Journeys in Japan
Season 16 Episode 4 - Hokuriku 1: Foods and Flavors of the Trading Ships
The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train connects Tokyo with Toyama, Ishikawa and (since March 2024) Fukui Prefecture. This region along the Sea of Japan has its own distinctive history and culture. Until the late 19th century, Hokuriku was the hub for a vital trading route plied by sailing ships known as kitamaebune. Besides carrying cargo from Hokkaido all the way to Osaka, these vessels also stopped at ports along the way, introducing a range of foods and culture from afar. In the first of two episodes on the Hokuriku region, Kyle Card visits Takaoka (Toyama Prefecture) and Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), to explore the traditional food culture that blossomed in the region thanks to the kitamaebune traders.
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