Journeys in Japan
Season 16 Episode 3 - Enku's 120,000 Smiles over Gifu
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
The Mountain Spirit of Shiiba Village
28 min
Kyushu: Land of Samurai Swords
28 min
Enku's 120,000 Smiles over Gifu
28 min
Hokuriku 1: Foods and Flavors of the Trading Ships
28 min
Hokuriku 2: The Golden Age of the Trading Ships and Their Legacy
28 min
Gunma: Raking in Good Luck
28 min
Hida: Deep Winter Escape
28 min
Hokkaido Sapporo: Sensing the City through its Architecture
28 min
NIIGATA: SNOW COUNTRY WONDERLAND
28 min
Wakayama: The Cradle of Japan's Flavors
28 min
Kure Port, Kochi — The Lure of Katsuo
28 min
Izu Peninsula: Volcanic Beauty
28 min
Nagaoka: Water, the Wellspring of Abundance
28 min
Matagi: Yamagata’s Spiritual Hunter-Gatherers
28 min
Nishio: Whisking up the Global Matcha Boom
28 min
Tochigi: Life Away from the Sea
28 min
Okinawa: A World in Bloom
28 min
With Isabella Bird — Part 6: On the Road to Biratori
28 min