Japan Hour: Road Trip To Nankai Electric Railway (Part 2)
(Local lines) There is still a lot to see in Japan. A spontaneous trip on a local line across Japan. Let's walk freely and aimlessly. We will surely find beautiful scenery and heart-warming encounters. From the first station to the last, we'll look for places that cannot be found in the guidebook.
The locals always know the best places. So all aboard on this trip of enquiry and discovery. This time, the journey takes place on the Koya Line of Nankai Electric Railway, which leaves from the centre of Osaka Prefecture and heads into the wild mountains of Wakayama Prefecture. The great nature of Kii mountain range and colourful autumn leaves spread outside the train windows.
Koyasan, a World Heritage Site, is just beyond the terminal station. (Koyasan, a World Heritage Site) Let's make a stopover and discover great places in Japan. I thought Izumo Taisha was in Shimane Prefecture. -It's as nice as the main shrine. -Amazing.
Is there a hidden spot in the shrine grounds here? Sorry? A mysterious building found only through enquiring the locals and a village linked to Yukimura Sanada. This is impressive. However... This doesn't go to Hashimoto.
What? Am I wrong? There's nobody on the platform. I'm starting to panic. The journey is filled with unexpected events. The shrine is that way. -What? -It's a long walk. -What? -What? A spontaneous two-day overnight journey without solid plans.
This feels nice. Let's get started. Our spontaneous local line journey of enquiry and discovery. (Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture) On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the Nankai Koya Line, our duo found five entries on the first day. On the second day, they'll finally visit the World Heritage Site, Koyasan. (The second day) Before leaving on the second day of the trip, they first soak in a hot spring to recharge for the trip.
The water is very soft and gentle on my skin. The weather is nice again today. I'm excited to see what happens today. Now, it's time to have breakfast. -Good morning. -Good morning. -Go ahead. -Thank you.
-Wow, look at that. -It looks amazing. -Nice. -This is great. -There's fish too. -Grilled saury, stewed vegetable, salad.
It's nutritious and balanced. It looks great. -Thank you for it. -Thank you for it. -Is now the best time to eat this? -Yes. This ham is a local product from the foot of Kongo mountains.
(Ham egg) Thank you for it. -This has got to be good. -It has got to be. Thank you for it. I get it. It looks great. We already found six entries in Osaka Prefecture, so why don't we go to Wakayama now? Why not? -In Wakayama... -We'll find four entries.
But we have a time limit. We need to finish by 5:00 pm. Before 5:00 pm, -we need four entries. -So we can't relax too much. -Let's go to Koyasan. -Sure. -Let's get there early. -Okay, I understand. (Entry 6) The sixth entry in the guidebook, Kawachinaganoso, an inn near the station with a natural hot spring.
-Thank you very much. -Thank you for everything. -Thank you for accommodating our requests. -It helped us a lot. Thank you. (9:20 am) The second day of the journey starts at Kawachinagano Station.
-This must be a famous place. -I can see that. It says that this is where Koya Kaido Road starts. -We should go to Wakayama now. -I agree. I wonder which stations are in Wakayama.
Let's see. We're in Kawachinagano right now. -Purple lines are the prefectural border. -I see. -Once we go past Kimitoge, -Once it's past... -Kimitoge. -then we'll be in Wakayama. (Kimitoge) Five stops ahead of them, at Kimitoge Station, they will finally enter Wakayama Prefecture.
-I've been curious about Hashimoto. -I know. -After Hashimoto, there are fewer trains. -Yeah. The number of trains decreases a lot after Hashimoto Station until Gokurakubashi Station, the terminal.
They need to be careful about that. (Kawachinagano, Hashimoto) -I have no idea what will happen. -Me neither. -Hashimoto is such a common name. -Yeah, it sounds like a station in a city. -So I'm not very sure about that. -Yeah. -Let's enter Wakayama Prefecture. -Sure, let's do that. The train is at 9:42 am.
We still have time. They will leave Osaka Prefecture and finally enter Wakayama Prefecture. They head to Hashimoto Station, which Ms Morio is curious about.
-I almost lost my ticket already. -Already? No way. Let's hope they'll make it to Koyasan, where they've been wanting to go. That one is an express. Why isn't anybody getting on this train? (Satoshi Jinbo, Yumi Morio) It's a private car for us. A private train.
No, I don't want to have a private train right now. (9:42 am) It is a bit worrisome that there are no other passengers. But let's keep up the good work on the second day. The Nankai Koya Line is a local line that connects Osaka and Wakayama Prefectures. There are 41 stations in total, and the line has a total distance of 64.5 kilometres.
From the terminal station, a cable car is available to go to the World Heritage Site, Koyasan. Their goal is to get recommendations from local residents and create an original travel guide with 10 entries. The only things they can use are a timetable and a map. (Timetable, map) The weather is nice again and it's perfect for the journey of enquiry and discovery.
Let's look for the remaining four entries and enjoy the day until the time limit at 5:00 pm. -More tunnels mean we're in the mountains. -That's right. What will we see after the tunnel? After the tunnel, the scenery looks a bit different.
-That was very sudden. -Amazing. Look at that. So pretty. It's pretty, isn't it? The leaves are changing colour. It's a great way to view autumn leaves.
The leaves look beautiful and the houses here are big. Very pretty. It's Chihayaguchi Station. -Will someone get on the train? -We don't see anybody. (Chihayaguchi Station) Nobody is waiting for the outbound train.
Yeah. What should we do? We need more information. Our duo looks worried. This doesn't go to Hashimoto. Sorry? What? Am I wrong? This train will stop at Rinkanden-entoshi Station, two stops before Hashimoto.
It looks like Ms Morio misread the timetable. -To head to Hashimoto, please transfer. -What if we rent a bike? We need to transfer. We do? The train is leaving at 10:15 am from Platform Two. At 10:15 am? We have 17 minutes.
Please take all your belongings. We have 15 minutes. -The doors on the left side will open. -But I see some people. -We can enquire them. -That's good.
Please be careful with the doors. -We need to transfer here. -We need to transfer. I don't know how to check the timetable any more. It's very confusing. -Timetable... Wait, I see people. -This is an express. Where does this go? Will it go back? That's right. It'll now be a return train.
It's now a return express train. Really? There's nobody on the platform. You know...
All of these... 10:15 am? Is the 10:15 am train bound for Koyasan? But this one is for the weekends. Good to know. I'm starting to panic. But there is a 10:15 am train. Yes.
What is that? There is a square around the number. -Those trains stop at Hashimoto. -Yeah. -So we can take this train. -Yes, we can. I felt relieved and it made me sneeze. How does that work? Now that they feel better about the train, they'll enquire. What about that young guy? He's listening to music, though.
Good morning. This is a local train journey show on BS Japan. If you could give us recommendations around Hashimoto, that'd be great. -What is Hashimoto like, anyways? -Hashimoto. Hashimoto... Well...
Hashimoto... -In front of Hashimoto Station, -Yes? -there is an armour. -An armour? It's on display. What kind of armour? It belonged to Sanada.
What? -Sanada? -Yukimura Sanada. -Really? -Yukimura? Really? -So his armour is there? -Yes. There is a station called Kudoyama. The town of Kudoyama is linked to Yukimura Sanada. Is that so? -Thank you very much. -It helps us a lot. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Yukimura Sanada was a warlord who fought on the Toyotomi side during the Battle of Osaka. He is known for his family crest, Rokumonsen (six coins). So, now, they will head to Hashimoto Station where Yukimura Sanada's armour is. Suddenly, I see many people.
Yeah. -Is this okay? -Yes. It's by the station. -Yeah, that's what he said. -Yeah. It was more than what we asked for. -Yeah, and it's right by the station. -Exactly.
It takes about five minutes by train to get to Hashimoto Station that's two stops away. Now, I'm feeling hopeful. -Yeah. Now we know where to get off. -Yeah. -My heart was pounding fast. -Mine too. It's a big station. There are multiple platforms.
Hashimoto Station. (Hashimoto Station) -Let's go see the armour. -Sure. It's a big station. -It really is big. -Yeah.
(10:20 am) -It really is a big station. -It is. Wow, are all these people going to Koyasan? I wonder. -It's very crowded. -I think they are. I think so too. Koyasan must be very crowded today especially with this weather. -We should definitely go there early. -I agree. It's already crowded.
That's right. There is a large square in front of the station. Now, where is it? Where is the armour? -I must look suspicious. -Excuse me, can I ask you something? We heard that right by Hashimoto Station, we can see an armour that belonged to Yukimura Sanada. -It's over there. -Where? -Where? -In the station.
-Is it inside the station? -Yes. Did you see on the news that the helmet was stolen? -What? -What? -Really? -Was it on the news? Yes. Maybe only the local people know about it. -So is it inside the station? -Yes.
-We can go. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. I didn't see it. -It's inside and not by the station? It's inside the station? Is this it? Sorry. Thank you very much. -Sorry for the trouble. -This is it. -This is it. -It looks handmade.
It says the helmet was returned. So it was really stolen. -Someone stole it. -Yeah. -So maybe they no longer display it. -That makes sense.
-Because it was stolen. -So they put this instead. -That's why it was on the news. -I believe so. Previously, a replica of Yukimura Sanada's helmet was on display. But the helmet was stolen. Primary school kids in Kyoto were so upset by the news that they decided to donate a handmade helmet to Hashimoto Station. The stolen helmet has since been safely returned.
-Primary school kids made this. -Yeah. This helmet looks quite impressive. Yes, it's very well-made. I'll get a bit closer. Say cheese.
(Entry 7) The seventh entry in the guidebook, Yukimura Sanada's armoured helmet, a masterpiece created by kind primary school kids. -According to the boy we spoke to, -Yeah. -there is a station -This is it. called Kudoyama nearby. -Yeah. -He told us that. -Now, I want to learn more about Sanada. -We should.
-Now that we learned a bit about him. -Exactly. But the next train is coming up soon, right? -Yes, but we've just missed a train. -Okay. There's one at 10:53 am.
-So we don't need to wait that long. -That's right. They will head to Kudoyama Station next, which is linked to Yukimura Sanada. They are both very intrigued. (Kudoyama) Thank you very much. -Thank you. -Have a good trip. Thank you.
-The express... -I see a Yukimura Sanada train. You're right. -It is. -Amazing. Wait.
-It's in operation. -That's cool. Did you get a nice photo, Ms Morio? It's hard to see, but I'll take photos anyways. -Did you get it? -Kind of. (Photo by Yumi Morio) Wait, it's coming back. Yeah, it came back.
We can take this train. Look at the seats. -Nice. -Look. This is wonderful.
It has Sanada's family crest. It has a lot of details. -It has a lot of details. -That's true. This time, she managed to capture the Rokumonsen.
I finally got it! We'll miss the train, Yumi. I'm sorry. -It looks great. -It looks great. -Very nice. -Nice.
-Why don't we sit? -Sure. -It's even on the straps. -Oh, yeah. -It's on everything. -We look like train nerds.
Starting November, for one year, between Namba and Gokurakubashi Stations, they will operate a Sanada Akazonae train decorated with the Rokumonsen. (Sanada Akazonae Train) I'm getting excited. -I'm getting excited too. -Right? (10:53 am) With the two getting excited, the train leaves Hashimoto Station. The scenery looks nice. -It does. -Yeah.
It looks so pretty! Very nice. It looks beautiful. Doesn't it? Very nice. So pretty.
The train crosses the Kino River. Getting to see beautiful scenery is one of the best things about local trains. -Very nice. -Yeah. -We're lucky we got to take this train. -I agree.
The next station is Kudoyama. Kudoyama. Nice station building. -It really looks nice. -Wonderful.
-The station looks very nice. -Nice. Kudoyama. -Look at those flags. -Great.
(Kudoyama Station) What a great station building. Wait. Don't go so far, I won't be able to photograph the front of the train.
Unfortunately, it's going to be hard to get a frontal shot of the train. -I'm glad we got off at this station. -Yeah, we cannot miss this. This place is a must-see.
The station building has just been renovated and it reopened on November 14. Lights are decorated with Sanada's Rokumonsen. It's good that our duo got off here.
-Koyasan-bound. -Let's see. It's 11:07 am now. Yes. We can either take the 12:05 pm train or the 1:05 pm train. -1:05 pm. -Yeah. -We should take the 12:05 pm train. -Yeah, we should leave early.
-We can eat when we get there. -Sure. We'll eat when we get there. -But there are not a lot of people. -Who should we talk to?
-We need to enquire. -Yeah, we need to ask. -Excuse me, can we ask you something? -Can we? -Sorry to bother you when you're busy. -Well... We heard that Kudoyama -is linked to Yukimura Sanada. -That's right. -What's the most... -Which place do you recommend us to go? Either Sanada-an or...
Sanada-an? -Sanada... -That sounds nice. Is it nearby? -So it's his house. -Yes. -Here is the main attraction. -Here? Is it nearby?
-It's about 10 minutes away. -That sounds nice. So is this your top recommendation? -Yes. -Thank you very much. -Sorry to bother you at work. -Thank you very much. -We need to go quickly. -That's right. -We have less than an hour. -Okay.
It says "Sanada's Path." That's impressive. They named it that way. -It even has a persimmon design. -That's great. -Look at the helmet. So cute. -Oh, yeah. -This must also be linked to Sanada. -I'm sure.
-It's red too. -Yeah. It's cute. This too.
-That's nice. -Does every house have something? Every house has this hanging. Yukimura Sanada is seen everywhere.
This town is all about Sanada. Every year in May, Sanada Festival is held, and about 20,000 tourists visit the city. (Sanada Festival) I'm glad we got to see this town.
Me too. I see it. It looks impressive. Incredible. This is impressive. Our duo gets off at Kudoyama Station and visits a place related to Yukimura Sanada.
(38 minutes to the 12:05 pm train) I see it. It looks impressive. Incredible. This is impressive. Very nice. Yeah, very nice.
Please go ask for permission to film. It's fine. -Is it okay? -Yes, it's okay.
They were given permission to film only the exterior. (Sanada-an) -This is it. -Yeah. Impressive. It really is. I'm impressed.
This is Zenmyo Shoin, also known as Sanada-an. It's a temple which was built in the Edo period on the site of Yukimura Sanada's residence. Yukimura fought for the western army at the Battle of Sekigahara. He was defeated in the battle and banished to Koyasan, then later came to Kudoyama. It is said that he left for the historic Winter Battle of Osaka from this town. Impressive.
Whenever they do a play about Sanada, it always becomes a huge success. -Is that so? -Yeah, it's amazing. (Entry 8) The eighth entry in the guidebook, Sanada-an, a place linked to Yukimura Sanada. (Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm) I'm glad we didn't miss this place. -Me too. -Right?
What do we do now? I think we should head to Koyasan. -Are you sure? -Yes. We were able to look around the town. It's perfect. It's according to our plans. -Right? -Yes. Shall we get tickets for the cable car here? We can buy them here? -What do you think? -Let's do that.
-Are you sure? -Yeah, it sounds good. (Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture) Finally, our duo will head to Gokurakubashi Station, the terminal. The World Heritage Site Koyasan is just around the corner.
(Gokurakubashi, Koyasan) It's a regular train. I'm glad we got to take the special train. Me too. There are many people. It's very crowded.
(12:05 pm) They need to find two more entries to accomplish their goal. We're going up. -I can feel that. -Yeah, we're definitely going up. The train runs through the mountains of Kii. -It scared me. -Wow, amazing. We're deep in the mountains.
We really are. It's very different from the view at the beginning. -Yeah. -We're high up. (Kamikosawa Station) The train arrives at Kamikosawa Station.
The train will stop here for seven minutes to allow another train to pass. -It feels cool. -It feels cool. Amazing! Wow, look at that! What a surprise. Amazing. It's very pretty. Soon, these leaves will be...
They'll be all red. All red. The sky looks pretty. -Yeah. -This is perfect. I guess this was the farthest they could build the platform.
Yeah, it's very narrow. Very narrow. Thank you very much. Here comes the last spurt before reaching Gokurakubashi, the terminal.
I'm scared to look down. -We're very high up now. -Yeah, we're climbing up. I'm impressed that they built a train route here. Me too. The train takes our duo farther into the mountains of Kii. There are so many mountains that the sun doesn't reach the bottom.
Yeah. Impressive. It's the terminal already.
The terminal. -It's finally the terminal. -Yes. Gokurakubashi, the terminal station of the Koya Line. We're arriving.
It's the terminal station. Is that Gokurakubashi? -That must be it. -Is that the bridge? It is said that once you go past the bridge, you enter the sacred land.
There are two platforms. -Three, four. Great. -Yeah. That's great.
(Gokurakubashi Station) They finally arrive at Gokurakubashi Station, the terminal. All right. Here we are. -But we need to hurry. -That's right. -The terminal station! -The terminal station! -It feels cool. -We're here. The station is connected to the cable car station.
-It's a huge cable car. -So we'll all fit in it. Yeah, we will. Otherwise, we'll have to wait for an hour.
-It's high. -Impressive. -It's a steep slope. -It's quite an angle. That's intense. (Koyasan Cable) Koyasan Cable opened in 1930. The cable car climbs a steep 330 metres in just 5 minutes. (Koyasan Station) -Let's get off. -Let's go.
We need to go up. It says "bus and taxi." -Do we need to take a bus from here? -What does that mean? Where does the bus go? -I have no idea. -We need to take a bus?
What? Our duo heads to Koyasan Station from Gokurakubashi Station. They get off the cable car. (12:56 pm) -There are buses. -I didn't know that there were buses. I'm not sure where we should go. There are quite a lot of bus stops. One, two, three...
Daimon? -It's our first time visiting. -Hello, excuse me. What should we see first? Are you on a day trip or are you staying here tonight? -We're on a day trip. -We're on a day trip. The main temple is Kongobuji. -Kongobuji? -Kongobuji? How can we get there? There is a bus to the temple.
-Do we need to take a bus? -Do we need to take a bus? -Is it that far? -Really? It's the head temple where the head priests of the whole Koyasan live. -We should go, then. -Yes. -Please visit. -Thank you. -Thank you. -We'll go there. -There's a bus stop. -Let's go ask. -Do we buy tickets here? -Where are you going? -Kongobuji. -Kongobuji.
Please take a bus from bus stop number two. -Bus stop number two. -Then, get off at Senjuinbashi. Walk towards the opposite direction of where the bus is going. -Kongobuji is 200 metres away. -Okay. (1:05 pm) I see.
Let's go to Kongobuji. It takes about 10 minutes by bus to reach the entrance of the Koyasan town. The trees are changing colour.
Yeah, they look pretty. It means that we're high up. That's right. They're pretty. It looks crowded. Yeah, it is. There are traffic lights. We're in a town.
-Yeah, it's a big town. -Impressive. The train went through places that were deep in nature. It really did. -I thought there wouldn't be people. -Me too, but we were wrong. -Thank you very much. -Thank you.
-We're here. -We're here. -It's that side. -Yes, the opposite direction of the bus. It's 200 metres away. -This is a big town. -Impressive. The sacred site of the Koyasan Shingon sect was founded by Kobo Daishi in the Heian period. This year marks the 1,200th anniversary of the foundation.
Ten years ago, Koyasan and other sacred sites, as well as pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountains, were registered as World Heritage Sites. The town is at an altitude of about 900 metres and has more than 3,000 residents. Of these, more than a thousand are monks. There are 117 temples, and also a kindergarten, a university, a hospital, and a police station.
First, they head to the recommended Kongobuji. -It looks beautiful. -It really is. This keeps me busy.
-I'm so busy. -The other side looks pretty too. It's so beautiful. -Wonderful. -It's beautiful. I want to get closer.
Wow, the leaves are all red! -All red. -Watch out for cars. -All red. -Wow, incredible. Incredible! -This is it. -It looks pretty. What a beautiful place.
Wow. So pretty. -It really is. -Okay, let's go to Kongobuji.
Yeah, let's do that. Let's have Mr Nagatsuka do the narration. We need permission to film. -That's right. -Yeah.
I hope they won't say no. Let's photograph this place in case they say no to filming. Let's do that. It's beautiful. The photo turned out great.
What about the permission to film? -Thank you for waiting. -Thank you for waiting. -What did they say? -We tried our best, but... We tried our best negotiating, and... they said it's okay. (Kongobuji) -It's so beautiful. -Impressive. We can only see the temple like this at this time of the year.
You're right. -Amazing. -This is a single tree, so how come there is such gradation in colour? Yeah, I wonder. Humans can never create anything like this. It's so pretty. Fantastic.
Incredible. It's very big. This really is impressive.
How impressive. It's worth the visit. Now I get why so many people visit this place. Yeah, me too. Kongobuji has more than 4,000 branch temples all over Japan, and this one is the head temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect.
The temple was built 420 years ago by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in memory of his late mother. There are various buildings in the temple grounds, including the main temple. The temple grounds cover an area of nearly 50,000 tsubo. What do you think? Should we go inside? What should we do? Why don't we go inside since we're already here? Filming is not allowed from here on. After waiting for them for 40 minutes...
In the back, there's a spot where it gets cooler. -There is a flow of energy. -That's right. -They knew it when they built this. -That's probably true.
It was incredible. (Banryutei) Inside the main temple, there is Banryutei, which is one of the largest stone gardens in Japan. In the rooms where important ceremonies are held, there are various paintings on the sliding doors. -This was such a great recommendation. -I agree. (Entry 9) The ninth entry in the guidebook, Kongobuji, one of the most sacred places in Japan. (Click!) I've got good photos.
-What should we do now? -What do we do? We already have nine. This was the only recommendation that we got. We should ask someone else. -Let's enquire. -Let's enquire. They'll enquire people again. They have one entry left to find.
It's huge. -Wow, this is beautiful. -I need my camera. -Incredible. -Camera, camera. Look at the light. It's beautiful.
The blue sky matches perfectly with the autumn leaves. I completely agree. -This is too beautiful. -It really is. This side too. (Jabara Road) It's a tunnel of autumn leaves.
Impressive. It's gorgeous. So beautiful.
They almost look like fake leaves. That's true. Wait. -Impressive. -I see a big vermilion building.
It's overwhelming. Impressive. Wow. (Konpon Daito) Konpon Daito is located at the most sacred spot in Koyasan. When Kobo Daishi founded Koyasan, he built this as a symbol of the central training centre of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism.
Who should we talk to? -Let's see... -Someone who comes here often. Or we can also ask a monk. -Yeah, that's a great idea. -Yeah. I see a monk there. -Where? -There. He is in brown clothes and he looks well-built.
Excuse me. Can we ask you some questions? We're filming a TV show on BS Japan, and we're on a local train journey. We know very little about Koyasan. Koyasan is very big, as you know. Is there any must-see spot? Or do you know any spiritual site in Koyasan? If you do, could you tell us? -That is called the Sanko pine tree. -What? What is it? Normally, a pine has two needles per fascicle.
But here, we have three. What? Why? On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the Nankai Koya Line, our duo finds information about a secret spot in Koyasan. (2 hours 34 minutes to the time limit at 5:00 pm) Is there any must-see spot? Or do you know any spiritual site in Koyasan? If you do, could you tell us? -That is called the Sanko pine tree. -What?
What is it? Normally, a pine has two needles per fascicle. But here, we have three. What? Why? Well, there is an anecdote about a three-pronged tool that was thrown by Kobo Daishi. Not all of them are that way. So if you're lucky... -Is it like a four-leaf clover? -That's right.
Will it bring good luck if we find one? Carry it with you like a charm, and it may bring you good luck. I see. -If you want, you can look for them. -Are you sure? If we find one, is it okay for us to keep it? If you can take it without entering the fence... If we can take it. Then you can keep it.
You look very motivated, Yumi. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. This is great. -It must be a little-known fact. -That's right. -So this is how it normally looks, right? -That's right. -It has two needles. -But some have three needles.
Sometimes, there are ones that have three needles. -If you find one, you'll have good luck. -That's right. I'll do this seriously. -Did you find one? -Look.
-Let me see. -Can I take a look? It looks great. Amazing. Where did you find this? How long did it take to find one? I slowly circled around this part.
So about 5 to 10 minutes. -That quickly? -Yes. Please give us 10 minutes.
Let's find one. Give us 10 minutes. When Kobo Daishi was trying to find a suitable land to build his temple, he threw a Buddhist tool called sankosho, and the tool got caught in this pine. As he thought it would bring good luck, he chose this place to practise Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. Normally, a pine has two needles in a fascicle.
Here, some fascicles have three needles. If you find one, it is believed to bring happiness and fortune. Our duo gets very serious after hearing this.
-This is the most serious I've ever been. -Me too. Next to our duo... You found it.
It looks nice. Three needles. Buy me a drink tonight. Three needles.
-Let's go to Nanba together. -Yeah. -They found another one. -Really? -Over there? -Another one? -Here you go. -Look at you.
It's the person who found one earlier. -Impressive. -Did you find two? -Awesome. -Nice. Really? Around here? You can keep it. -I can't accept that. -It's fine. -Are you sure? -Yes.
Thank you very much. Look. Did you find one? -I didn't find it. Someone gave it to me. -She noticed right away. -I looked for one for 30 minutes. -This won't bring good luck.
-No. -Right? You have to find one yourself in order to get good luck. They're not easy to find.
I don't see any. I really want to find one. By the way, it's been 30 minutes now. -Really? -It's been 30 minutes? I didn't realise that. I wanted one because this is our 10th entry. I don't see any.
Everyone has left. -Time is up. -Yeah. My eyes are getting tired. I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry. This is frustrating. (Entry 10) The 10th entry in the guidebook, the Sanko pine tree, which started Koyasan. They've accomplished their goal. Congratulations. You found 10 entries.
-Thank you very much. -We found 10 entries. -Yes. -Yes. -Since we're here... -Yeah. (1 hour to the time limit) shall we look around or enquire more people? -Aren't you hungry? -I forgot about it. We haven't eaten yet.
I forgot about it. Let's eat something delicious. Our duo will try to find more entries. -Hello. -Hello. Can we ask you something? Just a little bit. -We haven't had lunch yet. -That's right.
-We haven't had lunch. -I know him. I didn't recognise you earlier. What about Buddhist cuisine? I'd love to try that. I'm sure there are many restaurants for that. -Is there a famous one? -Did you eat it today? We couldn't. The restaurants were full.
-We needed a reservation. -It was reservation-only. So we're going to a sesame tofu shop. -Sesame tofu? -Sesame tofu? We heard that a store called Kadohama is good. For lunch, we had some steamed buns. -Is Kadohama this way? -They have fresh sesame tofu. I heard it's good.
Where is it? -A bit farther that way. -I think it's that way. -A bit farther that way? -Yes. Are you going there now? -No, after we visit the site. -You'll go after? -We'll look at this place first. -I see.
Sesame tofu. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. Sesame tofu is considered a Buddhist cuisine.
Let's hope they get to try it. Go ahead. -They're full of energy. -Are those to avoid bears?
You mean, the bells? They might be. -Kadohama. -I see it. -Wait. -Wait.
Our duo heads to a sesame tofu shop recommended in Koyasan. (4:20 pm) -I see Kadohama. -I see it. -It looks closed. -It's closed. Is it closed? Let's see.
-Is he the store's kid? -Is he? Is he? (30 minutes to the time limit) -Hello. -Hello. -Welcome. -Excuse me. We're filming a show on BS Japan, and we're on a local train journey. What did they say? -They said it's okay. -Okay?
-Thank you for having us. -Thank you for having us. It's fresh sesame tofu. Madam! -She's busy. -How is this different from regular tofu?
Inside, it's all the same, but this one doesn't last long. -You need to eat it today. -I understand. Can we sample the tofu here? Yes, you can have the tofu here. -Really? -Yes.
-That's great. -I'd love to try this. Kadohama has 80 years of history. For their speciality, sesame tofu, they peel sesame seed skin and use only the core, so it has a pure white colour. It's completely white. -Thank you very much. -Thank you.
-It looks great. -It's fresh. -Yes. -It looks like regular tofu. Yeah, just like regular tofu. Thank you. This makes me happy. Thank you for it.
Girls love sesame tofu. That's true. They love sesame tofu. They go crazy over sesame tofu.
-It's firm. -I like the fragrance. It's completely white. Sesame. Amazing. It's creamy and rich. It's different from the sesame tofu that I know.
It hits the spot. Would you like some more? That's so nice. Thank you very much. (Entry 11) The 11th entry in the guidebook, the excellent sesame tofu from Kadohama. -Thank you for having us so suddenly. -Thank you very much. -It was your first journey, right? -Yes.
What did you think? Well, it was hard. Wasn't it? I wasn't used to reading the train timetable initially. But thanks to you, it went smoothly. We also met many nice people. -There are many great places in Japan. -That's true. -A lot. -It was fun. Thank you very much.
-I hope we'll work together again. -Me too. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. Finding new places through new meetings. With those many meetings, making warm memories. To everyone who helped us on this heart-warming journey, thank you very much.
The travel guide that they created includes colourful trams, a matchmaking shrine in Osaka, an excellent place to have lunch, the oldest reservoir in Japan, creative tempura, a relaxing natural hot spring, a heart-warming handmade helmet, a town linked to Yukimura Sanada, the World Heritage Site Koyasan, its mysterious pine tree, and great sesame tofu. (Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture) On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the Nankai Koya Line, our duo found 11 wonderful places through enquiring the locals residents. Subtitles: Iyuno-SDI Group
2022-03-06 00:26
