Journeys in Japan
Season 12 Episode 7 - Otaru: Herring and Glassware; Keeping Alive Otaru's Tradition
The city of Otaru, on the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido Prefecture, was founded about 150 years ago and grew rapidly as the main port for shipping coal from mines in the region. It also became the primary fishing port for the massive herring catch. The fish were used as fertilizer by farms growing cotton. For this reason, demand was strong and herring fetched a high price. Many people made their way to Otaru hoping to prosper from the herring business, and the city's population grew rapidly. In response to this economic boom in Otaru, as many as 25 banks opened branches in the city and it became Hokkaido's financial and trading center. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, Isis Berns explores the city of Otaru, delving into its history of fishing and glass-making, to discover the proud vestiges of its past prosperity.
Episodes in Season 12
Kyoto: Tango Chirimen
28 min
Tsu: A Path to the Heart
28 min
Tsushima: Slow Living on a Frontline Island
28 min
Moji: Gateway to the World
28 min
Frozen Beauty at Dawn and Dusk: Hokkaido in Midwinter
28 min
Poetic Beauty of Wintry Kussharo
28 min
Otaru: Herring and Glassware; Keeping Alive Otaru's Tradition
28 min
Eye on Nagoya: A City's Identity through Architecture
28 min
Yamatokoriyama: Water Brimming with Goldfish
28 min
Minami Shinshu: A Solo Alps Journey
28 min
Rainy Nights, Summer Mysteries
28 min
Go Deep! Underwater Paradise
28 min
Toba Islands: Life and Love in a Traditional Community
28 min
Cultivating a Taste for Summer Vegetables
28 min
The Trail to Chiyanoki: Mountain Biking Revives Village
28 min
Lifting the Spirit through Architecture: Nikko Okinawa Osaka
28 min
Summer Festivals to Celebrate Around Japan
28 min
Ishinomaki: A Decade On - Remembering and Moving Ahead
28 min
Ascending the Sacred Peaks
28 min
An Ode to Live Music
28 min
Creative Solutions Spark Rural Revival
28 min
Legacies of Samurai Culture
28 min
Hokkaido: Catching the Northern Lights
28 min
Oki, Iki, Tsushima: Frontline Islands in the Stream
28 min
Shinto Rituals: Linking Communities and Deities
28 min
Northern Alps for All Seasons
28 min
Rising from the Ruins
28 min
Michinoku the Legend of Gold
28 min
Kasama: A Pottery Community in Evolution
28 min
