Japan Hour: Road Trip On Kominato Tetsudo (Part 2)

Local lines. Trains travelling through beautiful places of Japan that make us feel nostalgic. Season by season, we enquire local residents to find breathtaking scenery, delicious cuisine, and wonderful accommodations. It's a journey to uncover recommendations only the locals know. All aboard to find the home in our hearts.

(Home in our hearts) This time, the journey takes place on the Kominato Railway in Chiba Prefecture. (Kominato Railway) Outside of the train windows spreads the greenery of the countryside and a spectacular view of glittering trees. (Rich nature) There is also the scenic Yoro Valley along the railway line. Our travellers try excellent local ramen that won a grand prize...

-So good! -Here it is! as well as traditional confectionery. I accidentally spoke to you very casually. -Is this the Shusse Kannon? -Yes. (History along the railway line) They also discover the hidden history along the railway line.

-This is the trolley. -I see! They enjoy a refreshing ride on the trolley. On top of that... they also relax in a black water hot spring. However... -I'm warning you... -Yes?

I have no sense of direction. We are now closed for the day. Hello? Hello? 5:35 pm.

It's gone. It's a spontaneous two-day overnight journey. Let's get started, all aboard our journey of enquiry and discovery! (Chiba Prefecture) On the trip on the Kominato Railway, they smoothly found entries on the first day, and advance to Takataki Station. Let's keep up the great job tomorrow! (The second day) I'm hungry. -Hi. -Good morning.

"Hello something". "Something", good morning. -All the food is already here. -Yes, it is. It's another luxurious meal. -In the morning. -Yes. -It looks colourful. -Yes, it is.

-Thank you for it. -Thank you for it. This is Takataki's rice harvested this year that the JA staff offered yesterday. It looks great. I was looking forward to this.

-Really? We might as well try their rice. -Yes. It's sweet. It's really good. The rice tastes... fresh.

It's soft, isn't it? It is soft. But each rice grain is plump. It's very good. The time limit on this trip is set at 5:30 pm. They have four more entries to find to accomplish their goal. (9:20 am) (Guest House Sakaya) They'll take a photo together to thank the guest house. Who was the bassist for The Beatles? You don't know, do you? Paul McCartney.

-Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. See you later. Thank you very much. Have a safe trip. Thank you for giving us a lift. The guest house drives our duo back to Takataki Station.

(Takataki Station) -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -Thank you for everything. -Thank you for driving us. -It was very helpful. -Have a great trip.

-Thank you. -Thank you. She might be the owner-to-be. Maybe she is -9:57 am. -9:57 am. -It's arriving soon. -Yes. We'll take the 9:57 train, and we'll go to Satomi from Takataki.

We'll then take the Satoyama Trolley that departs at 11:59 am. -The trolley number one. -Great. Let's take the trolley. I hope we'll get to ride it. The first destination of the day is Satomi Station. They're going for the trolley train which they can take from Satomi Station.

The second day of their journey on the Kominato Railway begins now! The Kominato Railway connects the inland areas of the Boso Peninsula. There are 18 stations total. It's a local train line with the total distance of 39.1 kilometres.

Their goal is to enquire local residents and discover 10 entries. Satomi looks like a nice station. It's relatively large.

-Right? -Yes. Look, they're selling vegetables. It looks fun.

-Let's go. -Yes. -Let's go. -Yes. (10:09 am) Satomi looks nice. -Tickets for two, please. -Excuse me.

For two, please. We got the tickets. -Thank you. -We'll use this today. It's for all day.

Our duo buys one-day passes, and... We'd like to take the trolley train. We'd like to take a trolley train bound to Yoro Valley. The train won't leave for another hour.

-Yes, we know. -Yes. But we haven't gotten the tickets yet. Do you have seats available today? -Yes, we do. -Great. Two adults, please. -The ticket looks cute. -Yes.

(Satoyama Trolley Ticket: 500 yen) In addition to the train ticket, a trolley ticket is required to take the trolley train. Let's enquire people until the departure time. (1 hour 50 minutes left till the 11:59 am train) Welcome. What kind of stall is this? -We sell lunchboxes. -Lunchboxes?

Do you sell them every day? No, just weekends. -Every weekend? -Yes. Is there any place that you'd recommend us to visit around here? There's an art museum near here. What's the name of the art museum? -Lakeside Museum. -Lakeside Museum.

-Lakeside Museum. -Yes. They have the sculptor KUMA's work. -KUMA? -You can see his work.

Who's KUMA? -He's an artist from the old times. -I see. -His actual name is Shinohara. -That's right. -They do different events. -Right. Events? They sell pizza. -They sell pizza? -Is it good pizza? Don't they also have soft serve ice cream made with locally produced peanuts? I'd love to try the peanut ice cream.

Are there any bikes that we can rent around here? Well, over there... Do they still do bike rentals? -Yes, you can rent bikes. -Really? -Can we bike to the Lakeside Museum? -Yeah, sure. -Lakeside Museum. -Lakeside Museum. -We can bike? -About 10 minutes? -10 minutes. -Is the museum open now?

(Narration by Fumitoshi Sano) They showed our duo where they can rent bikes. It only costs 200 yen to rent a bike. (Rental bike 200 yen) To go to the art museum, should we go straight? Do you see that pointed roof over there? Turn left there and follow the lake. -It's by the lake. -The art museum?

It's like it's floating. -Floating? -I mean, it's right by the lake. Thank you, it's very helpful. We did it.

Do you remember the way? -You've got it? -What? Get it together, Yukai! -Let's go! -All aboard! I like biking. Me too. Stop, stop. It's the man from earlier. Here's how you get there.

-You drew a map for us? -You're here right now. Here's the path to the pointed roof. Turn left, and it's here. Thank you very much. It's so easy to understand.

-You know us very well. -See you later. Thank you very much. We've got a great map. We'll be fine with this map. We won't get lost.

-Let's go. -Let's go. -Here we go. -Okay. Let's go to the art museum! -It feels nice. -Nice soft breeze. -It feels great. -It does, doesn't it? -It's nice to bike now and then. -Yes.

It's refreshing. It's been 15 minutes since they left the station. Lakeside Museum. -Yay! -It looks cool! Yay! Yay! -We're here. -Let's go ask if we can film this place. Oh yeah, we need to do that first.

-It's an art museum, so... -Yes. I'm not sure. Will the museum give our duo permission to film? -Here? Hello. -Hello.

Hello. We're filming a TV programme and we're on a trip. Can we film the museum? It'll just be for a short while -Sure, we'd love that. -Great! -Thank you very much. Great. -Are you sure? They happily accepted to be filmed.

By the way... -They sell pizza and soft serve ice cream. -Where do you sell the ice cream? You can get it at a place called Bosso over there.

-It's a store. -Okay. -We'll go if we have time. -See you later. Wow, the first part of the museum already looks great. -I can briefly tell you about the artwork. -That'd be great.

-Yes, please. -This piece is called Heigh-ho. -Heigh-ho? -Yes. Can you make a guess what this shape represents? It's something we have inside of our body. -You use it to breathe in and out. -Lungs? -That's right. -Heigh-ho. Heigh-ho.

-Heigh-ho. -Exactly. We want our visitors to see things from a new perspective and feel refreshed after seeing beautiful work. That's what we're hoping for with this artwork. I see. (Ichihara Lakeside Museum) Ichihara Lakeside Museum looks like it is floating on Lake Takataki. The recommended work of the artist KUMA is displayed outside.

(Hirai by Katsuyuki Shinohara (KUMA)) The museums mainly holds exhibitions of contemporary art as well as workshops that are fun for both kids and adults. (The museums mainly holds exhibitions of contemporary art and workshops) -This looks cute. -So this is... It looks cute. -I don't know what this is made out of. -It's fantastic.

It's made of pieces of old clothes that were cut and knitted into ribbons. In terms of the relationship between the human and the universe, this year holds a significant meaning. -That's right. -Yes. -It's about the man landing on the moon. -Yes.

-Right. -It's been 50 years. Yes, it's the 50th anniversary. It's already been 50 years, huh? This artwork represents our longing for the universe.

This piece was created with the help of volunteers -with a Russian artist. -So cool. -It's made of pasta. -You're right! It's a future city.

What a great idea! I'd never come up with this idea even if I'm hungry and I have pasta. Art has the power of connecting any parts of the world together regardless of one's language. That's true. -Thank you, I loved it. -Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. (Museums hours: 10 am - 5 pm on weekdays, 9:30 am - 7 pm on Saturdays) After seeing art... What's this place? The person at the museum said it's called Bosso. They have peanut gelato. Yachimata peanut gelato.

-It's easy to take one. -Hello. Hello. -Peanut gelato. -Gelato.

-Okay. -Thank you. Bosso is an Italian restaurant located in the museum grounds. They're popular for their pizza and gelato made with ingredients from Chiba. Peanut gelato on waffle. -Thank you very much. -It's cute.

I thought it would have more of... -a peanut colour. -No, but it tastes like peanuts. -It does? Great. -It has a peanut flavour. It's made with Yachimata peanuts.

How does it taste? Thank you very much. It's has a great aroma. Right? It's definitely peanuts. Peanuts that melts. Cold peanuts. Chiba is the largest producer of peanuts in Japan.

Among them, peanuts from Yachimata has a rich taste and sweetness. The seventh entry in the guidebook, Ichihara Lakeside Museum, offering great art and foods from Boso. Let's hurry back to the station. We might get lost on the way back.

(Store hours: 11 am - 8 pm on weekdays 11 am - 9 pm on weekends) We must be really good at getting lost then. If we get lost on this path... Okay, let's go! (10 minutes left till the 11:59 train) The trolley is already here. Is it really here? Oh yeah, I see it. It's what we've been waiting for. This is a modern version of a steam locomotive that was used before.

Boso Satoyama Trolley is Kominato Railway's most popular tourist train. -Here we are. -Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I wanted to give you watermelon. No, you've already given a lot. -Thank you very much. -Your map was perfect.

Thank you very much. Have a good trip. Thank you very much. I hope to see you again. -Thank you. -Even the station worker is saying bye.

Blue sky against green trees and yellow rice plants. -It's so beautiful. -It really is. It's not just the scenery that is great about this train. -Would you like to take a photo? -I'd love to. -Can we use these hats? -Yes, go ahead. Please take a photo with my camera.

-Here we go. -Okay. It looks like we're on an amusement park ride. But this is a real ride.

Yes, it is. -We're enjoying this to the fullest. -Yes. The trolley train's last stop is Yoro Keikoku Station. It'd be nice to keep riding the train, but there are three more entries to find! What are they going to do? -I'd like to know more. - We're arriving at Tsukizaki. We're almost there. Tsukizaki? -Shall we get off here? -Yes.

After Tsukizaki Station, the trolley won't stop until Yoro Keikoku Station. So our duo decides to get off at Tsukizaki Station. (Tsukizaki Station) -Goodbye. -Bye.

(12:11) Hello. -Hi. -I'm Noriko. It's great to meet you. What are you doing here? I'm seeing off passengers.

My husband is an Honorary Station Master. Really? -Honorary Station Master? -Yes. Honorary Station Master? That's him, and this is his wife. -You said he's 89 years old. -He's 89. He celebrated his 88th birthday last year.

-Have a good trip. -Bye. Everyone seems so relaxed. -Isn't that great? Bye. -Have fun!

Bye. -Bye. -Nice work. Do you see off every trolley train like that? We come on Saturdays and Sundays. Were you a station master for many years? He worked for the Kominato Railway for 43 years.

The Kominato Railway. I worked in the railway industry all my life. What is your favourite season? Me? I like all the seasons! I see. I love welcoming passengers in all seasons. But if I had to choose...

it'd be the autumn. -The autumn. -The autumn is the best. The autumn leaves. Yes, that's the best season. According to the Honorary Station Master, the best time to see autumn leaves is the end of November. In just over a month, trees along the route will change colours.

Thank you very much. We'll walk around a bit. -Nice work. -Nice work. Let's see. This looks completely different.

It's around noon now. -It's 12:20 now. -It's 12:20. -We took this train to here. -Yes. There's a train at 1:17 pm. -We have one hour. -Yes. It said that we have to buy train tickets at Yamazaki Shop there.

Really? -It said so? -Maybe we can ask them questions. Let's go to Yamazaki Shop then. Hello. -Hello. -Excuse me. We got off the train at Tsukizaki Station, and we're looking for places to see. -Okay. -Here?

The person at the store showed a map of the area and recommended some places. This is a hand-dug tunnel called Eishoji Tunnel. -A hand-dug tunnel? -It's shaped like a shogi (Japanese chess) piece.

Can we walk there? This one is actually closer. Really? What does a hand-dug tunnel look like? We turn left and go straight. Go straight.

-After a railway crossing, turn left. -Railway crossing, then left. Yukai is taking notes of the information he hears this time. Say it again? -It's after a slope. -A slope? -A slope? -It's a steep slope.

-Steep slope. -It's after the slope. There are a lot of mountains in this area, so they dug tunnels to pass through them. It's impressive that they dug them by hand.

Many people visit this area to see the tunnel. -Really? -I often give directions. It'd be great to see it. -Shall we go there then? -Sure. -Thank you, that was helpful. -Thank you.

-Thank you. -The slope. It's at the top of a slope? -It's inside of a slope. -Okay. But you shouldn't go up the slope. Don't go up? Okay. Thank you very much.

It's probably this way. Our duo walks straight according to the directions they were given. That's it! -Look! -Do you see it? -Over there. -On the left side? I'm sure of this. Here it is.

They're rocks rather than a mountain. -Cool! -Nice. -Amazing. -Nice place. -This is great. -Seriously.

It looks like a shogi piece. Our duo gets off at Tsukizaki Station and finds the tunnel they were looking for. Here it is.

What? They're rocks rather than a mountain. -Cool! -Nice. -This is awesome! -It's such a great place.

(Eishoji Tunnel) It looks like a shogi piece. -It has a similar shape. -Yes. Then... -What's your name again? -Kazuhito. -Kazuhito, this is great. -Kazuhito.

This is a wonderful place. Thank you. -Did you follow us? -Yes.

Thank you! You're out of breath. Do you want to come with us? -Let's go. -Yes. -Are you scared? -I've never gone farther than this. -Let's go then. -Let's go. -Let's make memories together. -Yes. Why not? Do rock, paper, scissors with her.

Rock, paper, scissors. I won. Come on. -Let's go, Kazuhito. -Let's go. Let's explore. Let's first see why this tunnel was created. It says that it is shaped like a shogi piece.

It's an ancient Japanese digging method -called Kannonbori. -Kannonbori. Got it? This is a tunnel dug by hand in 1898 by people who lived in the area called Eishoji Tunnel. The shogi-like shape distributes the mountain's weight to both sides. It's a way to prevent the tunnel from collapsing. Let's go in.

If two adults spread their arms, -their hands touch the walls. -Yes. For you, we'd need five of you to do that. Are you scared? -I'm fine. -Are you sure? -Should I tell a horror story? -No, thank you.

Do you like horror stories? -No, I don't. -You won't be able to sleep at night. How old are you now? I'm 11 years old. -11 years old? -11 years old? You'll be fine then. It's 142 metres long. The land in this area consists of mudstone layers, which is relatively soft.

There is a series of tunnels dug by hand in this area. I see. -That was an interesting adventure. -Thank you. The eighth entry in the guidebook, Eishoji Tunnel, a tunnel dug by hand by people who lived in the area. I'm glad that you followed us. -Me too. -Yes.

Thank you. Why is Tsukizaki... Our duo walks back on the path with Kazuhito. If you were ever to have a job related to TV, would you like to be on the show or to be the cameraman? The cameraman. -Really? -Is that so? Why don't you look at their camera? You want to try? It's heavy.

Hold it tight. -Are you having fun? -Can you see? -How is it? -How is it? Are you filming me? Great job. You can film the train.

Here's a train shot by Kazuhito. Kazuhito the cameraman looks very serious. You're a typical boy. Yes. Here it comes! Get good footage.

Nice sound. How is it going, Cameraman? -Did you get good footage? -Yes. Wonderful. -Thank you. -Great job, cameraman.

You made your debut. -What do you think? -How was it? -I enjoyed it. -You did? Please film us again one day when you're a cameraman. Thank you very much, ma'am. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. The tunnel looked incredible. Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye. -See you. -Bye.

(12 minutes left till the 1:17 train) They made a wonderful memory together. Our duo is back to Tsukizaki Station, and where will they go next? Let's go to Yoro now. Yoro Keikoku? -I'm sure there are places to see there. -Definitely. It's a tourist attraction, so there has to be places to see. Our duo will go to Yoro Keikoku Station next. Thank you, Mr Station Master, it was great to meet you.

(1:17 pm) We're here. -We're here. -Yoro Keikoku. (Yoro Keikoku Station) (1:26 pm) What's that? It's for cooling down.

-It's mist. -Mist? I almost missed the mist. (Goi, Yoro Keikoku, Kazusa Nakano) That cooled me down. Now it's 1:27 pm. The next train is...

There's one at 4:15. -We should take that. -Yes. -We have to make sure we don't miss it. -Right, or... -we won't make it to our last station. -No. They go out of the station building. -All right. -All right.

-We might as well head to the valley. -Yes, we should. Hello. -Welcome -Hello. We'd like to visit Yoro Valley. Which direction should we go? There is a signboard over there. -How are you going there? -On foot.

On foot? I'll take 30 to 40 minutes. -On foot? -Yes. The bus has just left. -Is there a bus? -Yes.

Are there places that you'd recommend us to see in Yoro Valley? Places I'd recommend? -Shusse Kannon with the red bridge. -There it is. What kind of luck does this Kannon bring? -What happens if we go there? -Luck for love. -Love? -For matchmaking. -Really? -Love? Not luck for your career? It brings luck for both matchmaking and one's career. -Is it an old place? -There's a temple in the back. -What kind of a temple? -Shusse Kannon Temple.

The temple's name is Rikkokuji. Rikkokuji. -Let's check the bus schedule. -Sure. It seems that they don't have a lot of buses. -To where? It goes to Nakano? -Yoro Valley...

-One o'clock... -One o'clock. -There's no bus around one. -No. Which bus did the men see? -It's... -Was it an illusion? The bus schedule does not have much information. -It doesn't? -No.

That's a mistake. It's bigger than just a mistake. In that case, one of you should go to the Tourist Association there. One of you should go there to get all the information about the valley.

Yes, one of you should go. Understood. -Is that the information centre? -There. Over there. So the public can... They go to the Tourist Information Centre.

We can rent a bike here too. They are renting bikes here too! Let's ask. Hello. -Hello. -We have some questions.

We'd like to visit the valley. But according to the bus schedule, there are no buses. We don't have a lot of buses. -We heard that... -The next one is at 2:20 pm.

-2:20? -2:20. The route bus goes to a waterfall. -You could also take an electric bike. -Shusse... It's electric? We'd like to rent bikes then.

In that case... You're here right now. At Yoro Keikoku Station. Go out and turn right. They taught our duo how to get to Shusse Kannon.

-Let's go. -Yes, let's go. -Let's go. -To Shusse Kannon. Nice. This is so easy. With the electric bikes, it's easy even on an uphill. After cycling for about seven minutes...

-This is it! I see it. -I see it! I think we've arrived. Finally. -We're here. -Yes.

It says there. It's a place connected to Minamoto no Yoritomo. When I hear the name Minamoto no Yoritomo, I can't help getting a sense of... -romance in the history. -Is that so? Actually, I might be...

a descendant of Minamoto no Yoritomo. -You might be? -Yes. -So cool. -This is like our life.

-Why? Because it's full of ups and downs? -Ups and downs. -Look at that. -Nice sound. I hit the rail. This is a true valley. (Kannon Bridge) A bright vermilion arched bridge over the Yoro River.

This red bridge leading to Shusse Kannon is a symbol of Yoro Valley. About what you were saying... -Minamoto no Yoritomo. -Minamoto no Yoritomo. -Why do you think you're his descendant? -That's right. Before Minamoto no Yoritomo got married to Hojo Masako, he actually had a child.

-It was a warrior named Yuki Tomomitsu. -Okay. According to Yukai, he might be a descendant of Yuki Tomomitsu. Seven minutes after crossing the bridge...

-It looks pretty. -Yes. Here we are. Let's first go say hi at the shrine office. Hello, sir. -Can we ask you some questions? -Sure.

He heard about the Shusse Kannon. To tell you about this place, when Minamoto no Yoritomo lost the Battle of Ishibashiyama, with assistance of the Miura family, he came to Chiba Prefecture. He prayed there, then he headed towards Kamakura where he established the shogunate.

That's how the history went. He became the first shogun, and that's why this place is called Shusse Kannon. That's how they named this place. (Yorozan Rikkokuji) This temple is well known as Shusse Kannon, but its official name is Yorozan Rikkokuji.

About 800 years ago, Minamoto no Yoritomo brought a statue of Kannon to this place, and prayed for a recovery as well as peace. He later established the Kamakura shogunate. Our duo was shown the main shrine building. It looks new. It looks impressive. It is.

-Is this the Shusse Kannon? -Yes. She has a pretty face. True. (Yoro Keikoku) Our duo gets off at Yoro Keikoku Station, and visits Shusse Kannon who is believed to grant people's wishes.

-Is this the Shusse Kannon? -Yes. I see. I see a dragon. Yes, she's on a dragon. -She's riding on a dragon? -Yes. She has a pretty face.

Yes, she does. It's a sharp face. This looks very artistic. It's caved out of one camphor tree. Everything from one tree. Our duo prays to the Kannon.

The ninth entry in the guidebook, Shusse Kannon Rikkokuji, where Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed. -Thank you for your time. -Thank you very much. (3:05 pm) It's already past three o'clock. We should eat something too.

-We haven't eaten since breakfast. -That's right. Our duo is now starving. -It can be a light meal. -Yes. Let's go! -Kissa Fuji. -The lights are on.

-Shall we take a look? -Why not? It says they're open. I wonder. Let's go find out. Okay? -Hello. -Hello. -It smells good in here. -It does.

Is the Napolitan good? -Yes, it is. -Spaghetti. Do you and your husband run this shop? That's right. Here are the drinks. -Menu. -Here's the spaghetti menu. Yes.

-I think I'll get spaghetti. -Yes. -Two Napolitan. -Okay. Thanks. They were too hungry to go on, so they jump into a cafe that they saw on the way to have late lunch. Where did you go before this? -By the way, can I talk to you? -Sure.

-We saw waterfalls. -You went to the waterfalls? Waterfalls? We then came up. By the way, which waterfall did you see? Yoro Waterfall. It's deep in the mountain. Awamata Waterfall. Awamata? Okay.

What was the waterfall like? It was nice, it didn't have a lot of water though. -I see. -Is that so? The flow was little. There were kids playing there. Which station did you come from? We took a bus from Yoro Keikoku Station. Really? Though it'd be nice to go to the back of the valley to see the waterfalls, they have to take the train at 4:15 pm to reach the goal. At the last station, if we can go there -that would be great. -Yes, from the station.

If there's a bus from there. -5:15. -Let's try to go see the waterfall then. -Here it is. It looks great. -Thank you very much. (Napolitan 1,000 yen) -It looks great. -Amazing. -Thank you for it. -Thank you for it.

This Napolitan... tastes like a home cooked meal. Mamma mia. I don't know well, but is that the right word? -They say "Mamma mia" in Italy. -Does that mean it's good? -Is it not "Buono"? -It is. I wonder what "Mamma mia" means. I don't even know. (Store hours: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm) Now that they've recharged, let's keep it up until the end! -Thank you. -Thank you very much.

Let's go. -It's the perfect time to go. -Yes. It's perfect.

It's heavy, I didn't turn on the power. I see. Okay. (4 minutes left till the 4:15 train) Here comes the last part of the journey of enquiry. Now they're back to Yoro Keikoku Station. -Thank you. -Thank you.

Electric bikes are the best. It's the perfect timing. -It's the last train we'll take. -Yes. -We're going to the last station. -Yes. -Finally. -It sets me thinking. -Finally. -Yes.

Which way should we go? Finally, we're leaving Yoro Valley and heading to Kazusa Nakano, the last station. With one entry left to find, our duo heads to Kazusa Nakano, the last station of this trip. (4:15 pm) It's the climax of the trip.

Let's find the last entry at the terminal station. We haven't been in the front car. -Can we go and look? -Sure. -You're right. -Right? Let's go to the front car.

Oh, nice. This is what I wanted to see. This is nice. Being in the front car is fun. I'm glad we noticed it at the end. This is how I felt when I first saw Mick Jagger in front of me at Tokyo Dome.

-Is it same as seeing Mick Jagger? -Exactly. The train slowly arrives at its final destination, Kazusa Nakano Station. (Kazusa Nakano Station) (4:21 pm) Here we are.

-What's that? A toilet? -It looks like a bamboo tree. -It's inspired by bamboo trees. -That's right. -It's a bamboo tree. -Maybe it's a toilet. It looks like a cut bamboo. They put a lot of effort into their toilets.

-It's better than making boring ones. -That's true. -Having unique toilets is nice. -Yes. I see that there's a bus too. Bus...

Here, right? -Not Yoro Station. -Wait. -Isn't it Awamata? -That's right. It's past four o'clock.

It's 4:40 pm. 3:35 pm. -No, it's 5:35 pm. -5:35 pm. It's gone. Our duo gets off at Kazusa Nakano Station, the final destination, and checks the bus schedule to the Awamata waterfall.

-Isn't it Awamata? -That's right. Awamata... It's past four o'clock. It's 4:40 pm.

3:35 pm. -No, it's 5:35 pm. -5:35 pm. The bus is already gone. We can no longer go to the waterfall. The waterfall won't work. Pulling themselves together, they look for people to enquire.

-Hello. -Hello, we're filming a travel show. -Recommendations? -Yes. We're looking for recommendations around here. Gas water near the station. Gas water? In the old times, they collected natural iodine.

It was medicine when we were kids. Gas water is water that has a brown colour. Gas water makes your skin smooth. -Is it sometimes used in hot springs? -Exactly. It's a mineral spring. -It's springing? -Yes.

Can we touch it? I wonder. Can we touch it? Yes, you can. -Thank you, that's great to know. -Thank you very much. -It's helpful. -You know the station, right? Yes, we came from the station.

There is a temple on the right side of the station. If you go down from there, there is a river. -You'll see it. -Okay.

-Okay. -That's helpful. -Thank you very much. -Good luck. -Bye. -Bye.

(30 minutes left till the time limit at 5:30 pm) 30 minutes left till the time limit. They look for a train crossing to go to the other side of the station. This side? We won't be able to walk through here.

No, right? Do the locals walk through here? No way. You can clearly see the train coming. We could walk through... but there is no path on the other side.

There's 25 minutes left till the time limit. Maybe there is a path on the left side? Behind the toilet. I see a path there. Is that a path or a car parking? It looks like there is a path. -You see it? -Is that the railway crossing? Sir! We're looking for the gas water.

Gas water? Sure. This leads to the gas water. -Really? -Are you sure? Sorry to bother you when you're working.

I'm not completely sure what gas water is. What exactly is it? It's a spring where natural gas is also coming out. -Natural gas? -Yes. There's a lot of natural gas in this area. Water springing from natural gas? No, natural gas is contained in the water.

In the water? It goes up to a tank above it. It's connected to hoses. They used hoses and pipes.

Some people had the gas pipelined to their houses before. To use in their home? -No? -Without a permission? No permission is needed. -You can't sell this but it's free to use. -I see.

It's over there. Where the dome is, there is a gas well. -A well? -Yes, a gas well. -This? -Yes, this is a gas well.

-Gas well? -The gas in front of it... is just to get water. In the back, there are two wells for the same gas. On the other side is a spring. This one is not a spring. But it's connected and there is water.

Otaki Town here, in the middle of the Meiji era, was the first place in Japan where water-soluble natural gas was discovered With a simple separator, it is possible to draw gas so some families still use it for private use. Also, behind here, there is a pipe -that's discharging water. -Okay. It's the water over here. Is it discharged into the river? Yes, I'll tell you about this water. -As kids, we'd often get a heat rash. -Okay. Then grandpas and grandmas would take this water and boil a bath.

It made our skin smooth. Can we touch the water? -Can we touch the water now? -Sure, go down from here. It'll make your skin smooth. -Really? -I want that. The water keeps the small kids from getting a heat rash so people still come to take this water.

Some people would bring a 20-litre plastic container. -You see? -I want to do that. The water colour is... -It's a bit brown, isn't it? -Yes, it is.

-It's cold. -Is it? But it feels thick. -It makes my skin smooth. -Let's see. -It's cold. -It makes my skin so smooth. -This feels nice. -Doesn't it?

This was the amount of water that I was looking for. If you wash your face with it, -your face will be so smooth. -It feels so nice. Gas accumulated on the seabed dissolves in groundwater and springs out. The iodine in it has a disinfectant effect, which is good for dermatitis. The tenth entry in the guidebook, the first natural gas well in Japan that's great for one's skin. They've accomplished their goal.

-Thank you. -Thank you. We found something that I wasn't expecting at all at the end. That's right. (5:35 pm) -We found all 10 entries. -We did it!

We did it with the help of many people. Yes, with their help and also the electric bikes' help. -Also the help of a little boy. -That's right.

That was touching. You meet people by chance, and it leads you to places. The bus is here.

-Awamata. -It says waterfall there. I wish we could take this bus. I could really feel that so many people were willing to help us. This was a wonderful train journey. I truly feel that way.

See you later. Awamata! Bye. Finding new places through new meetings. With those many meetings, helping each other.

To everyone who helped us on this heart-warming journey, thank you very much! Subtitles: SDI Media Group

2021-06-24 04:01

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