[Festivals of Japan Season 1] Akayu Hot Spring in Yamagata Prefecture lost much of its bustling energy due to large fires that occurred in the late 1800s. Wishing for the recovery of their city, local volunteers created Eboshiyama Park. Later, as vitality slowly began to return to the city through...

[Beauty of Japan Season 1] Katsushika ward in downtown Tokyo is one of a few cities where many craftsmen known as “Shokunins” still exist. Many of them work with skills used since the Edo or Meiji periods (late 19th century). The traditional crafts that they create through careful study of...

[Festivals of Japan Season 2] The "Nagasaki Kunchi" is a festival that holds a 380-year history. Dragons coil and children dance to the many performances, giving life and color to the festival stage. One such performance is the dynamic and flamboyant "Dozamachi Nanbansen". It is a reenactment of the heyday...

[Festivals of Japan Season 2] The Takaoka Mikuruma-yama Festival in Toyama Prefecture was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Asset in December 2016. With the creaking sounds of the turning wheels, the seven lavish floats make their way along the same route they have gone since ancient times, pushed onwards...