Mkv Japanese

Dr James Fox looks at the art and culture of Japan.

Spring, 1946. Ten months after the end of World War II, an explosion rocks the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii. America has just destroyed one of Japan's most advanced weapons systems – the I-401 aircraft carrier submarine. The supersub combined the stealth and tactical advantages of sea and sky and was invented to execute air strikes on land from the sea. But why did America sink one of its most prized military captures? Bound by an agreement to share any intelligence with the Soviets but feeling the pressure of the looming Cold War, it was a calculated decision to keep the technology out of Soviet hands. Six decades later, a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii located the submarine's remains.

Monty Don explores different aspects of Japanese gardens.

Monty Don explores different aspects of Japanese gardens.

Mr. Tako, the chairman of a pharmaceutical company, learns of roma tomato-sized berries that grow on Farou Island, are a miracle cure, and that the natives worship a god called Kingkong who has allegedly grown to giant size from eating the berries. What better way to promote the product, Tako figures, than to bring the creature back to Japan? So he leads an expedition with Sakurai and Furue to get the berries and the monster. Meanwhile, some American pilots discover the chunk of the glacier Godzilla was sealed in back in 1955. Sakurai's sister's boyfriend Kazuo is busy trying to sell an invisible but superstrong wire, which of course no one wants until Kong escapes…

We travel on trains through Shimane Prefecture, a spiritual part of Japan where Japanese gods and humans have a strong bond. We ride a pink train to Izumo Taisha, a shrine where all the gods come to assemble. We start our journey asking the gods to help us connect with others. Afterwards, a wide-open trolley takes us through a mountain range home to the mythical snake beast Orochi. Using a technique called "switchback", the trolley climbs up the mountain for a breathtaking view. We then get on a train designed with kagura, a traditional form of Japanese entertainment.

We travel on trains through Shimane Prefecture, a spiritual part of Japan where Japanese gods and humans have a strong bond. We ride a pink train to Izumo Taisha, a shrine where all the gods come to assemble. We start our journey asking the gods to help us connect with others. Afterwards, a wide-open trolley takes us through a mountain range home to the mythical snake beast Orochi. Using a technique called "switchback", the trolley climbs up the mountain for a breathtaking view.

Looks at the life of American scholar Donald Keene, a pioneer in the research and translation of Japanese literature who laid the groundwork for putting Japan's prose and poetry on the world map. Hosted by actor Ken Watanabe, this program looks at Keene's appreciation of Japan and its traditional values, his first contact with the people of Japan during World War II, his relationships with great Japanese writers and his perception of the Japanese mindset.