Fukushima

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:00:00. > :00:07.This week I'm hitting the powder on the ski

:00:08. > :00:17.And Brandy's trying out ice canoeing in Quebec City.

:00:18. > :00:24.Hello and welcome to The Travel Show, coming to you this

:00:25. > :00:28.week from Japan, where it's just after six o'clock here in Tokyo

:00:29. > :00:54.To make the four-hour journey to Fukushima.

:00:55. > :00:57.Most people associate Fukushima with the impact of the major

:00:58. > :01:05.earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th six years ago.

:01:06. > :01:08.The tsunami wave disabled the generators at the Fukushima

:01:09. > :01:15.power plant, triggering a nuclear meltdown.

:01:16. > :01:19.But before 2011, the region had been famous for it's ski resorts,

:01:20. > :01:27.In the months following the nuclear disaster fears about radiation

:01:28. > :01:32.levels hit the tourism industry hard.

:01:33. > :01:40.And the number of foreign visitors staying here fell by 90%.

:01:41. > :01:43.Now in many parts of the region background radiation has fallen

:01:44. > :01:46.to levels similar to those that are found in major cities around

:01:47. > :01:53.the world, and tourists are returning.

:01:54. > :02:16.I'm heading to try out the slopes for myself.

:02:17. > :02:19.I only learned to ski for the first time two weeks ago,

:02:20. > :02:23.so it's probably a good idea if I get some tips from a local

:02:24. > :02:33.Great, how are you? OK, welcome to the top.

:02:34. > :02:44.This looks tricky. I need help, OK?

:02:45. > :02:54.Maybe I should have practiced before the cameras started rolling.

:02:55. > :03:18.And just when I think I'm doing OK...

:03:19. > :03:27.How are we going to disentangle ourselves?

:03:28. > :03:41.But businesses are having to work hard to draw tourists, especially

:03:42. > :03:45.those from overseas. Cash incentives are offered to some international

:03:46. > :03:47.visitors and it is hoped young people will give Fukushima Daiichi

:03:48. > :04:00.to -- give the cushion a try. TRANSLATION: We're doing a special

:04:01. > :04:02.promotion for young people, because they're less worried

:04:03. > :04:04.about Fukushima's reputation. So we invite people aged between 19

:04:05. > :04:08.and 24 to ski for free. And we're hoping they'll spread

:04:09. > :04:11.the word on social media that Reassuring people about the region's

:04:12. > :04:14.safety is a big deal here, and the food and water supply

:04:15. > :04:20.is routinely tested. The disaster also prompted groups

:04:21. > :04:23.of volunteers to start monitoring This crowdsourced data

:04:24. > :04:26.is constantly being updated, and anyone can access it,

:04:27. > :04:29.so if you're heading to the area Safecast is measuring the radiation

:04:30. > :04:39.ever since the tsunami incident On the car, this is a geiger

:04:40. > :04:43.counter, which includes a GPS and a small computer,

:04:44. > :04:46.so what it does is when I drive around it measures the radiation

:04:47. > :04:49.every five seconds and records the location, the time and the level

:04:50. > :04:52.on a SD card inside, then later we read it out

:04:53. > :04:56.on a computer and upload it and put it on a map on the web

:04:57. > :04:59.so everybody can see it. Joe and the other volunteers

:05:00. > :05:02.in the network have taken millions There's no zero risk

:05:03. > :05:12.level of radiation. A very small amount of radiation

:05:13. > :05:15.is a very small risk, and especially over in Izu,

:05:16. > :05:18.where you were, the levels of contamination there were very low

:05:19. > :05:21.so the risk is very low - not zero, but lower than most

:05:22. > :05:30.places in the world. Everyone here is keen to get

:05:31. > :05:33.the message across that Only the immediate area around

:05:34. > :05:36.the reactor is off-limits, and these ski slopes are over 100

:05:37. > :05:39.kilometres from the power plant. But it's going to take an enormous

:05:40. > :05:43.push to make the name Fukushima synonymous with these snowy peaks

:05:44. > :06:02.and not the terrible events of 2011. Next - we're travelling over 2000

:06:03. > :06:06.miles to the east of Canada to try out a sport that has its origins

:06:07. > :06:09.in the country's past. Si, c'est Groupe Voyages Quebec

:06:10. > :06:11.qui est sortie par... We sent Brandy Yanchyk

:06:12. > :06:16.to give it a go. This is the mighty Saint Lawrence

:06:17. > :06:19.River in Quebec City that connects the Great Lakes of Canada

:06:20. > :06:22.with the Atlantic Ocean. For hundreds of years the only way

:06:23. > :06:25.of crossing from one bank to the other during the winter

:06:26. > :06:36.was to make the journey by canoe, rowing through the fast flowing icy

:06:37. > :06:39.water and pushing the boat over Now, ice canoeing is a sport

:06:40. > :06:46.and speed races are held here every year, during the city's

:06:47. > :06:56.Winter Carnival. I've come down to the banks

:06:57. > :07:00.of the river for a lesson. What is your best leg,

:07:01. > :07:05.the left or the right? Your right, so you will be on this

:07:06. > :07:10.side with your left leg inside the boat, and the scootering,

:07:11. > :07:13.and your right one. Pushing the canoe over the ice

:07:14. > :07:16.is called scootering, and he makes the

:07:17. > :07:18.transition look simple. Have a seat?

:07:19. > :07:29.Yes. You will make the transition,

:07:30. > :07:38.you will feel something like this... Even practising on solid

:07:39. > :07:49.ground is tricky. The thought of doing this

:07:50. > :08:16.on the open river feels terrifying. We're using specialised equipment

:08:17. > :08:38.and the ice is thick. But I can't shake the fear that

:08:39. > :08:47.we're going to smash right Yes, absolutely.

:08:48. > :09:07.Why? Because the more bumpy it is,

:09:08. > :09:10.the more the ice is thick, Here, you have the tide,

:09:11. > :09:25.absolutely unique. Now we are going

:09:26. > :09:27.to row a little bit. As soon as we hit a section of ice,

:09:28. > :09:41.we have to jump out for scootering. Even with spiked shoes to grip

:09:42. > :09:45.the ice this isn't easy. Matching the rhythm of the rest

:09:46. > :09:53.of the team feels impossible. But the more we jump

:09:54. > :09:58.between the boat and the ice, the more I relax and actually start

:09:59. > :10:16.to enjoy this icy wonderland. Well, Brandy Yanchyk trying her hand

:10:17. > :10:19.at ice canoeing in Quebec, and it definitely looks colder

:10:20. > :10:22.there than it is here in Japan. Well, that's all we've

:10:23. > :10:25.got time for this week. Ade's in Finnish Lapland,

:10:26. > :10:28.finding out why these herds of reindeer are vital

:10:29. > :10:31.to the threatened culture of the indigenous Sami people

:10:32. > :10:34.who live in this frozen part I wouldn't want to get hit

:10:35. > :10:43.by one of them, though. Join us for that next week,

:10:44. > :10:46.and don't forget if you want to follow us on the road in real

:10:47. > :10:49.time you can sign up All the details should

:10:50. > :10:53.be on your screen now. But until next time,

:10:54. > :10:56.from me, Carmen Roberts,