In this edition, JJ goes to a secluded part of northern Izu Peninsula, facing Suruga Bay. Suruga Bay, the deepest bay in Japan, extends 2,500 meters below sea level. It's famous for its rich variety of seafood. Heda, a small fisherman's town, is especially famous for its catch of deep-sea fish and the Japanese spider crabs-the largest crab in the world, which lives at the depth between 150 to 800 meters. (Excerpt)

On this edition of "journeys in japan" we head to northern Japan to visit a historic city with a warrior legacy -- Yonezawa in Yamagata prefecture. For long years, it flourished as a castle town and was a home to many samurai. Our reporter JJ explores its samurai legacy. (Excerpt)

On this edition of journeys in japan, JJ visits Minabe, Wakayama Pref., whose products are an essential part of Japanese food culture. Minabe produces more ume fruit than anywhere else in Japan - 30,000 tons every year. The type of ume grown in the area is called Nanko-ume. They are particularly large and flavorful, and are considered the highest quality in Japan. Most of the fruit harvested is pickled to make umeboshi, one of Japan's most distinctive foods. (Excerpt)

This week on "journeys in japan" we visit Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture. It's an ancient Buddhist sanctuary, far removed from the secular world. More than 1000 priests, engaged in daily ascetic practices, reside in the mountain hamlet. There are 117 temples in Koyasan, but the whole complex is regarded as one big temple for Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. Koyasan was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2004. It draws more than 1 million tourists every year. Our reporter JJ has been in Japan for 10 years, but this will be his first time to stay at a temple. JJ, like others, is on a spiritual journey to experience the Koyasan way of life, and perhaps even encounter a few things to incorporate in life at home. (Excerpt)

This week's Journeys in Japan, heads 1000 kilometers north of Tokyo to the sea of Okhotsk off the northeastern coast of Hokkaido. From January to March, the area becomes a vast blanket of ice floes. The ice amassing and drifting from Siberia on the currents to Hokkaido are called "drift ice." Our traveler, JJ, enjoys the wintry splendor of ice floes and other icy pleasures in the area.

On this edition of Journeys in Japan, our reporter, JJ, visits Kawazu and Shimoda, in Shizuoka Prefecture, in pursuit of typical Japanese spring delicacies.

The World Heritage site of Nikko is about 140 kilometers north of Tokyo. With historic temples and shrines set in beautiful natural surroundings, it is one of Japan's most popular scenic destinations.

On this edition of Journeys in Japan, we venture beyond Nikko to a small hamlet. The residents here have worshipped the mountains since ancient times, creating an original culture in harmony with nature. Our reporter, JJ, discovers generations of wisdom based on the blessings of nature. This is a story of the people who live in sacred mountains.

Nakasendo was the old mountain road connecting Edo, today's Tokyo, to Kyoto. The 530-kilometer stretch of road was dotted with 69 post towns. Our reporter, JJ, walks along a preserved section of the Nakasendo and stops at Tsumago, a beautifully restored post town. He spends the night at a venerable inn and meets people who treasure a traditional way of life. This edition of Journeys in Japan features a walk back in time along an Edo era road.

The Sanriku Coast of northeastern Japan is a beautiful area with stunning scenery. It was devastated by the great earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. But life is gradually returning to normal and people are rebuilding their communities and their lives. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, JJ returns to visit another stretch of the Sanriku Coast.

In this edition of Journeys in Japan, musician JJ enjoys the beautiful snowy scenery of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, one of the foremost mountain resorts in Japan.

Japan's Tsugaru Shamisen is taking off in North America and Europe today. Fans of the lute-type instrument are captivated by its dynamic sound, produced by striking thick strings with a plectrum. On Journeys in Japan, our reporter JJ, visits the heart of Japan's soul music - the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture.

Minakami Town in Gunma Prefecture is blessed with abundant nature and people can enjoy various outdoor activities. As Minakami is in a convenient location that can be accessed by Shinkansen bullet train in an hour from Tokyo, it is also drawing foreign tourists recently. This time, the traveler JJ enjoyed rafting and canyoning, as well as fishing on a lake and picking wild vegetables in mountains.

Hokkaido Prefecture in mid-winter is a frigid land of snow and ice, where temperatures can drop below minus 20 degrees Celsius for weeks on end. But this is the perfect time to see wildlife and natural phenomena that can only be glimpsed at this time of year. And, of course, it's a paradise for winter sports and other outdoor activities. This episode is presented by Bill Sullivan, the narrator for Journeys in Japan. He loves Hokkaido and the great outdoors. Right now, he can't make any trips, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But he hasn't stopped making travel plans. So this time he introduces 3 places and activities that are on his wish list, all in Hokkaido.

With the world pandemic, music venues across the globe have gone silent. So this time on Journeys in Japan, American actor Charles Glover takes us back in time to get lost in live music. He revisits Kobe, the city of jazz, Tsugaru, the heart of the shamisen and Osaka, the place for the blues. And he gets the word from local musicians about the current situation in their area.