast to their chosen paths in life.
Haven't Seen
Overcoming Adversity
Episode 9 - 10-10-2020
On these rides, we've often met people who battled hard times to emerge stronger than before. We've heard stories of overcoming natural disasters and disease, of a doctor taking on the challenge of singlehandedly caring for the elderly population of a remote mountain village and of how one young woman is raising a family on a tiny island, ensuring a future for its aging community. In this special episode, we get back in touch to hear their inspiring accounts of coping with the current pandemic.
Haven't Seen
The Road Goes On
Episode 8 - 9-12-2020
14,000km. That's how far our cyclists have ridden around Japan. We've chosen the most invigorating scenes as well as new footage for you to enjoy. Cycle through the changing seasons - the blossoms of spring, summer's verdant green, the brilliant colors of autumn and winter's snowy landscapes. And then see how these landscapes were shaped by farming communities in harmony with the sea, rivers and mountains. Touring by cycle isn't just the most exhilarating way to go, it also gives you the closest look at the land.
Haven't Seen
Kagawa - The Pursuit of Excellence
Episode 7 - 7-11-2020
Facing the Seto Inland Sea, sunny Kagawa Prefecture historically overcame a lack of natural resources and water through skill and hard work. Despite having no local bamboo or paper, Kagawa artisans created paper fans famed for their quality. Bonsai grow well in this dry climate, and Kagawa's have won fans worldwide. After a taste of Wasanbon sweets, prized for centuries for their delicate sweetness, we cross to a small island to sample soy sauce made the traditional way. A trip of tough but rewarding climbs, reflecting the spirit of Kagawa.
Haven't Seen
Memories from the Road - Spirit of the North
Episode 6 - 6-13-2020
Selected moments from rides in the north country, cherry blossoms in spring and red leaves in fall. In Aomori Prefecture, northernmost part of Japan's main Honshu island, we encounter its traditional tenacity of spirit in young children learning to master the local style of shamisen playing. In neighboring Akita Prefecture, children sing songs handed down for generations, tales of fishermen, their families and the sea. Finally, in Fukushima Prefecture, we see how Aizu still lives by the code of its mountain samurai clan, famed for staying true to their principles.
Haven't Seen
Memories from the Road - Life on the Islands
Episode 5 - 6-06-2020
Selected moments from past trips to Japan's smaller islands, exploring their unique cultures and ways of life. Riding a scenic cycling route spanning the Seto Inland Sea, we learn how an island community's hopes for the future rest on the students of their tiny school. On the Oki Islands off Japan's west coast, we stand atop its awesome cliffs before getting hands-on in an island sumo ring, and on southern Miyakojima, we taste the ocean in the local tofu and the island's history in its traditional music.
Haven't Seen
Tanegashima and Yakushima - Inspired by Nature
Episode 4 - 4-11-2020
Riding up Tanegashima's western coast with its sandy beaches, our cyclist visits a scissor craftsman, last of a 500-year old tradition. The east coast takes him past rocks carved by the ocean into fantastic shapes to Japan's biggest space center. Local schools here host children from all over the country for a year to learn about space and experience island life. Finally, he crosses to legendary Yakushima to explore its millennia-old forests and discover how nature inspires its islanders.
Haven't Seen
Ibaraki - Where Family Matters
Episode 3 - 3-14-2020
This 400km winter cycle trip takes us through Ibaraki Prefecture. At Lake Kasumigaura, our cyclist plunges into freezing water to help a husband and wife harvest lotus roots. After hill climbing on Mt. Tsukuba, he visits a historic kendo hall and a workshop where 2 brothers make fine armor the traditional way. Whether it's an old couple crafting heirloom brooms, or hotel brothers experimenting with fishermen's cuisine, Ibaraki families know the value of working together.
Haven't Seen
Nara - Discovering Ancient Ways
Episode 2 - 2-07-2020
Our ironman cyclist Michael sets off from Osaka. Leaving the giant city, he tackles the challenge of Japan's steepest road on his way to historic Nara, site of the capital 1,300 years ago. As he rides through this tranquil countryside, he dives into a world of myth -- from Nara's sacred forest, brilliant with the colors of fall, he travels south to a land teeming with prehistoric burial mounds. Here, where ancient rulers slept for millennia, the old wisdom still shows us how to live in harmony with nature.
Haven't Seen
Tottori - Grit and Grace
Episode 1 - 1-10-2020
Our New Zealand cyclist begins his ride through Tottori Prefecture with a fat bike tour of its spectacular 16-km long sand dunes. In the mountains, he drops in to a high school calligraphy club where he is hugely impressed by the way these young girls have created a powerful performance using traditional brush calligraphy and music. Returning to the coast, he's amazed by hearing from farmers how their ancestors' hard work and inventiveness produced techniques for growing food in sand. Join us, and discover this unique part of Japan.
Haven't Seen
Season 1
Episode 11
8-17-2014
Haven't Seen
Episode 10
8-10-2014
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Episode 9
8-03-2014
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Episode 8
7-27-2014
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Episode 7
7-20-2014
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Episode 6
7-13-2014
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Episode 5
7-06-2014
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Episode 4
6-29-2014
Haven't Seen
Autumn: Tomioka to Nikko
Episode 3 - 6-22-2014
Due to Japan's immensely varied landscape and climate, this island nation developed unique cultural traditions. Many of these are world renowned, but many more remain hidden away deep in the countryside. The best way to discover these secret places - the real Japan - is to go exploring by bicycle. This time, we'll cycle through the mountains of Gunma and Tochigi Prefecture, meeting people living the traditional way, close to nature. We'll visit 2 World Heritage Sites. The first is Tomioka Silk Mill, a landmark in the modernization of Japanese industry. Close by this monument to industrial history, we'll see silk making by hand, the traditional way. We'll visit Nikko Toshogu Shrine, nestling deep in a mountain forest. Lovingly restored and repaired throughout the ages, the art of these incredible buildings shines as brightly as it did 400 years ago. We'll meet the people who work in these forests, people still in touch with the old ways of nature.
Haven't Seen
Summer: A Journey Across Hokkaido
Episode 2 - 6-15-2014
Zac Reynolds, a bicycle specialist, visits Hokkaido. His two-wheeled adventures include a ride through the stunning lavender fields of Furano, experiencing the unique Ainu culture, and tasting some of the wonderful local food. Zac also offers practical tips on bike touring.
Haven't Seen
Spring: Izu Peninsula and Mt. Fuji
Episode 1 - 6-08-2014
In this edition of CYCLE AROUND JAPAN, we take you on a trip through the Izu Peninsula in spring, when the mountains are a brilliant green and the flowers are in full bloom. Our destination is the site of the World Heritage of Mount Fuji. We will tell you about the charm of Mount Fuji and spring in Japan. Located southwest of Tokyo. Izu Peninsula is a resort tourism destination in a natural setting surrounded by mountains and ocean. It is a hot spring area which is well known in Japan. It has a number of the fishing ports, visited by tourists for its mercenary fresh seafood and hot springs.
Haven't Seen
