Journeys in Japan: Season 10
Season 10 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Journeys in Japan Season 9.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 10 Progress Shield
Kamioka: Pedaling Ahead to the Past
Jan 8, 2019 · 28 min
The town of Kamioka lies in the mountains of central Japan. It was once famous as a major center for mining. Now the mine is closed, but these days the area has become a center for
Chugei, Kochi: Exploring the Yuzu Road
Feb 5, 2019 · 28 min
Yuzu is a variety of citrus fruit that has long been prized for its superb aroma. A winter specialty, it is an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. The Chugei district, in the
Nichinan: A Port City Reviving
Feb 12, 2019 · 28 min
Nichinan city, situated in Miyazaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan, once prospered from fisheries and forestry. Aburatsu, which is a major district along the sea, flourished as a
Tottori: Crab Lover's Paradise
Feb 19, 2019 · 28 min
Tottori Prefecture ranks number one in Japan when it comes to crab hauls. It's also the largest consumer of the seafood. The prized snow crab, called Matsuba locally, is especially
Nagahama: Heading North Along Lake Biwa
Feb 26, 2019 · 28 min
Lake Biwa is the largest lake in all of Japan. In winter, its remote northern coast is a place of unspoiled peace and silence. Since the old days, the local people have carefully p
Iheya: Peaceful Winter Getaway
Mar 5, 2019 · 28 min
Iheya is the northernmost island of Okinawa Prefecture and takes an hour and twenty minutes by ferry from a port in the north of the main island. Approximately 35 kilometers in cir
Kikuchi: Slow Food, Slow Travel
Mar 12, 2019 · 28 min
The city of Kikuchi, in northern Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu is known for its prosperous agriculture and livestock industries. Here, natural farming, which eschews fertilizers an
Okinawa: Architecture of History and Tradition
Mar 19, 2019 · 28 min
Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, has developed a distinct architecture all its own, reflecting its subtropical setting and often harsh climate, as well as historical influ
Iojima: A Volcanic Island with a Passion for Rhythm
Mar 26, 2019 · 28 min
Iojima Island lies around 1,000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, off the south coast of Kyushu. Its main peak is Mt. Iodake, a volcano that remains very much active. The island has a
Gliding Hokkaido's Powder
Apr 2, 2019 · 28 min
Japow refers to Japan's world-famous powder where skiers delight in making tracks in heavenly virgin snow. An ideal place for this in central Hokkaido Prefecture ... on Mount Asahi
Minami-Uonuma: Weaving New Snow Country Tales
Apr 9, 2019 · 28 min
Minami-Uonuma, in southern Niigata Prefecture, is one of Japan's snowiest regions. Suzuki Bokushi's Hokuetsu-seppu, which describes people's lives there, was published 180 years ag
Oku-Echizen: Abundance and Tranquility
Apr 23, 2019 · 28 min
The Oku-Echizen district lies deep in the mountains of Fukui Prefecture, inland from the Sea of Japan coast. The central city of this region is Ono, which first developed as a cast
Road Tripping Around Miyazaki
May 7, 2019 · 28 min
John Moore, from Ireland, is a social entrepreneur. Euan Craig, from Australia, is a potter. The men take off on a road trip around western Miyazaki Prefecture, in Kyushu. They get
Tateyama: Wondrous Underwater Encounters
May 14, 2019 · 28 min
Tateyama is only 80 kilometers from Tokyo, in southern Chiba Prefecture. Off Tateyama spreads a bountiful sea that offers fresh seafood. Recently, the waters have been attracting a
Iga: Keeping the Ninja Tradition Alive
May 21, 2019 · 28 min
Iga, in the northwest of Mie Prefecture, is famous as a place where many ninjas lived, especially in the late 15th to 16th centuries. At that time, the Iga ninjas worked as mercena
Hieizan: Mother Mountain of Eternal Prayer
May 28, 2019 · 28 min
Hieizan (Mount Hiei) rises high to the northeast of the city of Kyoto, straddling the border between Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures. It is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Jap
Uchiko: Epic Kite Battle
Jun 11, 2019 · 28 min
Uchiko, which is 700 kilometers southwest of Tokyo in Shikoku's Ehime Prefecture, flourished as a pilgrimage post town on an ancient highway. In the city center, Machiya residences
Yamaguchi: Landscapes and Their Stories
Jun 18, 2019 · 28 min
Yamaguchi Prefecture lies in the far west of Japan's main island, Honshu. It has numerous landscapes that are unlike any other part of Japan: a limestone quarry evoking a giant anc
Nishi-Izu, Hidden Gem
Jun 25, 2019 · 28 min
Nishi-izu, with stellar views of Mt. Fuji, is located on the western coast of the Izu Peninsula. Geopark sites with strata formed by an undersea volcano are reachable on foot or by
Shizuoka: Wonderland of Green Tea
Jul 2, 2019 · 28 min
Japanese green tea is produced from tea leaves that are steamed and then dried, unlike black tea, for which the leaves are first fermented. Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest tea-g
Hachimantai: Timeless Landscape, Healing Water
Jul 30, 2019 · 28 min
The Hachimantai Plateau straddles the border of Iwate and Akita Prefectures. A large area around its summit is covered by wetlands and during the warmer months, from June onward, t
Tonami: The Winds of Change
Aug 6, 2019 · 28 min
On this episode Charles Glover, an actor from the United States, visits the Tonami Plain in Toyama Prefecture, known for its vast farmlands, especially rice fields. He gets a glimp
Mt. Hakusan: Sacred Peak of Natural Beauty
Aug 13, 2019 · 28 min
Rising above the highlands of central Japan, Mt. Hakusan (2,702 meters) is considered of the most sacred peaks in the country. Since ancient times, it has been venerated as the hom
Sawara: Festival Floats Keeping Ties Alive
Aug 20, 2019 · 28 min
Sawara lies in northeast Chiba Prefecture, around 70 kilometers to the east of Tokyo. Thanks to its location on a tributary of the Tone River, by the 18th century it had become a p
Steel City Muroran and Its Hidden Charms
Sep 3, 2019 · 28 min
Muroran, in southwestern Hokkaido Prefecture, flourished as an industrial city, mainly in steel manufacturing. After the 1970's, the city declined with industrial sector changes an
Izumo: The Heart of the Japanese Spirit
Sep 17, 2019 · 28 min
The Izumo region in Shimane Prefecture, where deities from across the country are said to gather annually for a meeting, is closely linked to the gods. On this episode of Journeys
Iwate: Blazing a Trail to the Future
Sep 24, 2019 · 28 min
The Michinoku Coastal Trail, which was launched by the Environment Ministry, is a long trail along the Pacific coast that crosses 4 prefectures from Aomori Prefecture, in the north
Rausu: Coexistence with Nature's Bounty
Oct 1, 2019 · 28 min
Rausu lies on the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, in eastern Hokkaido Prefecture. Most of the peninsula is designated as a national park, to preserve its rich natural environment
Kagawa: Stepping into the Past
Oct 8, 2019 · 28 min
Kotohira, in western Kagawa Prefecture developed around the famous shrine complex known as Kotohira-gu. Some 2-million tourists visit annually from all over the world. In the olden
Nakanojo: The Force of Art and Nature
Oct 22, 2019 · 28 min
The Nakanojo Biennale is an art festival held in beautiful Nakanojo in Gunma Prefecture. It boasts one of the largest artist-in-residence programs in Japan, with creators from all
Yamanashi: Escaping the Heat by the Katsura River
Nov 5, 2019 · 28 min
The Katsura River runs through a beautiful valley in Yamanashi Prefecture, not far from Tokyo. Fed by springs from Mt. Fuji and the surrounding area, the river is known for the cla
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival: Thrills and Local Pride
Nov 12, 2019 · 28 min
The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is one of the most vibrant and spectacular festivals in all of Japan. Over 2 consecutive days, ornately decorated floats known as Danjiri are pulled
New Wind Blowing in Iwamizawa
Nov 19, 2019 · 28 min
Iwamizawa is located about 40 minutes by train from Sapporo in Hokkaido Prefecture. It flourished as a transportation hub for coal, but spiraled into decline following the closure
Ise: Pilgrimage to the Heart of Japan
Nov 26, 2019 · 28 min
Ise City is in southeastern Mie Prefecture in Central Japan. It is home to one of Japan's most sacred sites, Ise Jingu Shrine. For hundreds of years it has welcomed pilgrims from a
Nanyo: From Wheels to Wings
Dec 3, 2019 · 28 min
Nanyo City lies in Yamagata Prefecture, in the Tohoku region north of Tokyo. The city is focusing on boosting tourism for visitors with disabilities. Wheelchair influencer Ryoko Na
Osaka: The Architecture of a Vibrant Metropolis
Dec 10, 2019 · 28 min
Osaka is the largest city in western Japan. The 16th-century warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified Japan after a long period of civil war, chose it as his power base and built a
Climbing Fun on Sacred Mt. Myogi
Dec 24, 2019 · 28 min
Mt. Myogi, located in western Gunma Prefecture, is famous for its unusual rock formations and beautiful autumn foliage. At a little over 1,000 meters, it's not high, but has fun co