Journeys in Japan
Season 16 Episode 3 - Enku's 120,000 Smiles over Gifu
9.0 ?
2010
Documentary
Roughly hewed, smiling statues of deities and Buddhas... A monk named Enku is believed to have sculpted some 120,000 in Gifu Prefecture, which are beloved to this day. We discover the stunning nature and culture of this area by following in the monk-sculptor's footsteps. We see where he practiced shugendo—rigorous mountain spiritual training; and where he stopped to create his charismatic statues. Actor Jonathan Senior travels to places associated with Enku to learn about his enduring legacy.
Episodes in Season 16
1
The Mountain Spirit of Shiiba Village
28 min
2
Kyushu: Land of Samurai Swords
28 min
3
Enku's 120,000 Smiles over Gifu
28 min
NOW PLAYING
4
Hokuriku 1: Foods and Flavors of the Trading Ships
28 min
5
Hokuriku 2: The Golden Age of the Trading Ships and Their Legacy
28 min
6
Gunma: Raking in Good Luck
28 min
7
Hida: Deep Winter Escape
28 min
8
Hokkaido Sapporo: Sensing the City through its Architecture
28 min
9
NIIGATA: SNOW COUNTRY WONDERLAND
28 min
10
Wakayama: The Cradle of Japan's Flavors
28 min
11
Kure Port, Kochi — The Lure of Katsuo
28 min
12
Izu Peninsula: Volcanic Beauty
28 min
13
Nagaoka: Water, the Wellspring of Abundance
28 min
14
Matagi: Yamagata’s Spiritual Hunter-Gatherers
28 min
15
Nishio: Whisking up the Global Matcha Boom
28 min
16
Tochigi: Life Away from the Sea
28 min
17
Okinawa: A World in Bloom
28 min
18
With Isabella Bird — Part 6: On the Road to Biratori
28 min
