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The sun rises on Japan. | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
More than 6,000 islands on the edge of the Pacific. | 0:00:06 | 0:00:10 | |
Life here is at the mercy | 0:00:15 | 0:00:18 | |
of Earth's most powerful elemental forces. | 0:00:18 | 0:00:21 | |
From the wilds of the frozen north... | 0:00:27 | 0:00:30 | |
BIRDS SQUAWK | 0:00:31 | 0:00:33 | |
..to the subtropical warmth of the south... | 0:00:33 | 0:00:37 | |
..animals along this chain of islands have had to adapt | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
in unique and sometimes bizarre ways. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:45 | |
Throughout this land, people have developed | 0:00:51 | 0:00:54 | |
an extraordinary relationship with the natural world... | 0:00:54 | 0:00:58 | |
BEAR GROWLS | 0:00:58 | 0:01:00 | |
..trying to capture its fleeting beauty... | 0:01:06 | 0:01:09 | |
..and tame its spirit. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:15 | |
But these islands remain wild, mysterious | 0:01:16 | 0:01:19 | |
and magical. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:21 | |
This... | 0:01:22 | 0:01:24 | |
is Japan. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:26 | |
Japan's great chain of islands stretches for 2,000 miles. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:36 | |
Right in the middle is its biggest island... | 0:01:37 | 0:01:40 | |
..Honshu. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:43 | |
Here is one of the largest urban areas on Earth. | 0:01:45 | 0:01:49 | |
But this is a wild place too. | 0:01:51 | 0:01:53 | |
From the volcanic mountains to the edge of the sea, | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
people and nature are drawn together in the most extraordinary ways. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:03 | |
Tokyo. | 0:02:14 | 0:02:15 | |
Home to over 35 million people. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:18 | |
It's so densely packed, | 0:02:20 | 0:02:22 | |
it's hard to imagine there's any room left for nature. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:25 | |
BIRDSONG | 0:02:27 | 0:02:30 | |
But as the sun rises on a spring morning, | 0:02:30 | 0:02:33 | |
something magical is about to happen. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:35 | |
In the heart of the city, | 0:02:43 | 0:02:45 | |
thousands of cherry trees are bursting into blossom. | 0:02:45 | 0:02:48 | |
For just a few fleeting days, everyone celebrates. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:58 | |
No other event in Honshu is more welcomed. | 0:02:58 | 0:03:01 | |
This natural event is so important, it makes front-page news. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:09 | |
Every spring, across Japan, | 0:03:11 | 0:03:13 | |
people follow the sakura zensen - the cherry forecast - | 0:03:13 | 0:03:17 | |
eager to see the blossom at its very best. | 0:03:17 | 0:03:21 | |
The magic is all too brief. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:42 | |
The petals start to fall almost as soon as they appear. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:46 | |
Even in this most urban place, | 0:03:54 | 0:03:56 | |
people still yearn for a connection with nature. | 0:03:56 | 0:04:00 | |
But Honshu's cities are crowded for a reason. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:13 | |
Three-quarters of this island is mountainous, | 0:04:23 | 0:04:25 | |
where fewer people can live. | 0:04:25 | 0:04:28 | |
Over 20 of these peaks are more than 3,000 metres high, | 0:04:28 | 0:04:33 | |
pushed up by violent upheavals in the Earth's crust. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:37 | |
This is no place for humans. | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
The Hida Mountains are instead home to Honshu's wildest creatures. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:49 | |
A black bear. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:06 | |
And this one's hungry. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
He'll spend eight hours a day flipping rocks, looking for ants. | 0:05:22 | 0:05:27 | |
It might not seem much to keep a bear going. | 0:05:29 | 0:05:33 | |
He's not on his own up here. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:39 | |
A Japanese macaque is also looking for a meal. | 0:05:40 | 0:05:44 | |
But for these dextrous monkeys there are alternatives. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:03 | |
These miniature trees, pruned by the elements, are covered in pine nuts. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
Full of fat and easy to reach. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:13 | |
But despite these rich pickings, | 0:06:26 | 0:06:29 | |
Honshu's macaques have learned | 0:06:29 | 0:06:31 | |
that there are even easier ways to make a living. | 0:06:31 | 0:06:34 | |
But to reach it, they have to venture off the mountain peaks... | 0:06:34 | 0:06:38 | |
..and that will bring them into contact with people. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:43 | |
No matter how wild it seems, there's nowhere in Honshu | 0:06:54 | 0:06:58 | |
where the paths of people and animals don't cross. | 0:06:58 | 0:07:02 | |
This crowd of macaques is on a mission, | 0:07:04 | 0:07:07 | |
all heading down the mountain to the same place. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:10 | |
In among the rocks, there's a pool heated by volcanic springs. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:33 | |
The temperature of a warm bath, | 0:07:33 | 0:07:35 | |
it's just the thing in the chilly mountain air. | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
This was once a spa for the exclusive use of humans. | 0:07:39 | 0:07:43 | |
Back in the '60s, one young macaque discovered the hot tub, | 0:07:46 | 0:07:50 | |
and liked the warmth. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:52 | |
News spread, and now they've claimed it as their own. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:56 | |
It's so popular, there can be hundreds of macaques here every day. | 0:07:57 | 0:08:01 | |
And thousands of adoring tourists | 0:08:07 | 0:08:09 | |
venture into the mountains to see them. | 0:08:09 | 0:08:12 | |
These are some of the most photographed animals on Earth. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:16 | |
But they are not just here for a bath. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:25 | |
They're onto a very good thing. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
Each macaque has its favourite way of retrieving the treats. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:38 | |
You can try holding your breath | 0:08:44 | 0:08:46 | |
and stuffing as much into your mouth as you can. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:49 | |
But if you don't like getting your hair wet, | 0:09:10 | 0:09:12 | |
there's a daintier technique. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:14 | |
One for the more refined. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
At the end of the day, when the tourists have gone home, | 0:09:42 | 0:09:46 | |
they make their way back to the mountain forest. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:48 | |
But this is still a wild place, full of dangers for a young macaque. | 0:09:55 | 0:10:00 | |
It's no place for a swimming lesson. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:08 | |
MACAQUE SQUEALS | 0:10:08 | 0:10:10 | |
There are no gentle streams here. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:19 | |
Water tumbles off these mountains at four tonnes a second. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:35 | |
The Shomyo Falls are Japan's highest. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:51 | |
The water cascades over 300 metres - | 0:10:51 | 0:10:54 | |
taller than the Eiffel Tower. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:57 | |
Despite falling so far, the water doesn't roar, | 0:10:58 | 0:11:01 | |
it murmurs. | 0:11:01 | 0:11:03 | |
People say it sounds like the chanting of prayers. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:07 | |
It may be a wild journey down the mountains | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
but this raging water is about to be tamed. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:22 | |
As it reaches the foothills, | 0:11:33 | 0:11:35 | |
the torrents are gradually controlled and channelled. | 0:11:35 | 0:11:38 | |
With so much pure water on tap, | 0:11:42 | 0:11:44 | |
people can grow Japan's most important crop. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:48 | |
These are Honshu's traditional rice paddies. | 0:11:51 | 0:11:55 | |
Flat land is scarce, | 0:12:07 | 0:12:09 | |
so these fields have been painstakingly carved out | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
of the foothills and water guided in. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:15 | |
These man-made marshlands, perched on the edge of the mountains, | 0:12:25 | 0:12:30 | |
are a magnet for wildlife. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:32 | |
At the start of summer, as soon as the rice is planted, | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
mysterious white globes start to appear | 0:12:44 | 0:12:46 | |
in the trees around the paddy fields. | 0:12:46 | 0:12:49 | |
The paddy fields can be a dangerous place to raise your young. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
Hungry mouths are everywhere. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:00 | |
So some mothers have taken to the trees | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
to give their babies a fighting chance of survival. | 0:13:10 | 0:13:13 | |
FROGS CROAK | 0:13:13 | 0:13:15 | |
The white globes are being made by these Japanese tree frogs. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:23 | |
It's the breeding season | 0:13:29 | 0:13:31 | |
and the trees are teeming with frogs. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
The female is with a male at the tip of a branch, | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
perched above the paddy pool. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:40 | |
She's building a nest by whipping up a giant ball of foam | 0:13:41 | 0:13:44 | |
with her back legs. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:45 | |
She lays hundreds of eggs inside. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:50 | |
She's attracting the attention of other males. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:56 | |
Each male could still fertilise some of the remaining eggs in the foam. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:03 | |
They're coming in from all directions. | 0:14:05 | 0:14:08 | |
But the foam makes it hard to get to grips with the competition. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:19 | |
Things quickly descend into an undignified wrestling match. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:31 | |
This male's work is done here. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:02 | |
It's time to move on and find other nests. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:04 | |
But when you're covered in slippery foam, | 0:15:06 | 0:15:09 | |
it's hard to leave with dignity. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:11 | |
It's an unusual problem for a tree frog. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
As the days pass, | 0:15:38 | 0:15:40 | |
the eggs develop in the safety of their foam nest. | 0:15:40 | 0:15:43 | |
The temperature rises with the summer sun, | 0:15:45 | 0:15:47 | |
and the foam ball dries to form a protective case. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:51 | |
The tadpoles inside are still moist, | 0:15:53 | 0:15:57 | |
and six degrees cooler. | 0:15:57 | 0:15:59 | |
But the little tadpoles need rain. | 0:16:04 | 0:16:06 | |
At this time of year, | 0:16:09 | 0:16:10 | |
warm air is rising over the steep Honshu mountains | 0:16:10 | 0:16:14 | |
and clouds are starting to build. | 0:16:14 | 0:16:17 | |
The tree frogs have timed their nest-building perfectly. | 0:16:24 | 0:16:28 | |
After 20 days, conditions are just right | 0:16:32 | 0:16:37 | |
and the waiting is over. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:39 | |
The hard foam starts to dissolve and the tadpoles drop out, | 0:16:44 | 0:16:49 | |
straight into the nursery pool of the rice paddy below. | 0:16:49 | 0:16:53 | |
They feast on the remaining pieces of the nest - | 0:17:16 | 0:17:20 | |
a final meal before they take their chances in the big, wide world. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:24 | |
Their mother has pulled off a remarkable feat of planning. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:29 | |
Over a third of Japan's fresh water goes to its paddies. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:42 | |
Everyone relies on this precious resource | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
and there are some uniquely Japanese ways of keeping it pure. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:50 | |
The little village of Harie has a network of interconnecting canals. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:09 | |
But these are not just any streams, | 0:18:11 | 0:18:14 | |
they're part of an ancient system called kabata. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:18 | |
The water is piped into small buildings close to each house. | 0:18:28 | 0:18:32 | |
This is where Mrs Fukuda prepares her vegetables | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
and does her washing up. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:42 | |
All this waste should make the water dirty | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
but it's not. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
It stays sparklingly clear. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:53 | |
That's because Mrs Fukuda | 0:18:55 | 0:18:57 | |
has an unusual band of kitchen helpers. | 0:18:57 | 0:18:59 | |
Giant carp. | 0:19:01 | 0:19:02 | |
As she washes her food and plates, the carp move in. | 0:19:11 | 0:19:15 | |
Carp are natural ground feeders, | 0:19:29 | 0:19:32 | |
sucking up the crumbs that sink to the bottom. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:35 | |
As Mrs Fukuda rinses out her rice bowls, | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
the carp pick out the bits of food | 0:19:44 | 0:19:46 | |
and clean the water at the same time. | 0:19:46 | 0:19:48 | |
No detergents, no waste, | 0:19:53 | 0:19:56 | |
just some very obliging, well-fed fish. | 0:19:56 | 0:19:59 | |
The same water is now piped out of the kitchen and on to the crops, | 0:20:10 | 0:20:14 | |
clean and clear, for the benefit of everyone on the lowlands. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:18 | |
They call this place 'the village of living water'. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:24 | |
And around the edges of these waterways, on summer nights, | 0:20:26 | 0:20:29 | |
something enchanting happens. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:32 | |
As darkness falls, the air is filled with tiny lights. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:42 | |
Fireflies. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:48 | |
They can only thrive if their watery world is pristine. | 0:20:48 | 0:20:52 | |
They've spent most of their brief lives as larvae, | 0:20:53 | 0:20:56 | |
living in river beds. | 0:20:56 | 0:20:58 | |
But for just a few weeks in summer, | 0:20:58 | 0:21:00 | |
they emerge as adults to find partners. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:03 | |
The female flashes her abdomen to attract attention. | 0:21:05 | 0:21:08 | |
Soon, she's surrounded by eager males, | 0:21:13 | 0:21:15 | |
all synchronising their flashes with hers. | 0:21:15 | 0:21:18 | |
People call this dancing swarm a firefly contest. | 0:21:23 | 0:21:27 | |
They've caught the imagination of countless generations. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:42 | |
People once thought they were the fire of human souls, | 0:21:51 | 0:21:55 | |
floating in the night. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:56 | |
The female has found her mate. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:23 | |
It will be a brief relationship. | 0:22:24 | 0:22:27 | |
In a few weeks, they'll all be gone. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:31 | |
But the pure water has created a magical, fleeting encounter | 0:22:31 | 0:22:35 | |
between people and wildlife. | 0:22:35 | 0:22:38 | |
There's a strong spiritual connection with nature | 0:22:45 | 0:22:48 | |
in these mountain heartlands. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:50 | |
Over half of Honshu is still thickly forested... | 0:22:58 | 0:23:02 | |
..and people believe the oldest trees | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
are inhabited by kodama - | 0:23:05 | 0:23:08 | |
tree-spirits. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:09 | |
The forests echo with their voices. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
LOUD HOWLS AND SCREECHES | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
It's bad luck, so they say, to cut down a tree where a kodama lives. | 0:23:21 | 0:23:26 | |
But there's another elusive creature in these ancient forests | 0:23:41 | 0:23:44 | |
that was once hunted almost to extinction. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:47 | |
People call it the cow demon or the phantom. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:54 | |
It's a Japanese serow. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:01 | |
This relative of antelopes and goats is unique to Japan. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:06 | |
It's a strange, stocky creature, | 0:24:08 | 0:24:10 | |
but it has a certain quirky charisma. | 0:24:10 | 0:24:13 | |
When numbers fell dangerously low, | 0:24:18 | 0:24:20 | |
the Japanese government banned hunting. | 0:24:20 | 0:24:23 | |
The serow was saved and it's become an unlikely national icon. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:31 | |
But it's a hard one to get to know. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:35 | |
At the slightest hint of danger, it will vanish into the forest... | 0:24:39 | 0:24:43 | |
..like a ninja. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:45 | |
These are still wild woods. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:00 | |
But as you leave the foothills, the land flattens | 0:25:01 | 0:25:05 | |
and it becomes easier for people to settle. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
It's when animals leave the forest edge and move into farmland | 0:25:14 | 0:25:17 | |
that the relationship with humans becomes less benevolent. | 0:25:17 | 0:25:21 | |
The macaques of the lower forests | 0:25:30 | 0:25:32 | |
are as bold as their mountain cousins | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
and often venture out in search of new opportunities. | 0:25:35 | 0:25:38 | |
CAR HORN HONKS | 0:25:38 | 0:25:40 | |
There are all sorts of perils, | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
but there are rewards too, if you're willing to take some risks. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:48 | |
CAR HORN HONKS | 0:25:49 | 0:25:51 | |
For over 100 years, people have been growing | 0:25:56 | 0:25:59 | |
the finest fruit and vegetables on these warm, rich soils. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:02 | |
For these cheeky thieves, it's irresistible. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:11 | |
Growing perfect produce is a Japanese obsession | 0:26:29 | 0:26:33 | |
so the last thing people want is marauding macaques. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
As the day heats up, the farmers take a break. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:49 | |
The coast is clear. | 0:27:11 | 0:27:13 | |
They have to be cautious. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:22 | |
If they're spotted, there'll be trouble. | 0:27:22 | 0:27:25 | |
But every day they brave the electric fences. | 0:27:33 | 0:27:37 | |
They know all the weak spots where they can stage their raids. | 0:27:37 | 0:27:42 | |
And they gorge themselves on the fruit of the farmers' labours. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:51 | |
They are almost impossible to stop | 0:28:05 | 0:28:09 | |
but the farmers are not prepared to give in. | 0:28:09 | 0:28:12 | |
DOG BARKS | 0:28:14 | 0:28:16 | |
They bring out their secret weapon. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:20 | |
Specially-trained monkey dogs. | 0:28:22 | 0:28:24 | |
DOG GROWLS | 0:28:24 | 0:28:26 | |
The Japanese Shiba Inu is one of the world's oldest breeds | 0:28:39 | 0:28:43 | |
and people have trained them to protect their crops against monkeys. | 0:28:43 | 0:28:47 | |
There's even a Japanese saying that when people are fighting, | 0:28:47 | 0:28:50 | |
they're like a dog and a monkey. | 0:28:50 | 0:28:52 | |
But the rewards outweigh the risks. | 0:28:58 | 0:29:01 | |
They'll be back again tomorrow. | 0:29:01 | 0:29:02 | |
But fruit farmers aren't the only ones | 0:29:15 | 0:29:17 | |
having to outwit hungry visitors. | 0:29:17 | 0:29:19 | |
Mr Nakayama has been keeping honeybees for more than 65 years | 0:29:37 | 0:29:42 | |
and these sunny forest clearings are perfect for his hives. | 0:29:42 | 0:29:46 | |
But every year, Mr Nakayama's hives come under attack. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:58 | |
Whatever it is seems to be unfazed by a swarm of angry bees. | 0:30:02 | 0:30:07 | |
Mr Nakayama has put an electric fence around his precious hives | 0:30:12 | 0:30:17 | |
but even this doesn't seem to be keeping the culprit out. | 0:30:17 | 0:30:21 | |
So he's called in some experts | 0:30:25 | 0:30:27 | |
and they've set up an elaborate trap laden with honey. | 0:30:27 | 0:30:30 | |
All they can do now is wait. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:49 | |
And it doesn't take long. | 0:30:56 | 0:30:59 | |
Within just a few hours, news comes in that the trap's been tripped. | 0:30:59 | 0:31:04 | |
GROWLING | 0:31:05 | 0:31:06 | |
Professor Izumiyama and his team are here to help. | 0:31:13 | 0:31:17 | |
Although it's wise to tranquillise it first. | 0:31:19 | 0:31:21 | |
It's a young black bear. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:31 | |
He's strayed dangerously close to the edge of human habitation, | 0:31:33 | 0:31:37 | |
looking for something to eat. | 0:31:37 | 0:31:39 | |
Black bears have attacked people in the past | 0:31:41 | 0:31:45 | |
so, for everyone's sake, he can't stay here. | 0:31:45 | 0:31:48 | |
There's just enough room for the bear in the boot. | 0:31:56 | 0:31:59 | |
He needs to be returned to the safety of the mountain | 0:32:03 | 0:32:07 | |
but it's a one-hour drive. | 0:32:07 | 0:32:10 | |
The bear could awake at any time. | 0:32:12 | 0:32:14 | |
And there's no cage! | 0:32:15 | 0:32:17 | |
In this rural area, | 0:32:19 | 0:32:21 | |
bear expert Professor Izumiyama is used to taking this chance. | 0:32:21 | 0:32:25 | |
They need to take the bear | 0:32:34 | 0:32:36 | |
as deep into the mountain wilderness as possible. | 0:32:36 | 0:32:39 | |
This is the most anxious time for the professor. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:12 | |
Thanks to Professor Izumiyama, this lucky bear | 0:33:26 | 0:33:30 | |
is back in the safety of the forest and out of harm's way. | 0:33:30 | 0:33:33 | |
All across Honshu, big towns have grown up along the forest edges. | 0:33:44 | 0:33:48 | |
Some are more than 1,000 years old. | 0:33:50 | 0:33:53 | |
Here, links with nature are rooted in the most ancient beliefs. | 0:33:55 | 0:34:00 | |
These sika deer live in the hills around Nara, | 0:34:03 | 0:34:06 | |
one of the oldest towns in Japan. | 0:34:06 | 0:34:08 | |
But, every morning, they leave the safety of the forest | 0:34:12 | 0:34:15 | |
and head straight into town. | 0:34:15 | 0:34:17 | |
Their destination is one of the most sacred places in Japan. | 0:34:27 | 0:34:31 | |
The temple is the world's largest wooden building. | 0:34:36 | 0:34:39 | |
Large enough to house a 15-metre statue of Buddha. | 0:34:39 | 0:34:43 | |
It's visited by thousands of pilgrims. | 0:34:44 | 0:34:47 | |
The deer are allowed in | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
because they're believed to be messengers of the gods. | 0:34:58 | 0:35:01 | |
No-one is allowed to harm them. | 0:35:06 | 0:35:08 | |
Legend has it that a god arrived at the shrine of Nara | 0:35:14 | 0:35:17 | |
riding on the back of a deer. | 0:35:17 | 0:35:20 | |
1,200 years later, the deer are still regarded as sacred. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:25 | |
They've become local celebrities. | 0:35:41 | 0:35:44 | |
And they take full advantage of the situation. | 0:35:53 | 0:35:56 | |
150 yen buys you a bag of deer biscuits. | 0:35:59 | 0:36:02 | |
For many people visiting the temple, | 0:36:06 | 0:36:09 | |
this may be as close to wildlife as they will ever get. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:12 | |
But the relationship clearly needs some finessing. | 0:36:14 | 0:36:17 | |
Some of the deer take unfair advantage of their sacred status. | 0:36:28 | 0:36:33 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:36:33 | 0:36:34 | |
As with all things in Japan, | 0:36:38 | 0:36:40 | |
courtesy and respect goes a long way. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:43 | |
A simple bow is quickly rewarded and everyone is happy. | 0:36:48 | 0:36:52 | |
When they've had enough biscuits, | 0:37:29 | 0:37:31 | |
the Nara deer head back to their home in the forest. | 0:37:31 | 0:37:34 | |
But as you travel further from these mountain fringes, | 0:37:42 | 0:37:46 | |
the landscape of Honshu is swallowed up in an urban sprawl. | 0:37:46 | 0:37:50 | |
Every inch of the remaining flat land to the coast | 0:37:53 | 0:37:56 | |
has been taken over by people. | 0:37:56 | 0:37:59 | |
Over 35 million people are crammed into an area smaller than Yorkshire. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:08 | |
In this concrete landscape, | 0:38:22 | 0:38:25 | |
it would seem unlikely that any wildlife could survive. | 0:38:25 | 0:38:28 | |
But one animal has made the city its home | 0:38:32 | 0:38:36 | |
and it has a strangely charmed reputation. | 0:38:36 | 0:38:40 | |
People even put fat little statues of it outside bars and restaurants. | 0:38:41 | 0:38:46 | |
It's naughty, but it's also believed to bring good luck. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:52 | |
Tanuki - the raccoon dog. | 0:38:59 | 0:39:01 | |
It's a creature of the forest | 0:39:06 | 0:39:08 | |
but, as buildings have replaced trees, it's been forced to adapt. | 0:39:08 | 0:39:12 | |
These little creatures will eat almost anything. | 0:39:13 | 0:39:16 | |
There's an opportunity at every turn. | 0:39:19 | 0:39:21 | |
Tanuki make mischievous neighbours. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:34 | |
But people think they're lucky, so they get away with it. | 0:39:34 | 0:39:37 | |
They're so comfortable with urban life, they never leave. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:45 | |
TANUKI CUBS SQUEAL AND CHITTER | 0:39:50 | 0:39:52 | |
This mum is raising her brood next to a busy railway line, | 0:40:03 | 0:40:07 | |
which could be lethal for cubs newly out of the den, | 0:40:07 | 0:40:10 | |
but they grow up fast and quickly become streetwise. | 0:40:10 | 0:40:13 | |
TRAIN BLASTS HORN | 0:40:15 | 0:40:17 | |
Maybe they deserve that lucky reputation. | 0:40:25 | 0:40:28 | |
All across this crowded island, | 0:40:35 | 0:40:37 | |
people and nature are thrown closer together. | 0:40:37 | 0:40:41 | |
In Japan's ancient Buddhist and Shinto philosophy, | 0:40:48 | 0:40:52 | |
harmony with nature is an essential part of life. | 0:40:52 | 0:40:56 | |
Mr Watanabe is hard at work. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
The space he is tending is called karesansui - | 0:41:15 | 0:41:18 | |
dry mountain and water. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:21 | |
Mr Watanabe has transformed Honshu's great mountains | 0:41:39 | 0:41:42 | |
and raging torrents into something beautifully simple. | 0:41:42 | 0:41:46 | |
It's nature in its purest essence, | 0:41:50 | 0:41:53 | |
for people to observe and reflect on. | 0:41:53 | 0:41:56 | |
But this is a land where the forces of nature are impossible to tame. | 0:42:11 | 0:42:16 | |
WATER GUSHES LOUDLY | 0:42:17 | 0:42:19 | |
Honshu sits at the mercy of four slabs of the earth's crust. | 0:42:21 | 0:42:25 | |
Every year, there are nearly 5,000 earthquakes and tremors. | 0:42:26 | 0:42:30 | |
The rocks steam and hiss with sulphurous gases. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:35 | |
It's no wonder the Japanese call these areas Jigokudani - | 0:42:35 | 0:42:40 | |
Hell Valley. | 0:42:40 | 0:42:41 | |
No-one is far from an active volcano. | 0:42:46 | 0:42:49 | |
Mount Fuji is just 60 miles from Tokyo. | 0:42:51 | 0:42:55 | |
This volatile landscape continues all the way to the coast. | 0:42:57 | 0:43:01 | |
These cliffs at Sanriku were pushed 200 metres above the sea | 0:43:06 | 0:43:10 | |
by violent upheavals under the ocean floor. | 0:43:10 | 0:43:13 | |
WAVES CRASH LOUDLY | 0:43:13 | 0:43:16 | |
This eastern coastline is regularly battered by tsunamis. | 0:43:22 | 0:43:27 | |
On the west coast of Honshu, | 0:43:44 | 0:43:46 | |
geological forces have formed a vast trench that runs just offshore. | 0:43:46 | 0:43:51 | |
But here, this extreme landscape creates a rare moment of magic. | 0:43:52 | 0:43:57 | |
An underwater valley, nearly 2,000 metres deep, runs close to shore. | 0:44:01 | 0:44:05 | |
The local fishermen are so in tune with nature, | 0:44:11 | 0:44:14 | |
they know exactly when conditions are right | 0:44:14 | 0:44:17 | |
to cast their nets above the deep valley. | 0:44:17 | 0:44:19 | |
ENGINES WHIR | 0:44:26 | 0:44:28 | |
GULLS SQUAWK | 0:44:31 | 0:44:33 | |
Something is stirring far below the boats. | 0:44:35 | 0:44:38 | |
These are firefly squid. | 0:44:43 | 0:44:45 | |
They spend most of their lives 300 metres down in the ocean depths, | 0:44:51 | 0:44:56 | |
signalling to each other in the darkness | 0:44:56 | 0:44:59 | |
using bioluminescent chemicals in their skin. | 0:44:59 | 0:45:01 | |
But on spring nights, the currents carry them up to the shallows, | 0:45:07 | 0:45:11 | |
where they mate and spawn. | 0:45:11 | 0:45:13 | |
As the eggs float back to the depths, | 0:45:16 | 0:45:19 | |
the squid's lifecycle comes to its natural end. | 0:45:19 | 0:45:22 | |
The fishermen have waited months for this brief event. | 0:45:29 | 0:45:32 | |
The squid are barely eight centimetres long | 0:45:36 | 0:45:38 | |
but there are millions of them. | 0:45:38 | 0:45:40 | |
It's a valuable catch of sushi. | 0:45:44 | 0:45:47 | |
GULLS SQUAWK WILDLY | 0:45:48 | 0:45:50 | |
As the fishermen haul in their nets, they may see something even rarer. | 0:46:02 | 0:46:07 | |
For just a few nights of the year, | 0:46:13 | 0:46:16 | |
if the moon, the tide and the wind are aligned, | 0:46:16 | 0:46:19 | |
the dying firefly squid are swept ashore. | 0:46:19 | 0:46:22 | |
It's the last, dazzling moment of their lives. | 0:46:25 | 0:46:29 | |
Between the turbulent sea and the inhospitable mountains, | 0:46:58 | 0:47:01 | |
there may be little room left to live, | 0:47:01 | 0:47:04 | |
but nature is still appreciated by millions of people. | 0:47:04 | 0:47:07 | |
Late at night in Tokyo, | 0:47:22 | 0:47:24 | |
the cherry blossom celebrations are ending with a great party. | 0:47:24 | 0:47:28 | |
Hanami, or blossom-viewing parties, | 0:47:31 | 0:47:34 | |
have been held here for more than 1,000 years. | 0:47:34 | 0:47:37 | |
People gather under the trees to eat traditional food, | 0:47:37 | 0:47:41 | |
helped along with some sake. | 0:47:41 | 0:47:43 | |
But there's a poignancy to all this revelry. | 0:47:49 | 0:47:52 | |
Cherry blossom only appears for a brief moment in spring. | 0:47:54 | 0:47:59 | |
Within just a few days, it will all have fallen. | 0:47:59 | 0:48:02 | |
The delicacy of the flowers captures a particularly Japanese sentiment... | 0:48:07 | 0:48:12 | |
..the spirit of "mono no aware". | 0:48:13 | 0:48:15 | |
It's a wistful understanding of the transience of life. | 0:48:18 | 0:48:21 | |
All this will come to an end and it must be appreciated in the moment. | 0:48:25 | 0:48:30 | |
It perfectly captures the Japanese connection | 0:48:32 | 0:48:36 | |
to the natural world. | 0:48:36 | 0:48:38 | |
In such a crowded island, | 0:48:42 | 0:48:44 | |
people and nature must find ways to live together. | 0:48:44 | 0:48:48 | |
But all across Honshu, | 0:48:52 | 0:48:55 | |
there's an ancient bond with the natural world | 0:48:55 | 0:48:58 | |
that still runs deep. | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
There aren't many places in the world where the lives of people | 0:49:17 | 0:49:21 | |
and animals cross so closely as on Honshu. | 0:49:21 | 0:49:24 | |
Here, there are two animals that can cause havoc. | 0:49:24 | 0:49:28 | |
Japanese macaques and black bears. | 0:49:29 | 0:49:32 | |
This is a front line, | 0:49:34 | 0:49:35 | |
where these two animals are always in conflict with people, | 0:49:35 | 0:49:39 | |
so that makes it a challenging story to tell. | 0:49:39 | 0:49:42 | |
OK and go ahead. | 0:49:42 | 0:49:44 | |
Cameraman John Brown has filmed these interactions before | 0:49:44 | 0:49:47 | |
and knows how tricky they are. | 0:49:47 | 0:49:50 | |
OK, I think probably this end, I would say. | 0:49:50 | 0:49:52 | |
SHE SPEAKS IN JAPANESE | 0:49:52 | 0:49:53 | |
But the team are working with some extraordinary and passionate people. | 0:49:53 | 0:49:57 | |
OK. I think we should... | 0:49:57 | 0:49:59 | |
Professor Shigeyuki Izumiyama is a bear biologist | 0:50:00 | 0:50:04 | |
and he knows this area very well. | 0:50:04 | 0:50:07 | |
He's spent the last 25 years rescuing and relocating black bears | 0:50:07 | 0:50:11 | |
that have strayed too close to human habitation. | 0:50:11 | 0:50:14 | |
Professor Izumiyama is an incredible individual. | 0:50:15 | 0:50:19 | |
He's a brilliant biologist that really understands his animals. | 0:50:19 | 0:50:23 | |
He's the only individual, as far as I know, | 0:50:23 | 0:50:26 | |
who's trying to tackle this problem. | 0:50:26 | 0:50:29 | |
The film crew are keen to film him catching a bear. | 0:50:51 | 0:50:54 | |
As soon as the next trap is sprung, he'll give them a call. | 0:50:55 | 0:51:00 | |
Meanwhile, the team are trying to film the other problem animal - | 0:51:03 | 0:51:06 | |
the macaques that raid the farmlands. | 0:51:06 | 0:51:09 | |
Filming macaques crop-raiding is a huge challenge | 0:51:09 | 0:51:12 | |
because they see any human presence as a major threat, | 0:51:12 | 0:51:16 | |
so they'll run as soon as they sense that they have been noticed. | 0:51:16 | 0:51:21 | |
So I guess the important thing is to kind of get a sense | 0:51:21 | 0:51:23 | |
of which direction they're going, if they're coming down... | 0:51:23 | 0:51:26 | |
They are being helped by scientist Takayo Soma. | 0:51:26 | 0:51:30 | |
She grew up round here, so she knows the situation very well. | 0:51:30 | 0:51:34 | |
Finding macaques is easy, | 0:51:34 | 0:51:36 | |
but the team want to film their crop-raiding behaviour. | 0:51:36 | 0:51:39 | |
That's not so straightforward. | 0:51:39 | 0:51:42 | |
EXPLOSION | 0:51:44 | 0:51:46 | |
The farmers are keen to move the macaques on | 0:51:49 | 0:51:52 | |
and they use firecrackers and dogs to scare them away. | 0:51:52 | 0:51:54 | |
DOG BARKS | 0:51:54 | 0:51:57 | |
The macaques cause £5 million worth of damage every year, | 0:52:00 | 0:52:04 | |
so it's understandable. | 0:52:04 | 0:52:06 | |
It's such a big issue, there's even a monkey policeman on patrol. | 0:52:08 | 0:52:12 | |
I think he's following us now. | 0:52:16 | 0:52:18 | |
I think he knows we're onto something. | 0:52:18 | 0:52:20 | |
The crew just need a bit of time to film, | 0:52:20 | 0:52:23 | |
so Takayo goes to negotiate. | 0:52:23 | 0:52:25 | |
She has a trick up her sleeve. | 0:52:26 | 0:52:28 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:52:32 | 0:52:34 | |
-You bribed him with an Oreo? -You gave him some biscuits? | 0:52:34 | 0:52:37 | |
-He gave you a biscuit? -I had biscuit. | 0:52:37 | 0:52:40 | |
-That's genius. -How many bites? He just took one bite. | 0:52:40 | 0:52:43 | |
-Two bites. -Two bites?! | 0:52:43 | 0:52:44 | |
-That's a brilliant bit of work. -Wow, he's got a pretty low price. | 0:52:44 | 0:52:48 | |
But just as the coast is clear, | 0:52:50 | 0:52:52 | |
director Gavin Maxwell gets a call from Professor Izumiyama. | 0:52:52 | 0:52:56 | |
The previous night, up in the forest, | 0:52:59 | 0:53:02 | |
a bear wandered into one of the traps. | 0:53:02 | 0:53:04 | |
The bear was caught last night | 0:53:06 | 0:53:09 | |
and we're going as fast as we can to get to this site now. | 0:53:09 | 0:53:12 | |
It's about 45 minutes away. | 0:53:12 | 0:53:14 | |
So we're in a bit of a race to get there in time. | 0:53:14 | 0:53:17 | |
LOUD CLATTERING | 0:53:24 | 0:53:26 | |
Big bear in there. | 0:53:27 | 0:53:28 | |
As well as relocating bears, | 0:53:34 | 0:53:36 | |
Professor Izumiyama also studies them. | 0:53:36 | 0:53:40 | |
By fitting radio collars to track them, | 0:53:50 | 0:53:53 | |
he hopes to discover more about their movements. | 0:53:53 | 0:53:55 | |
I'm not sure how much more time we've got. | 0:53:56 | 0:53:59 | |
They have to work fast, before the drugs wear off. | 0:54:01 | 0:54:04 | |
(Does the bear have a name?) | 0:54:21 | 0:54:22 | |
-Hirokun. -Hirokun. | 0:54:28 | 0:54:30 | |
-Hirokun. -Hirokun. | 0:54:30 | 0:54:32 | |
As Hirokun begins to stir, it's wise to take some precautions. | 0:54:33 | 0:54:38 | |
Just John and Izumiyama-san we'll leave here. | 0:54:38 | 0:54:41 | |
-So we should retreat to the inside of the car? -Yeah. | 0:54:41 | 0:54:44 | |
Professor Izumiyama carries pepper spray | 0:54:51 | 0:54:54 | |
just in case of attack. | 0:54:54 | 0:54:56 | |
John knows how nervous local people can get. | 0:54:57 | 0:55:01 | |
People get so scared and so angry about these bears | 0:55:01 | 0:55:04 | |
that unless he did something, they'd just end up dead. | 0:55:04 | 0:55:07 | |
A few hours of unpleasantness, which it will have forgotten by tomorrow, | 0:55:07 | 0:55:10 | |
is well worth it. | 0:55:10 | 0:55:12 | |
Another bear on its way, but now its movements can be tracked. | 0:55:16 | 0:55:20 | |
-Hunter. -Yeah, that one. -If, maybe in a weeks' time... | 0:55:20 | 0:55:23 | |
Over 25 years, Professor Izumiyama has caught a lot of bears. | 0:55:23 | 0:55:28 | |
-More than 1,000. -More than 1,000 bears. | 0:55:28 | 0:55:30 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:55:30 | 0:55:32 | |
1,000 bears and counting and there's no sign of stopping yet. | 0:55:32 | 0:55:37 | |
As soon as one bear is released, it's straight on to another. | 0:55:37 | 0:55:41 | |
Throughout the summer, he's on call 24/7. | 0:55:42 | 0:55:46 | |
Despite being such a populated country, | 0:55:49 | 0:55:51 | |
Honshu is home to over 10,000 bears... | 0:55:51 | 0:55:55 | |
TRACKER PINGS | 0:55:55 | 0:55:56 | |
..and what Professor Izumiyama is discovering is remarkable. | 0:55:56 | 0:56:00 | |
These bears have huge territories. | 0:56:01 | 0:56:05 | |
They can roam nearly 50 square miles in search of food. | 0:56:05 | 0:56:08 | |
All this effort will help to keep bears away from people | 0:56:10 | 0:56:13 | |
so that both stay safe. | 0:56:13 | 0:56:15 | |
The next day, the team are back on the plains, | 0:56:20 | 0:56:23 | |
still trying to catch the macaques staging a crop-raid. | 0:56:23 | 0:56:26 | |
We haven't seen anything. | 0:56:26 | 0:56:28 | |
-Anything interesting? -No. | 0:56:33 | 0:56:36 | |
But with Takayo's expert help, | 0:56:37 | 0:56:39 | |
they are learning to predict the macaques' movements. | 0:56:39 | 0:56:42 | |
You might spot a macaque or two who are, kind of, looking a bit shifty | 0:56:45 | 0:56:49 | |
and you kind of get the sense that something's going to happen. | 0:56:49 | 0:56:53 | |
And then, at last, | 0:56:53 | 0:56:55 | |
they are in the right place at the right time for a raid. | 0:56:55 | 0:56:58 | |
Is that an apple in his hand? | 0:57:08 | 0:57:10 | |
Caught red-handed. | 0:57:12 | 0:57:14 | |
In a place with such close proximity between people and animals, | 0:57:18 | 0:57:22 | |
the relationship is always going to be challenging. | 0:57:22 | 0:57:25 | |
But Professor Izumiyama has seen a big change in attitudes | 0:57:26 | 0:57:29 | |
since he first started working with bears. | 0:57:29 | 0:57:32 | |
Next time, we head to Japan's far south. | 0:58:13 | 0:58:16 | |
This is a land ruled by the power of the sea. | 0:58:19 | 0:58:22 | |
Here, you have to make the most of every opportunity. | 0:58:25 | 0:58:29 | |
And the further south you travel, the stranger life becomes. | 0:58:30 | 0:58:35 |