Begin Japanology
Season 5 Episode 37 - Mushrooms
About 5,000 species of mushroom can be found in Japan, a quarter of the world's known species. The matsutake is the gold standard of edible mushrooms. And whether it's a broth of shimeji mushroom, or tempura-fried hen-of-the-woods, mushrooms are a quintessential autumn food in Japan, and have been for centuries. There are also some very rare mushrooms, like the caterpillar fungus - which grows on insects and which has been used medicinally since ancient times - or the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms of Hachijojima. In recent years, Japan has seen a decline in the number of wild mushrooms. Intense efforts have been made to revive matsutake harvests. Some efforts to stimulate mushroom growth are even using artificial lightning strikes - quite a shocking idea! On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is mushrooms. We'll see how Japan's climate and culture have made it the nation that eats a wider variety of fungi than any other.
Episodes in Season 5
Ekiden
28 min
Batteries
28 min
Cafes
28 min
Hot Water Bottles and Pocket Warmers
28 min
Ikebana
28 min
Excavators
28 min
Woods & Forests
28 min
Japanophiles - Dhugal Lindsay
28 min
Japanophiles - Richard Emmert
28 min
Japanophiles - Art Lee
28 min
Japanophiles - Philip Harper
28 min
Kabuki
28 min
Wild Vegetables
28 min
Horses
28 min
Massage Chairs
28 min
Shikoku Pilgrimage
28 min
Regional Fast Food
28 min
Department Stores
28 min
Kimonos
28 min
Aquariums
28 min
Confectionery
28 min
Dolls
28 min
Moss
28 min
High School Baseball
28 min
Planetariums
28 min
Japanophiles - Adam Booth
28 min
Japanophiles - Dave Spector
28 min
Japanophiles - Euan Craig
28 min
Shamisen
28 min
Crested Ibises
28 min
Abalone
28 min
Tokyo Station
28 min
Tokyo Skytree
28 min
Tokyo Bay
28 min
Potatoes, Taros, and Yams
28 min
Name Seals
28 min
Mushrooms
28 min
Vending Machines
28 min
Scissors
28 min
Satsuma Mandarins
28 min
Gift-giving
28 min
