Journeys in Japan
Season 13 Episode 20 - Midsummer with the Ancestors: Wakasa Town
The town of Wakasa-cho lies on the coast of Fukui Prefecture, looking out on the Sea of Japan. In the old days, the town thrived as a key hub on a highway connecting the region with Kyoto. Each year in August, a traditional dance known as Rokusai Nenbutsu is performed by people in this town. The ceremony, which dates back over 700 years, is held to mark the midsummer Obon holiday, when the ancestors are believed to return to their former homes. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, rakugo artist Cyril Coppini meets the local people who are keeping alive this tradition, to ensure that generations to come will continue to welcome the spirits of their forebears.
Episodes in Season 13
Yamanobe no Michi: Strolling Back Into the Past
28 min
Hamamatsu: From Local Expertise to Global Renown
28 min
Matsusaka: Legacy of Samurai, Merchants, Artisan
28 min
JAPOW Magical Backcountry Ski Tour
28 min
—Festivals— A Harbinger of Spring
28 min
Hearing the Silent Voice of the Bedrock
28 min
Eyeing Architectural Wonders
28 min
Nagasaki: City of Hills and Hope
28 min
Eternally Radiant Himeji Castle
28 min
Maniwa: Living from the Forest
28 min
Breathing New Life into Iwaki
28 min
Exploring the Mudflats of the Ariake Sea in Saga
28 min
Yamagata: Communing with the Living and the Dead
28 min
Suzuka: City with a Racing Circuit
28 min
Iriomote: Pursuing the Elusive Jungle Cat
28 min
Shinhama, Sendai: A Green Sea Wall for the Future
28 min
Tamba-Sasayama: Inn to the Heart of a Village
28 min
Okinawa: Weaving Culture
28 min
Peak Pleasure in the Northern Alps
28 min
Midsummer with the Ancestors: Wakasa Town
28 min
With Isabella Bird: On the Road to Nikko
28 min
Tochigi: Destinations of Timeless Calm
28 min
Spirited Away to Tono
28 min
Hakone Hachiri: Highway Back in Time
28 min
Kumamoto: Castle Town Loves Its Past with Eye on the Future
28 min
