0:00:02 > 0:00:05The sun rises on Japan.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10More than 6,000 islands on the edge of the Pacific.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Life here is at the mercy of Earth's most powerful elemental forces.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30From the wilds of the frozen north.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36To the subtropical warmth of the south.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Animals along this chain of islands
0:00:40 > 0:00:45have had to adapt in unique and sometimes bizarre ways.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Throughout this land,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56people have developed an extraordinary relationship
0:00:56 > 0:00:58with the natural world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Trying to capture its fleeting beauty.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14And tame its spirit.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18But these islands remain wild,
0:01:18 > 0:01:19mysterious
0:01:19 > 0:01:20and magical.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25This is Japan.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35There's a corner of Japan
0:01:35 > 0:01:38that's a world apart from the rest of the country.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43It's the northernmost frontier.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54This island endures a brutal winter that locks the land in snow and ice.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The animals that live here would look more at home in Siberia.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16All life is ruled by the changing seasons.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Summers are brief
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and autumns dazzle.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This is a land of tough animals and hardy human souls.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Sometimes you need to build unlikely alliances
0:02:44 > 0:02:49to survive on Hokkaido, Japan's wildest island.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11An Ussuri brown bear is patrolling the Shiretoko Peninsula,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13in the extreme northeast of Hokkaido.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22It's September.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25She's waiting for a bounty that comes this way every autumn.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Tens of millions of Pacific salmon are gathering off the coast.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Soon they'll swim inshore to spawn.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And that'll bring them within snatching distance
0:03:41 > 0:03:42of the female bear.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02She needs to put food in the mouths of her two young cubs.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13There's a bitter winter coming,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and if they're not well-fed, her cubs won't make it through.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22This is a hard place to be a mum.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28The family is not alone.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34This peninsula is home to 200 brown bears.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45It's one of the most densely-packed populations in the world.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The salmon bonanza has attracted others here, too.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Nobody lives permanently in this remote part of Hokkaido.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But one hardy group have special permission
0:05:16 > 0:05:18to stay here for some of the year.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Hokkaido is Japan's second-largest island,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34but the harsh conditions mean it's home to only 4% of its people.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Shiretoko is one of the loneliest corners,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42where you have to live close to the wild.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Brown bears can weigh 300 kilos,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and are not to be messed with.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00When bears and humans cross paths, things can get dangerous.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12But here, something astonishing has happened.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20For the fishermen, bears have become a part of everyday life.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26It takes some nerve, but the men live alongside them as equals.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Tough characters, side-by-side,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34both dependent on the salmon run.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42The mother bear knows what she's doing.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Survival is in her blood.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Her ancestors came to Hokkaido from Siberia.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53And they walked here.
0:06:56 > 0:07:0112,000 years ago, Hokkaido was joined to the Russian mainland.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Siberian animals colonised it,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11before the sea levels rose, turning Hokkaido into an island.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22It's why the wildlife here is so different from the rest of Japan,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24and so well equipped to face the coming winter.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34By the end of September,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37it's getting colder in the heart of Hokkaido.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43The forests are starting to glow.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59The intense colours are created by the warm days and cold nights
0:07:59 > 0:08:01of Hokkaido's autumn.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06It's one of Japan's most beautiful natural displays,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and the forest fills with visitors.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Every autumn, more than a million Japanese tourists
0:08:15 > 0:08:16travel to Hokkaido.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Vivid autumn leaves are called koyo.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27In Japan, people have been making special trips to see them
0:08:27 > 0:08:28for over 1,000 years.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35And, because it's so far north,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Hokkaido is the first place where koyo appears,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42hustled in by the chill of an early autumn.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51It's a fleeting display.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01There's barely two weeks to catch the best koyo before it vanishes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06And soon, the fair-weather tourists will disappear too.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17For those who can't leave,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20it's all about preparation for the winter to come.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25On the forest floor below,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28animals are hurrying to make the most of autumn.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Siberian chipmunks.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38They came from Russia too.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Like the brown bear, their ancestors were marooned
0:09:41 > 0:09:43just here on Hokkaido.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54To survive the winter,
0:09:54 > 0:09:59chipmunks need to have a good kilo of nuts stashed in their burrows.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's a lot to find.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Competition is intense, and chipmunks are feisty.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34This chipmunk has been collecting nuts for months.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39But the forest is full of thieves.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The red squirrel is three times heavier than the chipmunk.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01But this little guy punches well above his weight.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18He shoves the squirrel off his patch.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And then, back to the job in hand.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33He can cram eight acorns into his cheeks in one go.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36That means fewer trips to the burrow,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and fewer chances for thieves to follow him.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53With the nuts off-loaded, there's one last task.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04To make it through winter, he'll need leaves to insulate his home.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06For the next four months,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09temperatures here will plunge below zero.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18Ready or not, the chipmunks will soon have no option
0:12:18 > 0:12:20but to retreat underground.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Every one of Hokkaido's inhabitants
0:12:29 > 0:12:32has to deal with the island's seasonal extremes.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And that includes some extraordinary life-forms
0:12:38 > 0:12:40that live at the bottom of a lake.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48They may look like mossy boulders,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53but these strange balls in Lake Akan come to life when you speed up time.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08This spinning seems miraculous.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11After all, these aren't animals,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15but an incredibly rare form of algae found nowhere else in Japan.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21They're called marimo.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Or, in the local language, "marsh monsters".
0:13:30 > 0:13:33They can live for decades, and grow bigger than a basketball.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44The marimos' dance is caused by Hokkaido's elemental forces.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The mountains funnel winds towards the lake.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59The resulting waves spin the marimo, shaping them into spheres.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04But, if the waves are too strong, it can be disastrous.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12Washed ashore, larger marimo collapse under their own weight.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Battered by waves, they disintegrate.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23But marimo bounce back.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Next spring,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32these fragments will start growing into a host of new balls.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Snow on the hilltops is a warning that autumn is nearly over.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49It's October.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53To the east, on the remote Notsuke coastline,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55a battle's about to start.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14This alien landscape is stark,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16even for Hokkaido.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Nobody lives here,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29but all summer long,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32trawlers have been busy catching prawns off the coast.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Now, the fishermen are packing up and shipping out
0:15:43 > 0:15:45before winter arrives.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51But others are made of tougher stuff.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Sika deer live here year-round.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Right now, they're gearing up for the most important event
0:16:04 > 0:16:05in their calendar.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17This stag has built up a harem of females.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33He can't hang about.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37A harem in heat is a magnet for other males.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00The dominant stag has no choice but to go and meet his rival.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05It's the newcomer that's won.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11He has the pick of the females for now.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15But it won't be long before other stags move in to challenge him.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Many males are so exhausted
0:18:20 > 0:18:23they just won't make it through the winter.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26But at least some will leave a legacy.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30The females are pregnant.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36They'll need all their resilience to survive the lean months of winter.
0:18:50 > 0:18:5540 miles to the north, back on the Shiretoko Peninsula,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58the mother bear is trying to feed her cubs.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Pretty soon, they'll have to go into hibernation.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11They'll be holed up together for five months without food,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14so it's vital they lay down fat reserves now.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30The salmon have arrived.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36By watching underwater,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40the mother bear tries to get a head-start in the chase.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59Just offshore,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03the fishermen have also been rewarded for their patience.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11On Hokkaido, you have to grab every opportunity
0:21:11 > 0:21:13that comes your way while the good times last.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Now the mother bear's finally got her eye in, there's no stopping her.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09The cubs still have a few weeks left to bulk up before hibernating.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17In December, winter arrives in force.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22A colossal mass of freezing air barrels in from eastern Russia.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Crossing the Sea of Japan, it picks up enormous amounts of moisture
0:22:30 > 0:22:33which it drops onto Hokkaido as snow.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Over a metre of it can fall in a single day.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59The freeze intensifies in mid-winter.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09By February, sea ice closes like a fist around the coast.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Nowhere else in the northern hemisphere
0:23:17 > 0:23:19does sea ice reach this far south.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Hardy animals travel 1,000 miles
0:23:27 > 0:23:30just to reach this frozen wasteland.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36The Japanese call them owashi.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Steller's sea eagles.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47CHIRPING
0:23:47 > 0:23:50In winter, they fly in from Russia
0:23:50 > 0:23:53and join other birds eking out a living on Hokkaido's coastline.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58The sea eagles rule this roost.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03They're the heaviest eagles in the world.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06CHIRPING
0:24:08 > 0:24:10The birds are surrounded by the ghostly hulls
0:24:10 > 0:24:12of abandoned fishing boats.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Winter has grounded the ocean-going fleet.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26But a little ice isn't enough to stop Hokkaido's fishermen.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33They venture out onto the surface of a frozen lagoon.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39And the eagles follow their every move.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58This band of brothers has been ice fishing for over 40 years.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And for Mr Takahashi, the eagles are a lucky sign.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28The fishermen have built a relationship with these birds.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41It's a two-way thing. The nets are bulging
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and some of the catch is for sharing.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06As the brothers make their way across the ice,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08the Steller's sea eagles move in.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10SQUAWKING
0:26:14 > 0:26:16White-tailed eagles enter the fray.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18SQUAWKING
0:26:34 > 0:26:38On the ice, the boldest, brashest eagles do best.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Huge flocks of black-eared kites join the party.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00They're only a tenth of the weight of the eagles.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03But what they lack in stature they make up for in bravery.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21In spring, the Steller's sea eagles will fly back to Russia,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23fuelled by the fishermen's generosity.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Hokkaido's winter is a force to be reckoned with.
0:27:34 > 0:27:382,000 metres up, on the peaks that tower over the island,
0:27:38 > 0:27:39nothing moves.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Even on the lower plains, the farmland is locked in thick snow.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05WIND ROARS
0:28:09 > 0:28:13This extreme season tests even Hokkaido's
0:28:13 > 0:28:16most adaptable inhabitants to the limit.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18CAWING
0:28:20 > 0:28:23But a remarkable group of people lived through
0:28:23 > 0:28:25thousands of winters here.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Hokkaido was home to its own indigenous inhabitants...
0:28:34 > 0:28:36..the Ainu.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Their ancestors came from the mainland, just like the brown bears.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57These hunter-gatherers were well in tune with the natural world.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01They lived for millennia on Hokkaido
0:29:01 > 0:29:04before Japanese traders arrived, over 800 years ago.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11In time, the traders became conquerors.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Since then, the Ainu way of life has almost disappeared.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30But the animals they worshipped still survive.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33CHIRPING
0:29:33 > 0:29:38The Ainu revered red-crowned cranes as gods of the marshlands.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48To modern Japanese, these birds are symbols of beauty and long life.
0:29:50 > 0:29:51SQUAWKING
0:29:56 > 0:30:01Hokkaido is the only place in Japan where red-crowned cranes still live.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09But settlers' farms have swallowed up the wetlands
0:30:09 > 0:30:12where they used to hunt for fish and insects.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19In these fields, pickings are slim.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Last century, there were fewer than 30 cranes left in Japan.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35It looked like they might disappear altogether.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38CRANES CALL OUT
0:30:43 > 0:30:47But salvation has come from a small group of farmers.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54They don't just tolerate the cranes,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57they go out of their way to help them.
0:30:59 > 0:31:00Throughout the winter,
0:31:00 > 0:31:04they brave sub-zero temperatures to feed these giant birds.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12Over 100 hungry mouths gather every morning.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Thanks to these hand-outs,
0:31:25 > 0:31:30the red-crowned crane has fought back against extinction.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Hokkaido is now home to nearly 1,000 birds.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43CRANES CALL OUT
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Whenever cranes get together, no matter what time of year,
0:31:51 > 0:31:52they put on a show.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56CRANE CRIES
0:31:56 > 0:31:57It starts with a song.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06CRANES CRY OUT
0:32:11 > 0:32:13And then a dance.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31Cranes often pair for life, and this ballet is key to that bond.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45But perhaps there's more to it than that.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50It seems that dancing is something that cranes simply enjoy doing.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02Thanks to their own tenacity, and human help, these enormous,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05irrepressible birds have survived to dance another day.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13And on Hokkaido in deep winter, survival is the name of the game.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21The Ainu people call the Shiretoko Peninsula "the end of the Earth".
0:33:29 > 0:33:34In winter, this northerly outpost becomes a snowy wonderland,
0:33:34 > 0:33:35and even more isolated.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Brown bears are asleep beneath the drifts.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50But sika deer have nowhere to hide.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57Instead, they rely on their own extraordinary resilience.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Pregnant bellies make for awkward snow ploughs,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06but the females take the drifts in their stride.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13Their favourite foods, bamboos and other grasses, are buried.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18But these are the toughest deer in the world.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25And they're prepared for everything winter can throw at them.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Blizzards bury the deer's food deeper and deeper.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42So they look in high places.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51They'll even get by on tree bark.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05It's just enough to keep hunger at bay
0:35:05 > 0:35:07while they live off their fat reserves.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19But even in this bitter winter, there are a few places where
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Hokkaido offers some unexpected comfort.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29All across this icy island, there are hot spots.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Hokkaido has 20 active volcanoes.
0:35:45 > 0:35:51And in places, hot gases escape from deep underground,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53melting holes in the snowy landscape.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Hokkaido is alive and breathing.
0:36:07 > 0:36:13Lake Kussharo is all that remains of a colossal collapsed volcano,
0:36:13 > 0:36:14seven miles across.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24At the end of winter,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28the lake is a lifeline for migrating whooper swans.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41It's a warm oasis in the middle of a frozen desert.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48A thermal spring keeps this patch of water warm and ice-free.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54SWANS HONK
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Most swans only use the lake for a layover before continuing to
0:37:01 > 0:37:03warmer parts of Japan.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11But a few have learnt to save themselves
0:37:11 > 0:37:13a journey by spending the whole winter here.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26SWANS HONK
0:37:33 > 0:37:38This is the perfect place to strengthen old relationships,
0:37:38 > 0:37:39and make new ones.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55The swans will stay until the spring allows them
0:37:55 > 0:37:57to return to Russia to breed.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01They don't have long to wait.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09It's April, and there's another great seasonal change on the way.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15From winter to summer, the temperature can
0:38:15 > 0:38:19swing from 30 degrees below zero to 30 above.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27For Hokkaido's frozen inhabitants, the thaw can't come soon enough.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38The Shiretoko Peninsula is released from the grip of
0:38:38 > 0:38:39sea ice.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49By May, everybody on Hokkaido reaps their reward for seeing out
0:38:49 > 0:38:50the winter.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58The island bursts into life.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Spring is short, there's no time to waste.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Farmers race to make the most of the growing season.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37Over the last century, Japanese farmers have transformed Hokkaido.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Half a million tonnes of wheat are harvested every year.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52The most fertile parts of the island look more like rural England
0:39:52 > 0:39:53than wild Japan.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00And all this greenery is irresistible.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08The sika deer have started creeping into the lush cultivated fields.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11It's a whole new world.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34These fields are brimming with specially-sown grass,
0:40:34 > 0:40:35intended for cattle.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42But this herd always seems to be one step ahead,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45helping themselves to the best grass before it can even
0:40:45 > 0:40:47be cut.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Every year, deer can munch their way through over
0:40:55 > 0:40:57£30 million worth of crops.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03But some farmers have developed a live-and-let-live attitude.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16The deer are reaping the benefits of Hokkaido's human landscape.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21In a place like this, it pays to be adaptable.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32In the warmth of early summer, the red-crowned cranes have moved into
0:41:32 > 0:41:34the farmland waterways.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39And they have a new family member.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47They traditionally nest in marshes, but most have been drained.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55So the cranes are raising their chick in an irrigation channel.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06All through the summer,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10the chick will be entirely dependent on its parents for food.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20The channel is teeming with insects, fish and frogs.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22But the parents
0:42:22 > 0:42:26can barely keep up with their gangly offspring's appetite.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42The family won't be able to move on until the chick can fly.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52In the meantime, they can't escape from surprise visitors.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06The sika deer have managed to wander right into the path of a pair
0:43:06 > 0:43:08of cranes with a week-old chick.
0:43:10 > 0:43:11CRANE CRIES OUT
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Mum and Dad work together, to shepherd the chick to safety.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36And then, a quick flash of the dagger-like beak
0:43:36 > 0:43:39to make sure the deer keep their distance.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45CRANE CACKLES
0:43:54 > 0:43:56The parents' diligence has paid off.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Their priority now is to feed their chick while times are good.
0:44:13 > 0:44:14All Hokkaido's inhabitants
0:44:14 > 0:44:19must rush to make the most of the short summer.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Once the island blooms, some of the busiest workers fly into action.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39BUZZING
0:44:44 > 0:44:45European honeybees.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54People brought them to Japan more than 100 years ago.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58They're much more docile than the native bees.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Every summer, Mr Seo brings his hives to Hokkaido.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29Mr Seo and his travelling bees have found paradise here.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40In July, Hokkaido becomes positively Mediterranean.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47While the rest of Japan swelters in a sticky summer,
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Hokkaido enjoys warm days and cool nights.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58It's the perfect place to grow flowers.
0:46:02 > 0:46:07For a time, Hokkaido brims with tourists who've come to soak up
0:46:07 > 0:46:09the beauty of this man-made spectacle.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Their love of nature has drawn them
0:46:16 > 0:46:18from across Japan and East Asia.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28But Hokkaido's summer is short.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35Soon, the blooms will fade and the tourists will go home.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51It takes a certain resilience to live here year-round.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Mr Seo doesn't stay for long.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23By September, Hokkaido is already sliding into autumn.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Leaves that only grew a few months ago are changing colour
0:47:31 > 0:47:33and dying off.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Hokkaido never stands still, its seasons rush by.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51This hostile frontier has long been a place that tests
0:47:51 > 0:47:52life to the limit.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59But its extraordinary inhabitants are more than up to the challenge.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06And they've discovered that by forging new alliances, they can deal
0:48:06 > 0:48:08with everything that the toughest
0:48:08 > 0:48:10corner of Japan can throw at them.
0:48:22 > 0:48:23All across Japan,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26from the mountains of the heartland...
0:48:29 > 0:48:30..to the southern seas...
0:48:34 > 0:48:37..people still celebrate its unusual nature
0:48:37 > 0:48:39and fleeting beauty.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Japan may be one of the busiest places on Earth,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51but the connection with the wild
0:48:51 > 0:48:53still runs deep.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12The wildest part of Hokkaido is the Shiretoko Peninsula.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16It's remote and mysterious,
0:49:16 > 0:49:20one of the last true wildernesses in Japan.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29After months of negotiation,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32cameraman Graham MacFarlane has a special permit
0:49:32 > 0:49:34to enter Shiretoko National Park.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40He's come here to film brown bears and their salmon-hunting techniques.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47Shiretoko means "the end of the Earth",
0:49:47 > 0:49:48so it kind of feels like that.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55I've never specifically gone to film, um, brown bears
0:49:55 > 0:49:58so I'm very excited but also a little bit nervous.
0:49:58 > 0:50:03I, I don't really know how these animals react to humans,
0:50:03 > 0:50:04how they behave.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06A journey into the unknown.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Right from the start, the signs are promising.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Oh, yeah, oh, fantastic.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Hopefully that's not the last we're going to see of them.
0:50:26 > 0:50:31This is the end of the road, a small base used by seasonal fishermen.
0:50:35 > 0:50:40There's no hotel here and Graham's not going to risk a tent.
0:50:41 > 0:50:46So, my bear-proof living quarters, my van,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49and, uh, it's actually very cosy
0:50:49 > 0:50:53and it feels very safe, too.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56Goodnight.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Well, I've just woke up, it's about five o'clock.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20That's pretty amazing, I can actually see a bear
0:51:20 > 0:51:24sat on the rock on the shore waiting
0:51:24 > 0:51:26to fish, from my bed.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31There's no time for a lie-in, Graham needs to get to work.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42The first morning and there are the bears.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Wow, there's another one there.
0:51:53 > 0:51:54There's loads about.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58And they're not shy.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06She's coming right up to the car.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10Should I put my window up?
0:52:16 > 0:52:19She could certainly get her paw through the window.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Until Graham can get to know these bears,
0:52:25 > 0:52:27it's better to be safe than sorry.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34His main mission is to film a salmon hunt.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43But the bears aren't fishing, so Graham can focus on getting
0:52:43 > 0:52:46close-up underwater shots of the salmon.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56To help him, he's called on his friend, cameraman Daisuke Semiya,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59who's got a simple idea for how to reveal the beauty of the fish.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05This time just first experiment, so, yeah, let me see what happens.
0:53:05 > 0:53:06OK, cool.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09It requires an underwater camera, a phone...
0:53:09 > 0:53:11So you're going to attach it to the end of this?
0:53:11 > 0:53:13..and an improvised pole.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15I think it's a curtain rail, isn't it?
0:53:15 > 0:53:17It'll do, you know.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Yeah, Japanese technology!
0:53:19 > 0:53:21That is, that, genius, that's cool, man.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26By hooking the phone up to the camera,
0:53:26 > 0:53:28they're hoping to monitor shots of the fish.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31Just, I love it, the simplicity.
0:53:41 > 0:53:42That is amazing.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49Oh!
0:53:52 > 0:53:53Great, it works!
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Semiya's ingenuity
0:53:56 > 0:53:57has paid off.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Oh, fighting going on.
0:54:00 > 0:54:01Wow!
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Now Graham's filmed the salmon,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06he can turn his attention back to the bears.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13They're still not hunting.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Instead, they seem more interested in checking out something else...
0:54:18 > 0:54:19..the fishing base.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30Nowhere else in the world are people so relaxed around brown bears.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42It's a unique relationship that's developed over time.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50Mr Ohse has been working here for over 50 years.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53In the early days, attitudes
0:54:53 > 0:54:55to bears were very different.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08But over time,
0:55:08 > 0:55:12the fishermen realised there were easier ways to deal with the bears.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28The relationship has strengthened over the decades.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48All the same, the situation can take some getting used to
0:55:48 > 0:55:50for new recruits.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07It's advice that Graham's trying his best to follow,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10as he continues his quest to film a hunting bear.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18But there's one situation that is dangerous.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Getting between a mother and her cubs.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28And this cub's coming far too close.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33The mother bear could be anywhere.
0:56:43 > 0:56:44There she is.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50The bear family are reunited, so Graham can set up the camera.
0:56:54 > 0:56:55It's very close.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59I could, um, I could smell her, she glanced at me, I glanced at her.
0:57:01 > 0:57:02Finally, the hunting begins.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13Over the next few days, Graham gets the shots he needs.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23It's a rare view into their private lives.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42And the team discover that it's not just
0:57:42 > 0:57:44the bears that accept their presence.
0:57:46 > 0:57:47Wow!
0:57:49 > 0:57:53The normal rules between man and beast don't seem to apply in
0:57:53 > 0:57:55this strange, lonely place.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59Actually, it's been a complete success, we've got
0:57:59 > 0:58:01everything we came for and more.
0:58:01 > 0:58:02I didn't think in
0:58:02 > 0:58:05my wildest dreams I'd film as much bears as we have
0:58:05 > 0:58:08and to be able to follow a particular bear family,
0:58:08 > 0:58:10it's just been a privilege, really.
0:58:12 > 0:58:13On the Shiretoko Peninsula,
0:58:13 > 0:58:17Graham has found a world where the normal barriers between a cameraman
0:58:17 > 0:58:19and his subjects don't exist.
0:58:22 > 0:58:26That's the magic of Hokkaido, Japan's wildest island.