Siapan Byd Pws

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-Travellers? Adventurers, that's us.

-Lucky we know our stuff.

-My large bag was too full, so I

-bought this cheap one in Hong Kong.

-The zips and handle have fallen off!

-And what's just fallen off?

-The wheel.

-We know what we're doing.

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-CONVERSATION

-We've come here in April,

-for an important reason.

-It's time for the hanami.

-That's the season when the cherry

-trees blossom and look their best.

-The Japanese flock to sit under

-these beautiful trees...

-..to eat, drink and socialise.

-As if anyone needed

-an excuse to do that!

-Everyone has their own image

-of Japan and its people.

-Not a visual idea, but what goes on

-up here, and their interests.

-Look at this place!

-The Japanese love playing games.

-Look at these. Strewth!

-Some play them all day,

-so I've heard.

-Look at him.

-DRUM PLAYING

-'Pachinko' is a very popular

-game in Japan.

-It's a gambling game, similar

-to the bagatelle I played as a boy.

-You win small metal balls, and at

-the end, you exchange them for cash.

-The Japanese are mad

-about technical games.

-Of course, style

-is important to the young.

-This is Tsukiji Fish Market at

-4.00am. You don't want to be here.

-They say this fish

-is called the Sinatra fish.

-# Crevettes, I've had a few

-# But then again,

-too few to mention... #

-This is laver bread!

-Ah, good.

-Domo.

-Arigato.

-Japan heads the list of the world's

-environmental offenders...

-...because the Japanese will pay

-more than anyone for fish like tuna.

-Life's strange. I've flown

-half way around the world...

-..to meet a fish from Ireland.

-The highest price paid this year

-for one tuna, is 150,000.

-That's 20 a bite.

-JAPANESE

-Here's the unfrozen fish section.

-They're delivered by air, mostly.

-That says it comes from France.

-When it's cut, they look to see how

-much fat there is in the stomach.

-This costs about 10,000,

-which is 7,000.

-Just for that. It's like gold!

-Just as in markets back home, they

-walk around, look, take samples.

-They know which fish they want,

-they make notes.

-Then they put a bid in

-at the auction.

-This is how they count in auctions.

-One, two, three, four, five.

-Six, seven, eight.

-Nine? Yes.

-Q, oh, yes.

-Yes, OK.

-JAPANESE

-Oh, thirty five.

-Forty five, thirty five. They have

-their own style, or language...

-..when they bid at auction.

-Off we go.

-BIDDING IN JAPANESE

-This happens every day of the week.

-Thousands of fish are sold,

-for millions of pounds.

-It makes you think, will there

-be any fish left one day?

-If not, these blokes

-will have had their chips.

-This fish was bought

-for over 20,000.

-But the demand for tuna in Japanese

-sushi restaurants is so high...

-..that prices increase sky-high,

-before the fish reaches your plate.

-In one day, fish, and seafood,

-worth more than 100 million...

-..goes through this market.

-Good God, Al, look at the size

-of what he's given us!

-Arigato!

-That's it, a morning's work.

-It's 7.00am and we've worked hard.

-I was looking forward to breakfast,

-bacon and eggs, some laver bread.

-What do I get?

-Sushi.

-Young people all over the world

-like fashion.

-The Japanese take it seriously.

-Western influence is evident.

-Ah, Kawasaki, good bikes.

-It's odd, I was thinking

-about the Japanese names.

-We think of these as modern, but the

-names resemble Welsh place names.

-For example, Suzuki means pear tree.

-Mazda, a field of pine.

-Yamaha, a mountain leaf.

-Kawasaki means a river estuary.

-But never buy a bike

-called Kawasickie.

-We're going to Kyoto today.

-It's Japan's ancient capital and

-completely different from Tokyo.

-We're going on the Shinkansen,

-one of the world's fastest trains.

-The 'Silver Bullet' train.

-We're travelling on carriage 14.

-They told me carriage 14...

-..would stop right here.

-They were right.

-This train is so long, the driver

-stopped at the next station...

-..and had his lunch,

-before we arrived.

-Isn't it odd?

-The toilet is always at the back.

-Damn! There was someone in it too.

-Over there in the clouds

-is Mount Fuji.

-This train can travel

-at 300km per hour.

-They get 'Pobol y Cwm' here too!

-"Hello, Reg. Fancy a cabbage?"

-Just joking!

-The train goes from east to west.

-I was amazed at how much concrete

-there was and how little greenery.

-At last, Kyoto, centre

-of Japan's ancient culture...

-..and a haven of quietness,

-so different from Tokyo.

-Kyoto also has

-one of Japan's largest studios...

-..where the best samurai

-and ninja films are produced.

-Ho!

-Ooh!

-Haaah!

-Hoooh!!

-

-We're staying here.

-It's called Rikiya.

-He calls it Rioja.

-Look down here, slippers.

-We take our shoes off here.

-Take your shoes off, Hughes.

-Here's our room.

-Right, wait while I put on

-the light.

-Here we are.

-Look, small chairs.

-Morning tea.

-Look at these - they set these

-out for us at night.

-Futons. That's what

-the Japanese sleep on.

-He calls them croutons.

-Here's another small room,

-with lovely windows.

-Look over there, Hughes.

-It's a sort of shrine,

-which we mustn't touch.

-Here, another small room.

-Outside, there's a huge temple.

-Chairs, which we mustn't put

-on the mats, no, no!

-This is where we sit at night

-to sip beer... tea!

-Right, I must stop now,

-because we have an important job.

-They close in 30 minutes.

-Come on, Hughes.

-It's odd how these journeys

-can go up and down.

-Yesterday, in Tokyo,

-I was on top of the world.

-Music, lights,

-young people having fun.

-Then we came to Kyoto on the train.

-And everyone wants money here.

-A lot of money!

-We asked a geisha girl...

-..if we could film a short

-interview. She wanted 1,000!

-Even Jonsi doesn't get that much.

-Only geishas can perform

-the tea ceremony.

-You've got to see it in Japan.

-We've decided to give you

-the alternative version.

-Here it is.

-The coffee ceremony.

-Arigato.

-Old traditions are very important.

-Aesthetic pleasures are a vital

-part of life in Japan.

-Here, in a Zen garden,

-they come to meditate...

-..and ponder on the meaning of life.

-And the purpose of 'cynghanedd'.

-The shape, texture and colour

-of the garden all help...

-..to concentrate the mind

-and relax the body.

-Bruce Lee, the famous karate bloke,

-went to a dating agency.

-He said, "Have you got a woman with

-one large, and one small, boob?"

-"No," they replied. "Find one!"

-He came back in a month.

-"Have you got a woman with one

-large and one small boob?"

-They did, so off he went.

-"Are you the woman with one large,

-and one small boob?" he asked.

-"Yes." "Take your clothes off!"

-he said. She did so. Then he went...

-I liked that one!

-Outside Kyoto, in the country,

-remote places have been created...

-..as a haven for pilgrims looking

-for a respite from the busy towns.

-Religion in Japan emphasises

-the importance of nature.

-Water, trees and silence have great

-significance for the Buddhist.

-It's a chance to escape from

-the noise and smoke for a while.

-Last night, it was empty here.

-Look at it tonight!

-It's because it's the first day

-of spring, apparently.

-They're here to see

-the flowers, the hanami.

-It's like an enormous party!

-Look at it.

-Japan is famous all over

-the world for the geishas.

-Maybe it's our main image of Japan.

-These girls are meiko,

-that is, trainee geishas.

-Rich men pay 2,000 for a geisha's

-company, for one evening...

-..in tea houses, or restaurants,

-in the Gion region.

-The girls learn to dance, play

-instruments, serve drinks...

-..offer cigarettes

-and to converse in a diverting way.

-But, amid the fun,

-there's time for prayer too.

-Today, we're on our way to meet...

-..one of Japan's leading exponents

-of shodo, traditional calligraphy.

-It's the style of writing developed

-by gentlemen, priests and samurai.

-First, we must find a hotel.

-Hey, this looks nice, Al.

-We'll go here.

-I don't want to.

-Oh, yes.

-I see what you mean.

-These aren't ordinary hotels

-but 'love hotels'.

-Young married couples, who live

-in small houses with thin walls...

-..can come here to escape from

-their in-laws, for an hour or two.

-But, as the old Japanese proverb

-says, "calligraphy calls".

-Here is Sosai Inada, in his home,

-which is also his workshop...

-..full of beautiful objects and

-marvellous examples of his craft.

-Which is that?

-Oh, of course, they go down.

-What's that?

-Oh, right, OK.

-This is a complicated one.

-For me, at least.

-Ah, very good.

-Heavens.

-May I see?

-I'll show you this.

-They're beautiful in themselves.

-Aren't they?

-Ooh!

-That's heavy, with the ink too.

-And that's 'sakura'?

-And that's 'sakura'?

-

-Sakura.

-'Sakura' is the flower

-of the cherry.

-The ink is very thick.

-Sosai's work is seen

-all over the country.

-He sells his work as an artist

-at home would sell pictures.

-And, like all artists, he signs

-every picture with his own stamp.

-Traditional music

-is still important.

-No, this isn't Lyn Ebenezer,

-but Professor Homei Matsumura...

-..and his pupil, Takeshi Lida.

-They specialise in playing

-traditional bamboo instruments.

-What's the...?

-Hashu? No, Kash... um, what is it?

-What was it?

-What was it?

-

-Shakuhachi.

-Shakuhachi. They're masters

-of these instruments. Can we hear?

-Bamboo.

-Bamboo.

-

-Yes, bamboo.

-TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC

-Very good.

-Thank you.

-That melody was about deer

-calling to each other.

-Very good, marvellous, thank you.

-Okini.

-Japanese traditions differ so much

-from other parts of the world.

-They emphasise elegance, the beauty

-of the dance, music and art.

-The influence of the samurai

-is still strong in their culture.

-TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC

-WOOD STRIKES WOOD

-All the disciplines seem to

-interweave and overlap each other.

-From the geisha's dance,

-to the kendo fighter's movements...

-..and the innate style...

-..of the sumo wrestlers.

-But things are changing in Japan.

-Young people on the street develop

-their own style and fashion.

-Gothic is in today.

-Tomorrow, who knows?

-But is this fashion

-all that different?

-Is the wheel turning full circle?

-Only time can tell

-if the old has disappeared...

-..and what the future holds.

-The people we met were very kind,

-welcoming and always laughing.

-But we've also seen another side.

-They don't want to lose face

-and that's very important to them.

-People tell us, even if you've lived

-here over 50 years...

-..you're still considered

-to be a 'gai-jin' by the people.

-'Gai-jin'? A stranger.

-Remind you of somewhere?

-Sayonara.

-S4C Subtitles by:

-GWEAD