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Japan. Michael, welcome to Japan, a
railway paradise.

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Its huge population spread over long
islands live by its railway.

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It's like I'm driving.

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My new adventure takes me through the
land that launched the high -speed

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I love Shinkansen.

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Where millions of journeys are made each
day through some of the most bustling

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stations on Earth.

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Busy city.

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I'll ride Japan's vast railway network.

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To uncover a land of bold innovation.

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Haven't quite got the hang of it yet.

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A place of enduring tradition, volatile
geology and remarkable people. Join

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me on an excursion like no other. I'm
too excited to sit down.

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My journey across Japan has led me to an
island far from the usual tourist

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trails.

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I am traveling on Kyushu, which is the
most southerly and most westerly of the

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four biggest islands that comprise Japan
and is renowned for its volcanic

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activity. During the two and a half
centuries that the Shogun kept foreign

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influence out of Japan, this region
maintained some contact with the Asian

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mainland and with the West.

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not least through its major port at
Nagasaki.

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In this area, inevitably, I'll reflect a
little on the Second World War, but

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I'll also look at the Japan of today and
tomorrow as I visit one of its most

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youthful and dynamic cities, Fukuoka.

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The name Kyushu means nine provinces.

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which the island had in ancient times.

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Today it's home to 22 rail lines and 567
stations.

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I'll begin in the south at Kagoshima and
will make my way northwards, learning

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the importance of the island's position
at the westerly edge of Japan.

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I'll travel under the ocean to end in
the western part of Honshu Island at

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Hiroshima.

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My narrow -gauge train hugs the
coastline as we head towards Kagoshima.

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Located in the southwest of Kyushu,
Kagoshima is a port city.

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It gained political and commercial
importance in the 16th century as the

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of the feudal Satsuma province.

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I'm arriving at the transport hub of
Kagoshima Chuo Station.

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The city has a population of around 600
,000.

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There's a mix of old and new.

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Tower blocks alongside densely packed
housing.

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Cities today may be coming to look more
and more like each other. There's sort

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of uniformity to the architecture of a
high -rise building.

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But here, this alleyway takes you back
in history, albeit that it is cluttered

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with the modern paraphernalia of air
-conditioning units and bicycles. But

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nonetheless, you get a sense of
community, of neighbours living cheek by

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It's very charming and wonderful that it
survived.

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The most distinctive feature of this
city is that it lies just four

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from one of Japan's most active
volcanoes, owning it the nickname Naples

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East.

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I'm excited to see the great Sakurajima
volcano.

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It's often compared to Vesuvius.

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It dominates Kagoshima as Vesuvius
dominates Naples. They both have a bay

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which they are reflected.

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And they're similar in their danger too.

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It was Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.
Kagoshima is threatened by Sakurajima,

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which means Cherry Blossom Island.

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But it is ash and lava that it spews
forth.

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Indeed, it's no longer even an island
because a lava flow filled in the gap

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between it and the land beyond.

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And there it stands, magnificent and
menacing.

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Sakurajima erupts up to a thousand times
a year, sending gases, dust and ash up

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into the atmosphere.

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Despite its constant activity, you can
visit it by ferry.

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It's a 15 -minute journey across the
bay.

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Kagoshima is the wettest of all of the
47 prefectures of Japan and

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a volatile volcano makes for capricious
weather.

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Sakurajima volcano began to form around
13 ,000 years ago and sits within a much

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older 30 ,000 year old cauldron known as
Era Caldera.

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This site attracts thousands of volcano
enthusiasts and scientists from around

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the world.

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One is volcanologist from the University
of Exeter, James Hickey.

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James, we're picking ourselves through
this rubble, which is actually larval

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rock, isn't it? When did this arrive?

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This was lava produced in the 1914
eruption.

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It produced at least one and a half
cubic kilometres of material.

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One and a half cubic kilometres of
material.

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You enjoy studying these volcanoes.

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I mean, you're clearly not from Japan,
and yet here you are today. How come?

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So I've been working at Sakurajima
volcano since about 2014.

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It was the first volcano I saw erupting.
The volcano is essentially a perfect

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natural laboratory for us to do our
science, right? It's very frequently

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It's erupting quite a lot.

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It's really well monitored, so we can
get excellent data. So it becomes this

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sort of perfect place for us to come,
test our ideas, test our hypotheses

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against an active volcano.

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Since the last major eruption in 1914,

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Sakurajima has become active every 10 to
30 years, most recently causing the

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evacuation of local residents in 2015
and 2022.

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It's staggering to discover, that 4 ,600
people live on this volcanic island.

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And I've come to an institution that I
would least expect to find at the base

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a volcano, a primary school.

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I don't know whether we're expecting an
eruption today, but all the children are

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wearing hard hats, little yellow hard
hats. Good morning.

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Good morning.

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More yellow hats advancing.

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And they come across a rather muddy
field, so they have to clean their boots

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the grate there.

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Good morning.

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The school has around 25 pupils aged
from 5 to 10.

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Good morning. My name is Michael.

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I love music.

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I love music too.

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Great pleasure.

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In charge of this remarkable school is
head teacher, Mr.

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Araki. Araki -sensei. Hello, Michael.

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Nice to meet you.

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It's great to be in your very special
school. Thank you for your welcome.

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Araki -sensei. Yeah.

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This volcano, this island, is known by
everyone in Japan. It's famous in the

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world. Yeah. So this volcano is so many
times erupting. So

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even in...

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How do the kids feel about this? Do they
get frightened?

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How do they feel about living next to
this big volcano?

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They feel calm, so they wear the helmet
as a usual thing.

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But it's so important.

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Ashes always come down. Every time we
sweep the

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ashes. You get the kids to do the
sweeping?

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Yeah, and me too. And you too.

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Being prepared for an eruption is just

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part of school life.

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Good morning, children.

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Good morning.

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You come to school in a helmet.

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That's quite unusual.

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And

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what

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are these bags?

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Bottle of water.

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Whistle.

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Oh, what's that for?

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Oh, a hand warmer. A hand warmer.

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Water bag.

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A water bag.

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Very good.

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Very useful things.

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Well, have a good day at school.

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See you.

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Bye -bye.

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Bye -bye.

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With the local population braced to
respond, warnings of seismic activity

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from the Sakurajima Volcano Observatory,
a monitoring facility established in

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1960.

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One of the senior team is Professor
Haruhisa Nakamichi.

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Hello, Professor.

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I'm Michael. Such a pleasure to meet
you.

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This is clearly a room where you are
monitoring the volcano.

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What are the things that you can measure
that give you an indicator of volcanic

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activity?

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00:12:02,470 --> 00:12:08,010
One of the key signals that indicate
volcanic activity is ground vibration.

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As magma rises, it pushes against the
surrounding rock, creating stress.

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The first instruments to detect this are
seismometers.

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Another thing is that when the magma
rises, the ground expands.

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To monitor this expansion and
contraction are three tunnels in

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We've installed extremely sensitive
instruments which can detect even the

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slightest ground movement.

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The data from these instruments is
collected in this room 24 hours a day,

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days a year.

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I believe that Sakurajima has more than
one peak.

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In

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Sakurajima,

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There are three peaks.

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The most active one is the Minamidake
Peak.

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During eruptions, large volcanic rocks
can be hurled all the way to the

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at the foot of the mountain.

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Another concern is the Aero Caldera
itself, which is currently accumulating

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magma. In 1914, magma that had
accumulated there suddenly moved towards

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Sakurajima, leading to a major eruption.

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Experts are now pointing out the
possibility that a similar eruption

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again. You have the volcano wired up
like a patient in intensive care in a

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hospital.

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So are you fairly confident that you'll
be able to predict problems ahead?

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Before a major eruption like that, there
are always precursor phenomena.

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In 1914, Sakurajima shook with
earthquakes, and there were reports that

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water levels dropped and wells dried up.

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There were signs that the ground was
rising and magma was moving upward.

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With today's technology, we can detect
these signs earlier and more accurately.

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By using more accurate and timely data,
we can evacuate earlier.

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I've returned to Kagoshima Station to
pick up

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a train heading south.

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My next leg is a journey along Kagoshima
Bay to Ibusuki, at the end of the

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Satsuma Peninsula.

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In Japan, train travel is taken into
realms of fantasy, with a huge array of

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themed trains, many of which draw their
inspiration from fables and their

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characters. And I'm excited to be taking
one today.

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I'm now going aboard a fairytale train,
and there's a story that all Japanese

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children learn.

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It's about a young fisherman from the
Satsuma Peninsula, where I am now, who

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called Urashima Taro.

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And he saved the life of a turtle.

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And the turtle, in gratitude, invited
him to get on its back and go under the

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waves to a palace of a dragon.

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And there, Taro had all sorts of
wonderful times, and he met a princess.

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But after just a few days, he was
feeling homesick.

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So he set off for his home village
again, carrying with him a box, which

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gift from the princess, which she said,
do not open.

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When he got back to the village,
everything had changed, and it turned

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300 years had passed, and that,
obviously, his whole family was dead.

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And so he opened the box, and there was
a great puff.

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of white smoke and he suddenly was
converted to an old man with a white

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and white hair.

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And the morals of the story are no man
can cheat time and

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be kind to creatures.

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The white smoke that Taro encountered on
opening the box is recreated as we head

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off from Kagoshima.

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The train, painted half white, half
black, represents the moment when Taro's

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hair changed to the colour of snow.

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There are plenty of other delightful
touches, including side -facing seats,

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perfect to take in the view.

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00:16:32,290 --> 00:16:33,290
Hello.

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00:16:34,010 --> 00:16:35,010
Um...

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Shuchu. Shuchu.

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00:16:38,020 --> 00:16:40,080
Thank you very much.

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00:16:48,020 --> 00:16:50,740
Ah, thank you very much indeed.

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00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,300
Well, these are the sorts of
misunderstandings that occur.

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I thought I was buying a little bottle.

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00:17:01,460 --> 00:17:04,300
Thank you very much. I thought I was
buying a little bottle.

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00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,680
But actually I've bought a very big one.
Ah well.

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00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:10,599
Worst things happen on a train.

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This is one of the prettiest bottles
I've ever seen.

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And it is the train that I'm on.

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Contained in the bottle is shochu, a
local liquor of Kagoshima, which I'm

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with tonic.

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00:17:31,690 --> 00:17:34,550
My shochu is made from sweet potatoes.

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And if you said satsuma in Japanese, you
would mean a sweet potato.

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However, in the 19th century, after a
conflict between the local people and

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British, the British received some of
the citrus fruit and said, ah, satsuma.

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00:17:51,230 --> 00:17:55,890
So satsuma to the English means a citrus
fruit, and to the Japanese it means a

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sweet potato.

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Confusing.

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To go with my Shochu, I've pre -ordered
lunch.

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Hello.

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00:18:11,790 --> 00:18:13,050
Thank you very much.

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00:18:13,350 --> 00:18:14,350
Thank you.

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This train is named Tamatebako,

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which means forbidden box.

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00:18:29,150 --> 00:18:34,350
and remembering the fate of poor Taro,
it's perhaps rather foolhardy of me to

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have ordered a bento box.

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Stand clear, as I open it.

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00:18:45,670 --> 00:18:52,010
So far from being prematurely aged, I am
invigorated by a delightful display of

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food.

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The train has brought me to Ibusuki, a
town on the coast overlooking the East

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China Sea, where an ancient tradition is
practised which draws on the region's

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volcanic geology.

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To take part, participants must appear
in a special robe known as a yukata.

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To the beach!

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00:19:21,930 --> 00:19:26,990
Directly on the sand, under a protective
cover, is the Ibusuki onsen.

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00:19:27,660 --> 00:19:32,160
Across Japan, onsen are places to bathe
in natural hot springs.

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Here, it's a bit different.

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This is one of the strangest sights I've
ever seen. It's moments like this that

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make foreign travel so worthwhile.

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00:19:41,860 --> 00:19:47,580
Unique to the island of Kyushu, this is
a dry onsen, where you steam your body

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00:19:47,580 --> 00:19:52,660
in sand, heated by volcanic spring water
below, that reaches temperatures of

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00:19:52,660 --> 00:19:53,800
around 50 degrees.

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Head? Head here. Head here.

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Can I have a cup, please?

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00:20:01,150 --> 00:20:02,150
Yes, please. Thank you.

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00:20:02,970 --> 00:20:05,070
Thank you very much.

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00:20:09,530 --> 00:20:11,210
Ooh, the sand is warm.

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00:20:13,910 --> 00:20:17,030
I didn't feel it on my feet, but you
feel it on your body.

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00:20:17,910 --> 00:20:18,910
It's hot.

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00:20:19,870 --> 00:20:21,670
Hmm, quite relaxing.

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I had anticipated the heat.

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It's very warm.

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00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:38,560
And I hadn't counted on the weight. This
sand weighs so much, I'm scarcely able

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00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:39,560
to move.

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00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,880
And do you know there was a Portuguese
adventurer who wrote about this custom

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00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:46,400
450 years ago?

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00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:53,360
And he said that he observed the elderly
people being buried twice a day for up

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to two hours, believing that it improved
their blood circulation.

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I don't think I'll make much more than
five minutes.

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The sandbars have been used for
centuries by those seeking a cure for

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such as rheumatism, asthma, anemia and
diabetes.

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00:21:12,330 --> 00:21:17,410
I must say that was a really lovely
experience, although it goes against the

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grain to say that.

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My journey across this southern
peninsula...

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00:21:27,630 --> 00:21:33,730
now takes me inland to visit chiran a
rural town surrounded by rice paddies

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00:21:33,730 --> 00:21:40,230
tea plantations during the second world
war an air base was located here from

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which young pilots took off on their
final mission today it endures as a

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of reflection and remembrance at the
temple i pay my respects to those who

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00:21:52,350 --> 00:21:58,530
died in war some fighting for my freedom
and some fighting against my country.

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And I pay respect to those dying in wars
today.

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Many dying for ideologies that I regard
as misguided or even evil.

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But that doesn't detract from the
bravery of the competent who sacrifices

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00:22:15,190 --> 00:22:16,190
everything.

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00:22:18,050 --> 00:22:24,070
Japan entered the Second World War in
1941, fighting alongside the other

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powers of Germany and Italy.

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00:22:26,410 --> 00:22:31,450
Japan's military campaigns were marked
by extreme brutality towards civilians

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and prisoners of war.

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00:22:33,790 --> 00:22:38,830
Its surprise attack on the United States
Navy's Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii

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00:22:38,830 --> 00:22:40,810
triggered the Pacific War.

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00:22:41,310 --> 00:22:46,790
By 1944, the United States and Allied
forces had the upper hand and were

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advancing towards Okinawa, one of
Japan's most southerly islands.

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00:22:51,290 --> 00:22:55,390
The Japanese government authorized plans
to defend it at all costs.

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00:22:55,770 --> 00:23:01,090
training kamikaze air squadrons to
attack the U .S. naval fleet in suicide

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00:23:01,090 --> 00:23:07,250
missions. It was from here in Tehran
that the first kamikaze missions took

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00:23:07,350 --> 00:23:13,310
and today is the location of the Tehran
Peace Museum, where I'm meeting retired

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00:23:13,310 --> 00:23:19,850
Japanese Army Colonel Takeshi Kawatoko,
who entered the forces in 1959 and is

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00:23:19,850 --> 00:23:21,570
now an historical interpreter.

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00:23:22,170 --> 00:23:23,210
Kawatoko -san.

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00:23:25,290 --> 00:23:26,290
I'm Michael.

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00:23:26,330 --> 00:23:30,210
Nice to meet you. Great pleasure. Great
pleasure. Could you explain to me

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00:23:30,210 --> 00:23:33,130
kamikaze? What does the word mean?

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00:23:33,590 --> 00:23:35,710
Kamikaze means a big typhoon.

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00:23:36,190 --> 00:23:42,770
About 800 ago, Japan was invaded by
Fubire Han, the Mongolian fifth emperor.

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00:23:43,510 --> 00:23:46,490
At that time, Japan was only on defense
position.

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00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:50,100
However, one night, big typhoon
happened.

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00:23:50,540 --> 00:23:55,200
And many Mongolian battles started going
to sea. And finally, Japan won a

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00:23:55,200 --> 00:24:01,180
victory. From that time, Japanese people
began to believe that big typhoon will

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00:24:01,180 --> 00:24:03,120
happen in case of crisis of defense.

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00:24:03,700 --> 00:24:06,040
Kami means divine or God.

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00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:07,720
Kaze means wind.

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00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:13,540
The pilots were named after the divine
wind that had saved Japan 800 years

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00:24:13,540 --> 00:24:14,540
before. Yes.

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00:24:15,970 --> 00:24:21,710
How many pilots flew from here, from
Chiran, to their deaths?

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00:24:24,330 --> 00:24:25,110
The

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00:24:25,110 --> 00:24:40,150
Kamikaze

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00:24:40,150 --> 00:24:43,550
pilots were youths, the youngest being
17.

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00:24:44,590 --> 00:24:49,710
who followed the samurai code of conduct
known as Bushido, based on loyalty,

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00:24:49,890 --> 00:24:51,090
courage and honour.

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00:24:51,630 --> 00:24:56,510
Many of their letters and final
testaments are held here at the museum.

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00:24:56,950 --> 00:25:01,410
Do these pilots speak about their sense
of duty, their patriotism? Do they

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00:25:01,410 --> 00:25:04,510
mention these things in their diaries or
their letters?

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00:25:13,910 --> 00:25:17,770
They respected their owner above their
lives.

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00:25:18,530 --> 00:25:24,190
So when Kamikaze part was the order for
final sortie, they never

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00:25:24,190 --> 00:25:27,990
wavered. Yes, yes.

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00:25:31,070 --> 00:25:34,230
Do we know what it was like for them the
night before?

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00:25:34,910 --> 00:25:37,530
They know they're going on a mission.
They know they're going to die.

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00:25:37,790 --> 00:25:39,990
What are they thinking about the night
before?

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00:25:41,530 --> 00:25:46,770
I think there's a strong will to
complete their mission as kamikaze

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00:25:46,770 --> 00:25:53,110
also who wanted to express their
gratitude to their families,

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00:25:53,210 --> 00:25:59,990
especially mother to mother, who raised
them with

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00:25:59,990 --> 00:26:00,990
love.

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00:26:01,250 --> 00:26:07,230
Here's a second lieutenant, Fujio
Wakamatsu, 19 years old, who died on

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00:26:07,310 --> 00:26:08,310
1945.

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00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,540
Dear Mother, I have no complaint.

335
00:26:10,900 --> 00:26:15,420
I go smiling as I perform my first and
last act of filial piety.

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00:26:15,940 --> 00:26:21,160
Please put sweet dumplings on my
memorial shrine and praise me rather

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00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:22,160
crying for me.

338
00:26:23,020 --> 00:26:25,960
Please think of this doll as me, Fujio.

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00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:30,760
Please take care of my elder brother and
elder sister and youngest brother,

340
00:26:30,860 --> 00:26:34,200
Kazumi. In my haste, look at my writing.

341
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,680
Please say hello to all our neighbours.
Dear Mother,

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00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,760
I, Fujio, go smiling to conquest. Be
well.

343
00:26:42,060 --> 00:26:43,060
Take care.

344
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:44,760
See you, Mother.

345
00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,220
Goodbye, Fujio.

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00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:48,500
Yeah.

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00:26:48,820 --> 00:26:51,380
It's immensely moving. Very, very
moving.

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00:26:52,220 --> 00:26:57,920
You who have studied the kamikaze
pilots, what lessons do you draw? What

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00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,520
conclusions do you draw about our world?

350
00:27:01,340 --> 00:27:05,060
I hope this kind of station must not
happen again.

351
00:27:05,740 --> 00:27:09,150
Yes. We must not use our humans as
bombers again.

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00:27:09,890 --> 00:27:12,430
And no more war.

353
00:27:33,170 --> 00:27:35,750
The Second World War was a catastrophe.

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00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:42,140
the death toll amongst the victors and
the defeated was incalculable.

355
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,180
You only have to look around to see how
Japan has prospered from peace and

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00:27:47,180 --> 00:27:48,180
democracy.

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00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:53,920
Nature still has destructive power, and
Japan must be on its guard against

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00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,500
earthquake, tsunami and volcano.

359
00:27:57,460 --> 00:28:04,120
After my hot sand bath, I've been left
tingling, an excellent state in which to

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00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:05,300
continue my journey.

361
00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,020
Next time. Come on.

362
00:28:11,180 --> 00:28:14,160
How lovely to see you. Wow.

363
00:28:14,500 --> 00:28:16,460
Why are you so famous?

364
00:28:16,780 --> 00:28:18,660
Oh, for your dancing.

365
00:28:20,340 --> 00:28:24,100
And this castle was very well prepared
for Teej.

366
00:28:24,300 --> 00:28:29,020
Yes. It's hard to climb up, even for
ninja.

367
00:28:32,380 --> 00:28:34,820
Oh, that play.