Begin Japanology
Season 4 Episode 6 - Snow
Around 20 million people live in Japan's "snow zone," where a single winter brings at least five meters of snow altogether. Japan is distinct in having so much snow so far south. Life in the snow zone has inspired many innovations. Traditional homes in Gifu Prefecture have steep, snow-shedding roofs and flexible frames. People in Niigata Prefecture weave colorful textiles whose brightness can be enhanced by laying them on the snow on a sunny day. Snow creates beautiful visual effects, as well as bringing great pleasure to children. In parts of Japan, children gather in snow huts on winter evenings. Some farmers look at mountainside snowmelt patterns to help them decide when to plant rice, and one farmer even uses snow to preserve the taste of freshly harvested rice. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at snow - how the Japanese appreciate it, cope with it, and coexist with it.
Episodes in Season 4
Mochi Rice Cake
28 min
Watches and Clocks
28 min
Fugu Blowfish
28 min
Haneda Airport
28 min
Kagura Dances
28 min
Snow
28 min
Pollen Allergy
28 min
Sashimono Woodwork
28 min
Cranes
28 min
Kitchen Knives
28 min
Fishing
28 min
Armour
28 min
Judo
28 min
The Life of Taro Okamoto
28 min
The Life of Osamu Dazai
28 min
The Life of Kenzo Tange
28 min
The Life of Hideko Maehata
28 min
Toilets
28 min
Lifts
28 min
Motorcycles
28 min
Unagi Eel
28 min
Japanophiles - Ilan Yanizky
28 min
Japanophiles - Silvain Guignard
28 min
Japanophiles - Stéphane Danton
28 min
Japanophiles - Dorothy Feibleman
28 min
Plastic Food Samples
28 min
Insects
28 min
Traditional Japanese Mathematics
28 min
Bicycles
28 min
Chusonji
28 min
Seaweed
28 min
Charcoal
28 min
Rain
28 min
Golf
28 min
Shipbuilding
28 min
Japanophiles - Bruce Huebner
28 min
Japanophiles - Noelke Muho
28 min
Japanophiles - Matt Alt
28 min
Karaoke
28 min
Holidays
28 min
Red Sea Bream
28 min
Shopping Streets
28 min
Chickens and Eggs
28 min
