J-Trip Plan - Season 5 / Year 2019

Our reporter visits Arimatsu in Nagoya, a leading producer of tie-dyed fabrics once coveted as souvenirs around Japan. She marvels at the artisans' dexterity and speed and wanders through this 400-year-old town, once a post town on the old Tokaido highway, in a tie-dyed kimono with a guide. She also tries her hand at simple tie dyeing, and checks out prettily designed products and chic tie-dyed leather goods. Also, Japanese swords are recently enjoying popularity among Japanese females. But why?

Our reporter visits the UNESCO World Heritage, thatch-roofed villages of Gokayama in Toyama Pref. He experiences traditional life in a 150-year-old house, helps prepare for the coming winter, and enjoys his meal of local delicacies at the sunken hearth. He also makes washi paper, his own musical instrument, and learns the dance steps used when playing it in the local festival. Also, road-side stations on major arterial roads in the country provide more than just a place to rest on a road trip.

Our reporter visits Miyagi Pref. 8 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. She visits KIBOTCHA, a hostel facility in Higashi Matsushima specializing in disaster-preparedness. As part of a tailor-made program of activities, she speaks with a tsunami survivor and simulates evacuating a building at night. In the reconstructed town of Onagawa she takes a cooking class. Also, our correspondent recommends making a bag in Toyooka, Hyogo Pref., which is known for bag and wicker-trunk production.

Our reporter wanders through the hamlets of Shiiba - tucked away in the mountains of Miyazaki Pref. - which exude an atmosphere of old Japan. He takes a cooking class, goes back to his childhood climbing a treehouse, and experiences the fire-fallow cultivation techniques used for 5,000 years. Dinner consists of delicacies made with local produce. Also our correspondent introduces the colorful Hina Matsuri in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture. The highlight is the water parade - a living doll display.

We answer your questions and offer ideas for things to do on your trip. Want a thrill? Try drifting in a car in the Hokkaido Prefecture snowscape. You can drive yourself or sit in the passenger seat and enjoy the ride! Hotels are also part of your "only in Japan" experience. But if you need a rest while out and about, why not try a manga internet cafe? They are better than you imagine. Our studio guest gives vegans tips on restaurants and how to make the most of their eating experience in Japan. And more...

We travel through northern Japan, which enjoys some of the heaviest snowfall in the world. Fly in a hot-air balloon over the sweeping snowscape of Furano in Hokkaido Prefecture. Trek through 2m-deep snow in primeval forests wearing snowshoes. And what's a trip to chilly climes without a soak in a hot spring? Also, our correspondent gives a tour of snow monsters and a fiery festival on a chilly winter's night. Discover icy jewels, walk through blizzards, canoe a frozen river, play in powder snow, and more...

About 70% of Japan is mountainous, so megaliths, cliffs, and rock formations are a common sight. Some are works of nature; others, of man. But with imagination, they are works of art. Our reporter visits a former quarry in Kanaya, Chiba Pref. He walks around sheer walls, is awed at the sight of huge stone Buddhas, and climbs a boulder lookout which leaves you weak-kneed. Our correspondent suggests a trip to Wakayama Pref. and a soak in a cavernous hot spring, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Our reporter cum photographer creates a visual narrative of Ikeshima, Nagasaki Pref, the site of a coal mine until 2001. He rides a coal train, experiences the murky underground darkness, and visits disused apartments. He also explores the island on foot, imagining what life was like when the population was over 10,000 people. And, we have a report from The Church of the Sea in the fishing village of Sakitsu, Kumamoto Pref., where the faith of the "Hidden Christians" survived a 250-years ban.

Japan's museums offer fun and rich experiences, and cover multifarious subjects. We have foreign residents introduce us to their favorites. Get up close to faithful, ceramic reproductions of 1,000 masterpieces from around the world at the Otsuka Museum of Art in Tokushima Pref. Help in actual Mars research at the TeNQ Space Museum, Tokyo, produced by space researchers. And try forging at the Okuizumo Tatara and Sword Museum, Shimane Pref. You would be missing out by not visiting a museum in Japan.

Our studio guest takes us to the Sanin region in west Japan, a well-kept secret of travelers, to experience the local performing art of Iwami Kagura. She watches dynamic performances, goes behind the scenes to see stunning costumes being made, and tries mask painting. Then she participates in rehearsals. Overall, a well-rounded travel experience. Also, we look at Shukubo, Buddhist lodgings, at temples used by monks for ascetic training. Escape the everyday, relax your mind, and realign your body.

Osaka Prefecture stands centerstage at the 2019 G20 Summit and the 2025 Expo, and we have 3 locals show us their town. Take a stand-up paddle boat tour through this city of water, or relax at bars hidden in alleyways. Interact with colorful, zany Osakans: a 99-year-old cafe owner, a female idol group with an average age of 65, a samurai chef who uses his cutting skills in his kitchen, and animal-print-loving ladies. You need to scratch deeper than the surface to discover how quirky this metropolis is.

Our reporter discovers that Inami, Toyama Pref., is one huge woodcarving museum, no matter where she looks. She visits the exhibition hall that displays dragon-shaped electric guitars, anime characters, and other novel items all sculpted from wood. Her guesthouse offers an apprenticing experience where she gets to sculpt her own piece from a single block of wood. She chooses a spoon. Also, we visit the brush-making town of Kumano, Hiroshima Pref., to learn that a brush is not just a brush.

Our reporter visits Tokamachi, Niigata Pref., known worldwide for its art festival. She views works inspired by the local scenery, lifestyle, and culture, such as statues in terraced fields. She visits an old school that has been turned into a 3D-picture book. At a tunnel and a beech forest, she reaffirms that nature is art. Also, our slightly acrophobic reporter crosses Japan's longest suspended pedestrian bridge in Shizuoka Pref. with a stunning view of Mt. Fuji and rides a zip line with ease.

Our reporter cycles 5km along the Mid-Sea Road that links 4 isles in Uruma, Okinawa Pref. He finds the azure seas so irresistible he takes a kayaking tour and goes snorkeling. He wanders through traditional Okinawan townscapes, takes goats out to graze, and visits spots full of the energy of the deities. Also, a beach in Mitoyo, Kagawa Pref., is setting social media alight. Low tide at Chichibugahama, especially at dusk, is the time to take creative, mirrored photos reflected in the pools of water.

In the Kujukuri Beach-Choshi area in eastern Chiba Prefecture, our reporter tries surfing, horseback riding, porpoise watching, and other activities along a 66-km stretch of beach on the Pacific Ocean -- one of Japan's longest sandy beaches. He also shows us the history of this old sardine-fishing town and savors the local delicacies. Also, our correspondent goes to Shizuoka, where Japan's model-makers are concentrated. She peers into fascinating history of this unique miniature world.

Our reporter travels along the Pacific coast in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. He wakes up before the birds to check out an enormous morning market and eat his way through the food stalls. He then ventures to an island overrun with black tailed gulls, then into nature to play at the singing beach and hike along the coastline with spectacular views. Also, our correspondent in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, invites us to witness over 100 hot air balloons take flight at once in one of Asia's largest balloon festivals. With over 30 years' experience emceeing the event, he gives us insider tips on how best to enjoy it.

Our reporter travels western Honshu, which has a high annual rainfall. She wonders at how the printing on Sekishu washi does not dissolve in water and treks a gorge for wasabi, "the green diamond" that thrives on delicious water. She also hunts for a valuable creature that inhabits pristine waters, the Japanese giant salamander! And, our correspondent climbs a harsh pilgrimage route through a temple in Tottori Pref. that covers an entire mountain. His goal? A mystic hall built on a cliff face.

Your trip would be lacking without visits to museums with Japan-only experiences and insights into little-known historical facts. 3 museum-loving guests introduce us to their favorites. Marvel at the precision of miniature models and try your hand at painting one at the Kurayoshi Figure Museum, Tottori Pref. Experience prison life in a century-old jail at the Abashiri Prison Museum, Hokkaido Pref. The arcade games of old, locks, and more. Stimulate your senses at one of Japan's over 5,500 museums.

Our reporter shows us around the town of Hasami, Nagasaki Pref., with a 400-year history in pottery. She browses shops selling distinctive ceramics with modern designs made using traditional methods. She strolls around the old pottery district and an old climbing kiln. At her homestay for the night, she harvests vegetables for dinner and tries her hand at making a plate. And, we learn about Otsu-e, a satirical folk art dating back to the 17th century, at a museum and workshop in a city outside Kyoto Pref.

Bridges, dams, roads -- we explore Japan's public facilities and infrastructure. Take in a breathtaking panorama of Kobe at the top of the world's longest suspension bridge, 300m above the sea. Marvel at the subterranean cavern that protects the capital and surrounding area from flooding. Bungee jump at a dam deep in the mountains. Tour a colorful waste facility, walk through an underwater tunnel, and take one-minute ferry rides across rivers in Osaka Prefecture. Discover the joy of sightseeing with a twist.

Expert traveler guests answer your questions and give advice on making your Japan trip even more fun. Stroll and bike through Yakage, Okayama Pref., a 400-year-old post town that holds vestiges of its heyday. Experience a blend of Japanese and Korean culture in Osaka Pref.'s Tsuruhashi area and eat Yakiniku barbeque wearing goggles. Also, don't be afraid of getting lost on your way to Kyoto Pref.'s famed Fushimi Inari Taisha; get off the train a stop early and discover hidden gems not found in guidebooks.

Our reporter heads to Izumi in Kagoshima Pref.'s northwest to a neighborhood with about 150 samurai residences, one of Japan's largest remaining clusters, showing how the warriors were always prepared for battle. The samurai once cared for the cranes migrating to Izumi so well, that today 10,000 cranes migrate to the area for the winter, Japan's largest migratory population of cranes. Also, our correspondent encourages us to let our imaginations roam in the gardens of Shiga Pref., near Kyoto Prefecture.