Journeys in Japan - Season 14 - Eps 14: With Isabella Bird — Part 2: On the Road to Tsugawa
British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, a mere 10 years after the country opened its doors to the West. Accompanied by just one young man who served as both her interpreter and attendant, she traveled deep into the hinterland. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan is her highly praised travelogue of that journey. It is a valuable record written from the perspective of a devout Christian endowed with critical thinking, which smashed the fairytale image of Japan that had spread in Western countries. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, US writer Benjamin Boas traces Bird's footsteps, looking for vestiges of the Japan of 150 years ago. Starting from Kinugawa Onsen, he makes his way to the Aizu region and then to the town of Tsugawa, in Niigata Prefecture.
About Journeys in Japan
Title: Journeys in Japan
First Air Date: 2010-02-02
Last Air Date: 2025-04-15
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 9/10 (from 1 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 16
Total Episodes: 526
Network: NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: Japan International Broadcasting (JIB), NHK
Synopsis
Journeys in Japan provides an eye-opening look at the many unique places to visit in Japan. English-speaking visitors travel the length of the country, exploring the culture, meeting the local people, visiting historic sites and offering travel hints rarely found in guidebooks.
Cast
Bill Sullivan
Self - Narrator (voice)
