Seasoning the Seasons
TV-G
10
2012
Documentary
This program visits places across Japan to introduce the charms of their local daily life and festivals fostered by the nation's long history.
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- Cast:
Episode 30 : Beppu: Exploring the Exciting Hot Springs
November. 19,2014
Beppu is Japan's leading hot spring town, both in terms of volume of water flow and the number of different spas. Due to the rising vapors and bubbling water, the area was once referred to as "hell", but over the generations local people used their imagination and initiative to create a spa heaven. 8 of the town's spas are particularly famous, and each is steeped in its own culture. We experienced the wealth of Beppu's healing waters.
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Episode 29 : Kamo River: The Waterway that Created Kyoto
November. 12,2014
The Kamo River runs through one of Japan's most famous tourist destinations, Kyoto, which has a population of 1.5 million people. Even now, each season, the lives of the people of Kyoto are intertwined with the river. The river's water nurtures Kyoto's unique vegetables, and restaurants serve fish caught within it. Its water is still being used for purification at a shrine with 1,500 years of history. We take a look at the many faces of the Kamo River as well as the people who love it and live with it.
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Episode 23 : Kawagoe: Keeping Urbane Traditions Alive
September. 03,2014
The town of Kawagoe, which lies just 30km northwest of central Tokyo, is still heavily influenced by the merchant culture of Japan's feudal period when Tokyo was known as Edo. In modern times, Kawagoe serves as a dormitory town for commuters to Tokyo, but the town still holds on to its traditional roots. We visit Kawagoe, exploring its culture, history and the lives of local people.
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Episode 22 : Japanese Yokai: Ghosts, Goblins or Ghouls?
August. 13,2014
The Japanese have been living in a world inhabited by "Yokai", paranormal beings or phenomena that cannot be explained with common knowledge. Even today, there are legends and eyewitnesses that tell of Yokai. Yokai are said to be manifestations of the view on nature, life and death, and the world of the Japanese throughout history. Although life for the modern Japanese has changed, the image of the collective "spirit" of Japanese nostalgia lives on in tales of the Yokai. In this episode, we go on a journey looking for Yokai, mythical beings that dwell in the dark corners of the Japanese psyche.
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Episode 21 : Nagasaki: Hills and Exotic Atmosphere
August. 06,2014
Nagasaki, on Japan's southern island of Kyushu. Interactions with foreign nations have been a feature of this place since long ago, absorbing aspects of the cultures of Portugal, the Netherlands and China. This is the story of the people of Nagasaki, who have integrated the cultures of faraway lands but have also overcome a very difficult history.
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Episode 20 : Kujukuri: The Endless Beach
July. 09,2014
Just over an hour away from Tokyo the beautiful beach of Kujukuri stretches some 60km along Japan's Pacific coast. Villages along the beach grew prosperous through fishing from the shore for Japanese sardines. These days, fishermen go out into the bay in small boats, using nets up to 1,000m long to chase the anchovy shoals. A single one of these nets can collect up to 40 tons of fish, making the sardine fisheries of Kujukuri-hama Japan's largest catch.
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Episode 17 : Karuizawa: A Fleeting Summer
June. 18,2014
Karuizawa, which sits at an altitude of 1,000 meters, was developed as a summer resort after a foreign missionary built his summer cottage there more than a century ago. Other missionaries and moneyed Japanese soon followed, turning Karuizawa into the place to be in summer. Karuizawa continues to enjoy its status is one of the world's leading summer resorts and a destination of choice for millions of Japanese travelers.
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Episode 11 : Hakodate: The Storied History of a Port Town
April. 16,2014
Travelers to Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido often first arrive in Hakodate, a port town that attracts 4 million visitors a year. The city is best known for its Million-Dollar Night View. The bright lights look beautiful surrounded by the jet black ocean. The view, very popular with couples, is a symbol of the city. Hakodate prospered as the first port in Japan fully open to the outside world and we explore the city's romance together with the people who call it home.
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Episode 6 : Modern Architecture: Giving Form to Dreams
February. 12,2014
When the Meiji era started, Japan advanced forward to build itself into a modern state. It was architecture that gave form to that enthusiasm. Schools, government offices and houses modeled after the West. In each one nested the dreams and ideals of the architects and the people who lived in them. Soon many architectural masterpieces with a style unique to Japan were produced. In this episode we take a look at the architectural masterpieces and the stories of those who built them throughout the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras, and shed light on the traces of the dreams of the Japanese.
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Episode 5 : Chichibu - Home of the Mountain Gods and Festivals
February. 05,2014
In the west of Saitama Prefecture, nestled among 2,000 meter tall mountains, lies Chichibu. Whether entering or leaving, you must cross mountains and passes. Within the looming mountains, in a small basin, lies a place with unique culture and customs, said to hold festivals more than 300 times a year. 10 million people visit Chichibu each year. Though it's just 80 kilometers from Tokyo, you wouldn't know it from entering its surreal environment. We pass the beauty of this world along to you through dazzling footage.
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Episode 3 : Ekiben - A Box of Flavor and Feeling
January. 15,2014
When going on a trip, packing a lunch box to take was the standard. In 1885, the first lunch box was sold at a train station. Called an "ekiben", there are now all kinds of them sold in stations all over Japan. The contents of the small ekiben lunch box reflect a place and a time, and are filled with the flavors of that region, the emotions of the person who made it, and the memories of a journey. We look at both the ekiben, much loved by Japanese people, and at a wonderful ekiben culture.
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Episode 2 : Udon Noodles - A Wheat Delicacy
January. 08,2014
Udon noodles are loved in Japan as an easy, tasty, everyday dish. In Japan, farming centers on rice, but throughout Japan's history, various other cereals have also been harvested. During the winter, when there was no rice farming to do, farmers allowed themselves a little luxury by pounding wheat to make udon. Today, udon has become a delicious, satisfying everyday dish. We look back through Japanese history, tracing the story of the unique know-how and preparatory techniques behind this delicious dish.
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Episode 1 : Izumo - Abode of the Gods
January. 03,2014
Izumo is an abode of gods, home to many of the deities that appear in Japan's ancient legends. Japan's oldest history books, which mix legends and history, state that Izumo is the location of Japan's birth. Izumo is also home to various aspects of Japanese culture. With footage from this sacred place of mystery and romance, we show you the beauty of Izumo.
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