Fukushima The Travel Show

This week I'm hitting the powder on the ski

And Brandy's trying out ice canoeing in Quebec City.

Hello and welcome to The Travel Show, coming to you this

week from Japan, where it's just after six o'clock here in Tokyo

To make the four-hour journey to Fukushima.

Most people associate Fukushima with the impact of the major

earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th six years ago.

The tsunami wave disabled the generators at the Fukushima

power plant, triggering a nuclear meltdown.

But before 2011, the region had been famous for it's ski resorts,

In the months following the nuclear disaster fears about radiation

levels hit the tourism industry hard.

And the number of foreign visitors staying here fell by 90%.

Now in many parts of the region background radiation has fallen

to levels similar to those that are found in major cities around

the world, and tourists are returning.

I'm heading to try out the slopes for myself.

I only learned to ski for the first time two weeks ago,

so it's probably a good idea if I get some tips from a local

Great, how are you? OK, welcome to the top.

This looks tricky. I need help, OK?

Maybe I should have practiced before the cameras started rolling.

And just when I think I'm doing OK...

How are we going to disentangle ourselves?

But businesses are having to work hard to draw tourists, especially

those from overseas. Cash incentives are offered to some international

visitors and it is hoped young people will give Fukushima Daiichi

to -- give the cushion a try. TRANSLATION: We're doing a special

promotion for young people, because they're less worried

about Fukushima's reputation. So we invite people aged between 19

and 24 to ski for free. And we're hoping they'll spread

the word on social media that Reassuring people about the region's

safety is a big deal here, and the food and water supply

is routinely tested. The disaster also prompted groups

of volunteers to start monitoring This crowdsourced data

is constantly being updated, and anyone can access it,

so if you're heading to the area Safecast is measuring the radiation

ever since the tsunami incident On the car, this is a geiger

counter, which includes a GPS and a small computer,

so what it does is when I drive around it measures the radiation

every five seconds and records the location, the time and the level

on a SD card inside, then later we read it out

on a computer and upload it and put it on a map on the web

so everybody can see it. Joe and the other volunteers

in the network have taken millions There's no zero risk

level of radiation. A very small amount of radiation

is a very small risk, and especially over in Izu,

where you were, the levels of contamination there were very low

so the risk is very low - not zero, but lower than most

places in the world. Everyone here is keen to get

the message across that Only the immediate area around

the reactor is off-limits, and these ski slopes are over 100

kilometres from the power plant. But it's going to take an enormous

push to make the name Fukushima synonymous with these snowy peaks

and not the terrible events of 2011. Next - we're travelling over 2000

miles to the east of Canada to try out a sport that has its origins

in the country's past. Si, c'est Groupe Voyages Quebec

qui est sortie par... We sent Brandy Yanchyk

to give it a go. This is the mighty Saint Lawrence

River in Quebec City that connects the Great Lakes of Canada

with the Atlantic Ocean. For hundreds of years the only way

of crossing from one bank to the other during the winter

was to make the journey by canoe, rowing through the fast flowing icy

water and pushing the boat over Now, ice canoeing is a sport

and speed races are held here every year, during the city's

Winter Carnival. I've come down to the banks

of the river for a lesson. What is your best leg,

the left or the right? Your right, so you will be on this

side with your left leg inside the boat, and the scootering,

and your right one. Pushing the canoe over the ice

is called scootering, and he makes the

transition look simple. Have a seat?

Yes. You will make the transition,

you will feel something like this... Even practising on solid

ground is tricky. The thought of doing this

on the open river feels terrifying. We're using specialised equipment

and the ice is thick. But I can't shake the fear that

we're going to smash right Yes, absolutely.

Why? Because the more bumpy it is,

the more the ice is thick, Here, you have the tide,

absolutely unique. Now we are going

to row a little bit. As soon as we hit a section of ice,

we have to jump out for scootering. Even with spiked shoes to grip

the ice this isn't easy. Matching the rhythm of the rest

of the team feels impossible. But the more we jump

between the boat and the ice, the more I relax and actually start

to enjoy this icy wonderland. Well, Brandy Yanchyk trying her hand

at ice canoeing in Quebec, and it definitely looks colder

there than it is here in Japan. Well, that's all we've

got time for this week. Ade's in Finnish Lapland,

finding out why these herds of reindeer are vital

to the threatened culture of the indigenous Sami people

who live in this frozen part I wouldn't want to get hit

by one of them, though. Join us for that next week,

and don't forget if you want to follow us on the road in real

time you can sign up All the details should

be on your screen now. But until next time,

from me, Carmen Roberts,