0:00:00 > 0:00:05Now on BBC News time for the Travel Show.
0:00:05 > 0:00:13This week, Japan's prettiest railways... There is a push for the
0:00:13 > 0:00:20last carriage, maybe it has the best views. Chomping your way through the
0:00:20 > 0:00:25big apple.We just eat crazy things for the sake of eating crazy things.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30The things we eat are actually really delicious.And road testing
0:00:30 > 0:00:40apps for keeping your mobile.This gives you a lie in.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12This is the Tadami Line in central Japan. It is regarded as one of the
0:01:12 > 0:01:15country's most beautiful train routes, and hugs the river as it
0:01:15 > 0:01:24makes its way from Fukushima to Niigata prefectures. And it is a
0:01:24 > 0:01:30specially beautiful in autumn. The train stations along the Tadami Line
0:01:30 > 0:01:34are quaint, this doesn't even look like a train station, it looks at
0:01:34 > 0:01:38the post office to me. It is really bustling inside. People come here
0:01:38 > 0:01:41for the view and it attracts a particular crowd. Its popular
0:01:41 > 0:01:45chiefly with older people, a handful of railway enthusiast and of course
0:01:45 > 0:01:53at this time of year, Leif Peters.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57There is a bit of a push for the last carriage, maybe it has the best
0:01:57 > 0:02:06views. Today is unusually busy. Normally only around 35 people a day
0:02:06 > 0:02:11come here for the eight-day -- eight daily departures. It is a Sareen
0:02:11 > 0:02:15trip through some of the country's lesser-known backwaters. But there
0:02:15 > 0:02:22is a problem. This is Tadami station, at everyone has to get off
0:02:22 > 0:02:28now, because the whole area was damaged in the floods. This area
0:02:28 > 0:02:32escaped tsunami and nuclear disaster that made Fukushima famous. But just
0:02:32 > 0:02:37too much -- two months later Mother Nature struck again. Heavy storms
0:02:37 > 0:02:41caused flooding which made a long stretch of the track here unusable.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45A handful of stations were shut and to this day remain abandoned. This
0:02:45 > 0:02:52is one of the six disused stations -- 60 disused stations and the sign
0:02:52 > 0:02:58says beware of the bears. Locals don't much use the service that is
0:02:58 > 0:03:02remaining. It is less useful now that you can't travel and
0:03:02 > 0:03:06interrupted from one side to the other. But it does still occupy a
0:03:06 > 0:03:11special place in some people's hearts. Well, look at this view. The
0:03:11 > 0:03:18colours are amazing. For a start, it's a beautiful thing to
0:03:18 > 0:03:19photograph.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00There is quite a view from up here, no matter what season is his. And it
0:04:00 > 0:04:07is not one that Kenko is alone in enjoying.In Thailand we don't have
0:04:07 > 0:04:17any autumn, I come to the autumn, believes change colour. -- the
0:04:17 > 0:04:26leaves change colour. I thought this train moving is a very perfect shot.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32How did you feel in 2011 when the floods destroyed part of the Tadami
0:04:32 > 0:04:37line?
0:05:05 > 0:05:10The operator, JR East plans to restore the entire line by 2021. But
0:05:10 > 0:05:17in the meantime, in an attempt to get more junk Japanese -- young
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Japanese using the line, these comedians are hosting tours.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36You will notice a very different crowd from the passengers I was with
0:05:36 > 0:05:41earlier. This time, it's exclusively young women. Most of them would
0:05:41 > 0:05:46probably never have come here in the past. Each comedian, including this
0:05:46 > 0:05:49palm reader, takes turn entertaining each group of passengers, so
0:05:49 > 0:06:03everyone gets their money 's worth. Money line. Happy line!The Tadami
0:06:03 > 0:06:11experience also takes in local temples, and the Kanayama well where
0:06:11 > 0:06:19you can drink the naturally occurring sparkling water. I
0:06:19 > 0:06:24expected to see a lot of old people on a tour like this, but I was
0:06:24 > 0:06:28really surprised to see so many young people. I think it's a really
0:06:28 > 0:06:31clever marketing tool to get these comedians on board. This looks like
0:06:31 > 0:06:36a lot of fun.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43And if you are planning a visit soon, here is the Travel Show guide
0:06:43 > 0:06:48of things to see and do in Japan this winter. The snow festival is
0:06:48 > 0:06:52arguably Japan's most famous winter spectacular. Around 2 million people
0:06:52 > 0:06:59had the northern city of Sapporo every year to see the 200 snow and
0:06:59 > 0:07:03ice sculptures carved there. Entry is free and the next one starts on
0:07:03 > 0:07:07debris to fifth. Japan is a very popular ski destination and many
0:07:07 > 0:07:19people tend to head their, where more snow is received in any other
0:07:19 > 0:07:25part of the world, or Nagano, where the Winter Olympics were held in
0:07:25 > 0:07:322012. Another place receives trees blasted sideways by the snow. You
0:07:32 > 0:07:45can also see the snow monkeys in Nagano prefecture. A troupe of wild
0:07:45 > 0:07:49macaques come to the bustard they've done all year round because they are
0:07:49 > 0:07:57-- come to the baths all year round because they are fed by the park
0:07:57 > 0:08:03wardens. This island north of Hokkaido is well worth thinking
0:08:03 > 0:08:07about. It is the country's most untouched national park and the
0:08:07 > 0:08:11place to go and see the mating rituals of the red crowned cranes.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15You can combine it with a careful walk along the drift ice or a ride
0:08:15 > 0:08:20out on one of the icebreaker shift -- ships there. In winter is also a
0:08:20 > 0:08:27really beautiful time to head for the Buddhist monasteries at Mt Koya,
0:08:27 > 0:08:34south of a sucker for some come. Stay overnight with a month, -- with
0:08:34 > 0:08:37the monks, eat what they eat and set your alarm for morning prayers. We
0:08:37 > 0:08:42are told the peace that comes with the morning mountains is a wonderful
0:08:42 > 0:08:52experience. Next this week we are off to south-west China to meet the
0:08:52 > 0:08:55man responsible for one inspirational building project in
0:08:55 > 0:09:00the mountains of Guizhou.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Still to come here and the Travel Show: Lucy is here with the best
0:11:28 > 0:11:32tech for getting you around town fast. This is simply a case of
0:11:32 > 0:11:38following the Arrow and making your way safely to your destination. And
0:11:38 > 0:11:43we pull on our eating trousers for one of New York's most eclectic
0:11:43 > 0:11:49foodie sewers.We just eat crazy things for the sake of eating crazy
0:11:49 > 0:11:55things. The things we eat are really delicious. -- tours.The Travel
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Show, your essential guide wherever you are heading.
0:12:06 > 0:12:12You may have noticed in recent years Right howling at a place in the
0:12:12 > 0:12:17traditional arm in the air. And it's easy to see why. In a couple of taps
0:12:17 > 0:12:21your pre- booked turns up at your feet. Huber is the market leader in
0:12:21 > 0:12:24most of the world but some have raised concerns about its work into
0:12:24 > 0:12:28this is and the service has faced suspensions and even outright bans
0:12:28 > 0:12:35in a few places. The alternative, your guide to the rest of the rest.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39First, get together, it merely serves the UK currently in London
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and Manchester and it's a black cab ride sharing service on routes they
0:12:43 > 0:12:46say are underserved by public transport -- Gett. I'm standing at
0:12:46 > 0:12:51one of the start of the routes, it is an easy interface with one quick
0:12:51 > 0:12:57click the will be here in five minutes. Fares start at £2 and will
0:12:57 > 0:13:00be shown with other passengers which is fine when there is a thought they
0:13:00 > 0:13:05are as nice as Lucy. This service gives it a bit of a lie in.Exactly,
0:13:05 > 0:13:14yeah.London, the service is limited to four but they are plans to roll
0:13:14 > 0:13:18it out to other areas across the city, I like the fact you can hop on
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and off at any point on the route and the cabs use bus lanes which
0:13:22 > 0:13:25means you don't have to sit in traffic. You take the options
0:13:25 > 0:13:29differ, though, depending on what part of the world you are in. Andrew
0:13:29 > 0:13:35has been looking through the options for us. What of the best I should
0:13:35 > 0:13:39use?Depending on where you live, if you are in the States you probably
0:13:39 > 0:13:42would be using Lyft, they are an underdog in the battle but it is
0:13:42 > 0:13:47making good ground. Here we have Manhattan, you can use different
0:13:47 > 0:13:52types of cars and save on the amount of people you have or you can go
0:13:52 > 0:13:56luxurious all if you have a child and she wanted child seats, at your
0:13:56 > 0:14:01destination and say you want to go to Macy's, it brings up a total of
0:14:01 > 0:14:06what it will be, you request it, and then it arrives. If you are in
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Europe, and you will probably looking at myTaxi, it is available
0:14:09 > 0:14:15in about 50 cities in Europe, in nine years, countries, you say where
0:14:15 > 0:14:20you are, it can geo- locate you, or you can put in a destination and all
0:14:20 > 0:14:24of that. You then order a taxi. It isn't the same sort of tailored
0:14:24 > 0:14:29service you get from Lyft or Huber but you get region specific cars. So
0:14:29 > 0:14:33if you are in London and you want a black cab because you want to
0:14:33 > 0:14:38support them and mix with the new, the new, the next one, I have got a
0:14:38 > 0:14:45bit strange, so... Housetrained? Pretty strange. Pedal me. This is
0:14:45 > 0:14:51actually a Right howling when you get driven on a bicycle. A summer
0:14:51 > 0:14:57application? You can see here we have our location, your drop-off,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and you go I want to go to Buckingham Palace, because why
0:15:00 > 0:15:05wouldn't you? And it comes up with the thing that will tell you it will
0:15:05 > 0:15:09cost you less than £10 so it is actually pretty reasonable.Not as
0:15:09 > 0:15:13expensive in each top in London.A similar approach to water and Huber
0:15:13 > 0:15:19would be and you get to have a good experience.And just in case you
0:15:19 > 0:15:23don't fancy sitting in traffic all day, there is a line. It isn't
0:15:23 > 0:15:28classed as they satin Avenue, a smart compass. And attach it to the
0:15:28 > 0:15:33compass of your bike, it makes it handy for exploring big cities all
0:15:33 > 0:15:38over the world. The destination in your phone and the application will
0:15:38 > 0:15:44relay instructions. It is incredibly straightforward. While some riders.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47A dedicated site computer or a smartphone to their handlebars, it
0:15:47 > 0:15:51can prove the struck in rest with this it simply is a case of
0:15:51 > 0:16:00following the Arrow and making your way safely to your destination.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05Finally this week we're off to New York City and the drop in on a fruit
0:16:05 > 0:16:08club that aims to try the most interesting dishes the town has to
0:16:08 > 0:16:12offer. But you can forget the usual salt beef bagels or pastrami on
0:16:12 > 0:16:17right, the Gastronauts are looking for something a little special.New
0:16:17 > 0:16:22York is a food city, there are a lot of different kinds of foods we eat,
0:16:22 > 0:16:28tremendous ethnic diversity. We are in Flushing Queens which is New
0:16:28 > 0:16:32York's kind of major Chinatown. It is really big, it is far away, about
0:16:32 > 0:16:3740 minutes by right, but it is outside the city and we are coming
0:16:37 > 0:16:41down here so this is the luxurious entrance to the Golden mauls. We
0:16:41 > 0:16:51descend into the stomach of Flushing Queens. I love coming here. Whenever
0:16:51 > 0:16:56I hear, I try to stop by and at least have some lamb dumplings or
0:16:56 > 0:17:03some peers or some duck heads. My name is Curtis Bail I am one of the
0:17:03 > 0:17:07founders of the Gastronauts. Which is a club for adventurous eaters.
0:17:07 > 0:17:15Here in New York. We started the club in 2005 and we started off in a
0:17:15 > 0:17:19tiny little relation Chinese place in Manhattan Chinatown. It was six
0:17:19 > 0:17:26people. We had pork intestines, tripe, it was a fantastic feast. The
0:17:26 > 0:17:31next time we met, there were 12 people and then the next dinner
0:17:31 > 0:17:37there were 20. In 30 and 50 and 100 and it just kind of kept going. So
0:17:37 > 0:17:44now we have I think somewhere around 2500 members in New York City and
0:17:44 > 0:17:501500 in Los Angeles and 1000 in San Francisco. The Gastronauts is not a
0:17:50 > 0:17:55dinner club that is about eating out at fancy restaurants in Manhattan.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00It is the kind of club we are. We are interested in going the more
0:18:00 > 0:18:06far-flung places throughout New York City, to the other boroughs, to the
0:18:06 > 0:18:10definite ethnic sections, some club meets once a month and every month
0:18:10 > 0:18:15we find a different restaurant or place to make us an amazing usually
0:18:15 > 0:18:19four or five course feast that features the more challenging
0:18:19 > 0:18:27aspects of that particular cuisine. We have had lambs had in a Greek
0:18:27 > 0:18:33restaurant, we have had 16 day fertilised egg which the Filipinos
0:18:33 > 0:18:38and the Vietnamese love to eat. Tomorrow we are going to have
0:18:38 > 0:18:44Shillington food in Staten Island and to get there we are going to
0:18:44 > 0:18:48have to take a subway, a fairy, and a van to get to the restaurant --
0:18:48 > 0:19:07Sri Lankan. -- ferry.This is egg plant, like a sweet and sour.Sanjay
0:19:07 > 0:19:11is great. It is at this restaurant for at least ten years, from what I
0:19:11 > 0:19:17can see. Before that he cooked in Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain as a
0:19:17 > 0:19:21private chef to somebody very important. He has travelled all over
0:19:21 > 0:19:26the world. These restaurants are usually extremely excited to see us
0:19:26 > 0:19:30because it is a small out of the way place that don't see 30 people
0:19:30 > 0:19:42coming at once.Hello, my name is Sanjay. Welcome. Thank you, thank
0:19:42 > 0:19:49you. Before we start with the main course I want to show you what I
0:19:49 > 0:19:55cook. So I will bring around to everybody, OK?
0:20:04 > 0:20:09What is the biggest misconceptions about the Gastronauts is that we eat
0:20:09 > 0:20:13crazy things to the sake of eating crazy things. It isn't true. The
0:20:13 > 0:20:17things we eat are actually really, really delicious. That is chicken
0:20:17 > 0:20:24liver, that is gifted and that is black curry on beef. This is
0:20:24 > 0:20:27unsurpassed. Excellent. The Gastronauts is a food club but is
0:20:27 > 0:20:30also a social club. We are a mixed bunch, there is journalist, Morley
0:20:30 > 0:20:39is, a few policemen, architects, construction workers. -- lawyers. It
0:20:39 > 0:20:45is diverse. People have relationships, there are the
0:20:45 > 0:20:51Gastronauts marriage, the relay baby, someone has attacked two of
0:20:51 > 0:20:55the Gastronauts on their forum, the people, it has become a fixture in
0:20:55 > 0:21:01people 's lives. The Gastronauts isn't an eating clubs are people who
0:21:01 > 0:21:05want to eat in Manhattan, it is a club where people want to explore
0:21:05 > 0:21:11the outer reaches of their city and what it has to offer.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29That is also this week. Coming up next week. The buyer, a special
0:21:29 > 0:21:34program- we had our deep into the desert to try our hand at
0:21:34 > 0:21:42traditional falconry, 2000 feet in the air from a hot air balloon.The
0:21:42 > 0:21:46four 2500 years ago we relied on the Falcon the way the people relied the
0:21:46 > 0:21:56supermarket. Traditionally the way it worked, it still happens today,
0:21:56 > 0:22:01in Europe and Asia, my great epic piece on the way to Africa because
0:22:01 > 0:22:06on the migration is Wendy people would attract the Falcons from the
0:22:06 > 0:22:10wild and use them for the winter months and at the end of winter they
0:22:10 > 0:22:14would release them. Really beautiful system.Unique experience,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16beautiful.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Don't forget you can join us on the road by signing up to a social media
0:22:25 > 0:22:29feeds but in the meantime from all of us indifferent Ashima prefecture
0:22:29 > 0:22:32in Japan, goodbye. -- Fukushima
0:22:32 > 0:22:33of us indifferent Ashima prefecture in Japan, goodbye. -- Fukushima.