Journeys in Japan · SEASON 16
With Isabella Bird — Part 6: On the Road to Biratori
Episode 18 · 2025-08-12

- Documentary
Episode overview
British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after the Meiji Era began. Accompanied by a young man who served as both interpreter and attendant, she traveled deep into the hinterland. "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is her highly praised travelogue of that journey. One of the main reasons for her visit to Japan is said to have been to write about the indigenous Ainu people living in Hokkaido. After reaching Hakodate, Isabella traveled to Biratori by horse and by rickshaw. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Tijana, a resident of Hokkaido, learns about Ainu culture at Nibutani Kotan, where an Ainu settlement has been recreated.
28 minutes
Season 16 episodes
1. The Mountain Spirit of Shiiba Village2025-02-04
2. Kyushu: Land of Samurai Swords2025-02-18
3. Enku's 120,000 Smiles Over Gifu2025-02-25
4. Hokuriku 1: Foods and Flavors of the Trading Ships2025-03-04
5. Hokuriku 2: The Golden Age of the Trading Ships and Their Legacy2025-03-11
6. Gunma: Raking in Good Luck2025-03-18
7. Hida: Deep Winter Escape2025-03-25
8. Hokkaido Sapporo: Sensing the City Through Its Architecture2025-04-01
9. NIIGATA: SNOW COUNTRY WONDERLAND2025-04-15
10. Wakayama: The Cradle of Japan's Flavors2025-05-13
11. Kure Port, Kochi — The Lure of Katsuo2025-05-27
12. Izu Peninsula: Volcanic Beauty2025-06-10
13. Nagaoka: Water, the Wellspring of Abundance2025-06-24
14. Matagi: Yamagata’s Spiritual Hunter-Gatherers2025-07-01
15. Nishio: Whisking up the Global Matcha Boom2025-07-08
16. Tochigi: Life Away from the Sea2025-07-22
17. Okinawa: A World in Bloom2025-08-05
18. With Isabella Bird — Part 6: On the Road to Biratori2025-08-12
19. SHAKOTAN: Out of the Blue, Into the Flames2025-08-19
20. The Ontake Kodo Path to Sacred Peak2025-09-16
21. Mishima: Festival Rhythms Run Deep2025-09-30
22. Higashikawa: Picture-Perfect Town2025-10-14
23. Kochi Shimanto River: Pristine Water and Premium Fishing2025-10-28
24. Discovering Japan's Hidden Christians2025-11-18
25. Hiking the San'in Coast: Tottori2025-11-25
26. Unearthing a Love for Seto2025-12-16
27. SHIMANE: In Search of Izumo's Gardens Past and Present2025-12-23