Muroran, in southwestern Hokkaido Prefecture, flourished as an industrial city, mainly in steel manufacturing. After the 1970's, the city declined with industrial sector changes and other factors. But in recent years, tourism is up with popular night factory viewing, retro architecture touring as well as dolphin and whale watching. British photographer Alfie Goodrich discovers Muroran's wonderful people and photogenic charms.

Rausu lies on the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, in eastern Hokkaido Prefecture. Most of the peninsula is designated as a national park, to preserve its rich natural environment. Tours by boat offer visitors the opportunity to see orcas and whales, as well as brown bears on the seashore. The fertile waters off Rausu also provide abundant catches of many kinds of fish. One of the main specialties of this area is kombu (kelp seaweed), an essential ingredient that adds flavor and umami to the dashi stocks that underpin Japanese cuisine. Rausu kombu is considered some of the finest in Japan and is in strong demand from high-end Japanese restaurants around the country. The harvest takes place from late July through the end of August. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, British photographer Alfie Goodrich visits Rausu and meets the kombu harvesters. He also goes to observe the wildlife that proliferates on the peninsula.

Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, is a vibrant port city steeped in history. When Japan first opened its first doors to the West in the mid-19th century, they opened in Yokohama. Soon after, a foreign settlement was established, serving as a window to Western culture. Photographer Alfie Goodrich focuses his lens on the cosmopolitan port city, discovering its beauty and multicultural heritage.

Located 2,000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, Hateruma is the southernmost inhabited island in Japan. With a population of about 500, it's known for its beautiful beaches and the local specialty, brown sugar. About 70% of the island's flat land is covered by sugarcane fields. When the cane is harvested in winter, the farmers work in teams, along with seasonal laborers from outside. Since the old days, the islanders have fostered this traditional spirit of cooperation. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, British photographer Alfie Goodrich meets the people of Hateruma, to see how they live on this distant subtropical island.

On Journeys in Japan, photographer Alfie Goodrich framed his lens on Hokkaido Prefecture's Muroran and Rausu in 2019. Muroran is an industrial city that flourished on steel. Though it fell on some hard times, it is coming back with events targeting youth culture fans. Rausu is a sliver of a town nestled on the Shiretoko Peninsula -- a World Natural Heritage Site. It is famous for its untouched nature and wildlife, as well as its prized kombu kelp.

This time, we trace Japan's legend of gold. The precious metal was actually first mined in Michinoku -- an old name for northern Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures -- in the 8th century Nara period. A photographer visits Hiraizumi and its golden Konjikido, meets a gold leaf artisan, ducks into an old mine and even pans for gold.

Lake Chuzenji lies in the highlands of northwest Tochigi Prefecture, above the city of Nikko. Thanks to its altitude, it became a popular summer resort for foreign embassy officials during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). One of the first to discover its beautiful scenery was Ernest Satow, a British diplomat and linguist who had a major influence on Japan as it opened up to the world. Satow built his villa on the lakeshore, and often visited in search of recreation and relaxation. In this episode of Journeys in Japan, Alfie Goodrich explores Lake Chuzenji in the guise of Ernest Satow. He visits some of the locations that Satow would have known, and also travels to other areas in Tochigi where modern-day approaches to recreation and relaxation have taken root.

Koyasan, in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture, is a sacred site of Shingon Buddhism. It was founded by the visionary monk, Kukai, about 1,200 years ago. Pilgrims and tourists alike stay in shukubo temple lodgings, some of which even feature luxury rooms. Visitors enjoy shojin vegetarian cuisine, meditation sessions and walks through the forests, as well as a famous cemetery. On this journey, British photographer Alfie Goodrich explores the tangible, and intangible, treasures of mysterious Koyasan.

Yakushima, off Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, is a magical island of primeval forest, rare micro-climate and pristine nature. It is also the first place in Japan to be recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. British plant-hunter, Ernest Henry Wilson, explored Yakushima in the early 20th century, researching and photographing its ancient Yakusugi trees. Photographer Alfie Goodrich travels to the island and becomes a conduit for the famous plant-hunter Wilson...

Across Okinawa's islands, you will find the stone walls of castle ruins. The Ryukyu Kingdom was a country for 350 years before it was absorbed into Japan. From the 12th to 15th centuries, it erected many gusuku or castles to protect the land and also to provide a place of worship. Alfie Goodrich sets out to discover the beauty and mystery of Okinawa's old kingdom through its gusuku.

Osaka is a dynamic city with a dynamic history. Photographer Alfie Goodrich captures the food culture of the "Kitchen of Japan," the waterways that made it a commercial center, and the architecture reflecting the era when it surpassed Tokyo economically. He meets the spirited and sometimes flamboyant residents. The journey fittingly starts at the Osaka Castle, which was founded by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was known for his flamboyant sensibility.