Cycle Around Japan Season 7

In this episode, we send 2 cyclists to explore some lesser known parts of Tokyo as they compete in our special bingo game. They have 2 days to find typical items and places in the city that correspond to squares on their cards. Pursuing this quest they discover little known facts about the city, see how a popular traditional snack is made, visit a boatyard that's been making wooden craft for 200 years and a family farm hidden among suburban houses, and play along with an ingenious drum maker.

From Shibuya's newest skyscraper to nearby Shinjuku, where a man in a tiger mask cycles the city streets. Why did he choose such a life? After he introduces us to Shinjuku's lively back alleys, we ride west into a surprisingly natural landscape. By a tranquil river, we meet an artisan reviving a 200-year old dyeing craft, and in a mountain forest a far-sighted woodsman explains his ecological approach. City and society change with the times, but these are people holding fast to their chosen paths in life.

On these rides, we've often met people who battled hard times to emerge stronger than before. We've heard stories of overcoming natural disasters and disease, of a doctor taking on the challenge of singlehandedly caring for the elderly population of a remote mountain village and of how one young woman is raising a family on a tiny island, ensuring a future for its aging community. In this special episode, we get back in touch to hear their inspiring accounts of coping with the current pandemic.

14,000km. That's how far our cyclists have ridden around Japan. We've chosen the most invigorating scenes as well as new footage for you to enjoy. Cycle through the changing seasons - the blossoms of spring, summer's verdant green, the brilliant colors of autumn and winter's snowy landscapes. And then see how these landscapes were shaped by farming communities in harmony with the sea, rivers and mountains. Touring by cycle isn't just the most exhilarating way to go, it also gives you the closest look at the land.

Facing the Seto Inland Sea, sunny Kagawa Prefecture historically overcame a lack of natural resources and water through skill and hard work. Despite having no local bamboo or paper, Kagawa artisans created paper fans famed for their quality. Bonsai grow well in this dry climate, and Kagawa's have won fans worldwide. After a taste of Wasanbon sweets, prized for centuries for their delicate sweetness, we cross to a small island to sample soy sauce made the traditional way. A trip of tough but rewarding climbs, reflecting the spirit of Kagawa.

Selected moments from rides in the north country, cherry blossoms in spring and red leaves in fall. In Aomori Prefecture, northernmost part of Japan's main Honshu island, we encounter its traditional tenacity of spirit in young children learning to master the local style of shamisen playing. In neighboring Akita Prefecture, children sing songs handed down for generations, tales of fishermen, their families and the sea. Finally, in Fukushima Prefecture, we see how Aizu still lives by the code of its mountain samurai clan, famed for staying true to their principles.

Selected moments from past trips to Japan's smaller islands, exploring their unique cultures and ways of life. Riding a scenic cycling route spanning the Seto Inland Sea, we learn how an island community's hopes for the future rest on the students of their tiny school. On the Oki Islands off Japan's west coast, we stand atop its awesome cliffs before getting hands-on in an island sumo ring, and on southern Miyakojima, we taste the ocean in the local tofu and the island's history in its traditional music.

Riding up Tanegashima's western coast with its sandy beaches, our cyclist visits a scissor craftsman, last of a 500-year old tradition. The east coast takes him past rocks carved by the ocean into fantastic shapes to Japan's biggest space center. Local schools here host children from all over the country for a year to learn about space and experience island life. Finally, he crosses to legendary Yakushima to explore its millennia-old forests and discover how nature inspires its islanders.

This 400km winter cycle trip takes us through Ibaraki Prefecture. At Lake Kasumigaura, our cyclist plunges into freezing water to help a husband and wife harvest lotus roots. After hill climbing on Mt. Tsukuba, he visits a historic kendo hall and a workshop where 2 brothers make fine armor the traditional way. Whether it's an old couple crafting heirloom brooms, or hotel brothers experimenting with fishermen's cuisine, Ibaraki families know the value of working together.

Our ironman cyclist Michael sets off from Osaka. Leaving the giant city, he tackles the challenge of Japan's steepest road on his way to historic Nara, site of the capital 1,300 years ago. As he rides through this tranquil countryside, he dives into a world of myth -- from Nara's sacred forest, brilliant with the colors of fall, he travels south to a land teeming with prehistoric burial mounds. Here, where ancient rulers slept for millennia, the old wisdom still shows us how to live in harmony with nature.

Our New Zealand cyclist begins his ride through Tottori Prefecture with a fat bike tour of its spectacular 16-km long sand dunes. In the mountains, he drops in to a high school calligraphy club where he is hugely impressed by the way these young girls have created a powerful performance using traditional brush calligraphy and music. Returning to the coast, he's amazed by hearing from farmers how their ancestors' hard work and inventiveness produced techniques for growing food in sand. Join us, and discover this unique part of Japan.