Japan, the Land of the Eternal

[Music] hey [Music] Japan is a land of extremes situated on the Pacific ring of fire this archipelago still Bears the scars of a tumultuous birth this living volcanic land thrust up from the ocean depth its tormented nature brought forth masterpieces and has swallowed up numerous enigmas here off the Eastern tip of Asia there are men and women who pursue their passions in a Relentless quest for Perfection going Beyond one's own limits has been raised to an art a marriage of Nature and tradition that has left its mark on this land of the Eternal [Music] in the tropical South the long ribbon of the ryuku island stretches out over 1200 km these islands differ from the rest of Japan by their history their language and their Traditions a quiet corner of the world by the East China Sea here in the western most part of Japan rise The Cliffs of a little island of 29 square kilm yonaguni its nearest neighbor is Taiwan 110 km away shal MAA was born and bred here and this remote island no secrets for him I could never live anywhere but near the sea I'm one with it I feel the sea that's all around [Applause] me [Music] it's as if I were flying it's something you can experience only in the water I feel as if I'm traveling through space it's a very special [Music] environment there's no high school on yonaguni so after middle school I went to Kwa the main island and the fact of leaving my Island made me realize just how magnificent this SE is here at yonaguni that's why I came back and I'm glad I did because my roots are [Music] here [Music] when Shoto came back to live on his Island he brought along his wife and son here he's taking you and Kylie to discover a significant sacred site in the ryuku islands they practice ancestor worship and fear the power of the [Music] shamans this is a monument in honor of saai isoba she was a great Shaman who ruled the island of yonaguni a long time ago sa isoba had four brothers and they ruled over the Villages of Tatu duuuu she ruled from the center of the island and could see everything if Invaders came she could protect the island do you understand the Ruku islands are steeped in legends that are handed down from generation to generation indifferent to the trends of modern [Applause] Japan uh hi Dad hello in 1985 kashiro aratake a professional diver discovered an extraordinary underwater site he's totally convinced that it is an archaeological ruin if we find any traces of human activity we'll try to have this structure declared a UNESCO world heritage site we have to focus on the dolman the turtle sculpture and the Triangular Basin she got yeah we have to look for evidence in particular in the holes that held the pillars we have to measure the depth that's where we have to start and around the turtle we have to see if there's anything left there how did it feel when you discovered this site it was around the time you were born it was like a vision I was in the water but I felt like I was flying the water was crystal clear I thought I was dreaming I thought what is this it was as if I was looking at Machu Picchu from the sky I had goosebumps I thought maybe I'd gone crazy that's how overwhelmed I [Music] was [Music] now it's up to Shoto to solve yonaguni underwater [Music] mystery when I was in Middle School it was easy to get down to the water from here but then the ledge collapsed I haven't been here in quite a while this is one of yun's Landscapes that I really love the Rocks here are so characteristic from here they look like Steps it looks very archaeological but the site my father discovered is much bigger and really seems man-made [Music] several times a year yonaguni is buffeted by violent typhoons in April 2015 a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the island the threat of a tsunami is ever present so the Islanders live in a state of permanent alert yonaguni looks like a besieged [Music] [Music] fortress the inhabitants of Okinawa practice singular funeral rights the round tomb symbolize the mother's womb by returning to it the deceased are completing the cycle of reincarnation in okanawa all the generations are buried in the same tomb we should preserve this tradition this tomb will be the final resting place for me for my two sons and their children after them I think it's very important that we continue on as a family even after death that we all stay together I believe that each element of culture possesses a soul we should pass this Heritage on [Music] once a year the men of yonaguni launch the sabani a sacred boat to thank the gods for their past blessings and to ask their future protection their ancestors fishermen and Intrepid voyagers ventured far from the archipelago on board these unstable hardto steer [Music] boats hiiro has mastered the art of steering the [Music] sabani the weather has finally calmed down Shoto and his father head for the underwater site to continue their investigation Kiro Pioneer in diving in the ryuku was the first to create a Dive Center here and has trained hundreds of divers now his son is carrying on his work take this with you okay okay let's go just the Stones Throw from the world of humans we find strange somewhat menacing creatures standing guard over one of the world's most enigmatic sites some people think that these are the ruins of a long vanished civilization [Music] so sophisticated scientific techniques like Carbon 14 dating have shown that a few thousand years ago this site was above water now it's widely accepted that the base is natural but for many observers its shape was modified by the hand of man between 6 and 10,000 years ago with its eastwest orientation irrigation ditches basins regularly spaced holes the stairways and geometric sculptures this 180 M long sight is potentially the greatest discovery ever made testimony to an extremely Advanced civilization predating even the time of the [Music] Pharaohs [Music] [Applause] [Music] this spot is truly m serious we had several archaeological experts here from abroad and we also had Japanese geology professors who came to study the site but why is this thing here we don't know we still don't know exactly what it is I hope that other teams will come and do the necessary research to one day solve the mystery [Music] history and tradition the lifeblood of the yonaguni Islanders it takes a long apprenticeship to master the traditional dance form of okanawa a discipline that is as much a spiritual exercise as a martial art in feudal times only the elite had the right to bear arms so the peasants Ed their sides to defend themselves the hat is used to hide the sword and also serves as a [Music] shield [Music] yonaguni is a land outside of time Shalo is once again enjoying the peace and quiet of his childhood home an island with a wealth of treasures the rare and expensive Yaky is a shellfish endemic to the island it looks good would you like to try it you're eating it without sauce is it good yeah it's good this is Japan this is okanawa and it's something else as well it's almost like a foreign country we speak our own language here this place is one of a kind [Music] w n yagi is highly proficient at a dangerous and little known [Music] [Applause] discipline she is the ice climbing champion of [Music] Japan [Music] right I'm really a bit weird normal people go shopping go to the movies meet other people they have jobs they lead a normal life a simple life without ups and downs but me I'm a bit special that's why I climb [Music] ice here's how I do it so Nai has forsaken the Comforts of a conventional lifestyle in order to pursue her passion to the point of completely remodeling the interior of her home I used to work in an office so every morning I'd put on my suit take the train i' fixed myself a Bento but I'm much happier now NAA is preparing an expedition to a little known and dangerous climbing site nature scares me sometimes it's as if I were going to meet a new very stct [Music] boss oh it's [Music] [Applause] [Music] heavy on Japan's main island honu the overpopulated valleys are surrounded by magnificent mountains with peaks of over 3,000 M the Japanese Alps rise like ramparts against the bustle of human activity sugera in the region of Nagano Harbors a well-guarded secret that only the most skilled climbers dare [Music] tackle Ed Hanam a seasoned Mountaineer is an expert in ice Falls 12 years ago this Australian fell in love with Japan and its [Music] mountains [Music] it's the end of the winter and ice is becoming rare with the mild weather certain ice Falls have melted and what do you think condition good or not uh I don't think it's any good anymore I think the ice in the upper section is maybe okay it's not it's still thin but it hasn't collapsed yet but the stuff that looks good when we get there might not be I'll let you go alone no I'm afraid too I'll just sit tight C with there so most people that's their idea of hell not their idea of fun and if you're attracted to things like danger and strategy and planning and carrying a heavy back pack that ice climbing is perfect you know you can get all your Thrills in one go Ed Ed this is really hard you can do it Ed and I are determined and persevere in their quest for ice but the conditions are particularly bad today mother nature isn't making it easy for us I don't know if it's good or not I can't actually see the the waterfall it's in here somewhere it was there before I can hear the waterfall which is not a good thing to go ice clamy it's always in a difficult place it's always a gamble the weather's always against you The Season's always short um half of the danger is just getting there in a way climbing the ice is only a small part of it so on the days when it doesn't work I really don't worry about it so there's only two things in the world I think that are true one is quantum physics and the other is Mountain Spirits and today yeah the Mountain Spirits is just saying no and quantum physics will explain it in a different way so that's how it is it's all part of ice climbing D it na and Ed will just have to buide their time they'll come back at the next cold snap if the Mountain Spirits are willing [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] truth is I'm always afraid afraid of the ice afraid of nature afraid of people I don't have enough self-confidence I worry so I took up ice climbing to combat that I hike in the mountains I think about myself my life that scares me too because it means facing up to [Music] myself at 31 na is at the peak of her discipline she has has been able to confront her doubts to rise to the top of an extremely demanding [Applause] sport long time no see how's it going great thanks get that taii and his forbears have been the Guardians Of yatsugatake Refuge for four generations they used to bring the supplies in by foot now this little customized van saves them hours of hard work even though it only does 6 km an hour walking [Music] speed tyi's Refuge is a base camp for climbers it's known for its unusual structure of man-made ice the Ice [Applause] Candy I got this at the Sai Olympic Games I took part in a climbing demonstration so that ice climbing can become a recognized discipline as I was representing Japan I stuck the flag on my helmet and after that I kept it I know a lot of climbers who'd like to have one like it the ice candy is a place to train and organize Meats in relatively stable conditions it's rebuilt each winter and offers a range of climbing difficulties it looks good here now it's your turn oh it's cold in the 70s thanks to new tools and techniques ice climbing revolutionized mountaineering and opened the way to new conquests by routs that couldn't have been imagined previously competition is much more recent the ice climbing World Cup was created only in 2000 na has already taken part in 20 International [Music] championships [Music] [Music] Sports has allowed me to accomplish what was impossible before I'm becoming a better person climbing has led me to [Music] evolve [Music] all right oh let's try that [Music] again [Music] I always push my limits I struggle with myself I struggle against nature but I also draw on its Force to go forward and never give [Music] up [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the country has 27,000 Hot Springs for centuries these onen have been part of daily life of the Japanese they believe they purify the mind and [Music] body rest training and a healthy diet are essential if you want to make a good [Music] climb when you climb on Ice your fingers and feet freeze [Music] your back stiffens up you're always climbing in very cold spots the best way to relax is to get your body warm in an onson then you're ready to return to the ice in the Shinto religion suin is the god of water associated with all its Earthly and heavenly manifestations there are Gods everywhere I go the gods let me know that they're always present that they're watching me they're challenging me one of the main characteristics of the Shinto religion is a great respect for nature the divinities exist in all its aspects the role of the priest is to harmonize the relations between humans and the forces of the [Music] universe for for the Japanese mountains are not simply mountains they are also Dwelling Places of numerous Gods climbing is not merely a sport when a Japanese climbs a mountain it's to get closer to the G to grow in body and soul mountaineering in Japan began as a path to Spiritual [Music] [Music] Awakening the gods have answered Na's prayers and are offering her this one last chance to tackle a frozen waterfall before the end of the winter danger is ever present on the natural climbing sites there's falling ice and rocks but also Avalanches extreme cold wounds from the sharp climbing equipment so many dangers and always in isolated spots [Music] nowadays life expectancy is very long whereas one's competitive years are very short so now I'm concentrating on climbing Natural Ice I place myself in Nature's hands the ice and Mountain have many faces always changing it's it's always a new encounter as we say here in Japan Ichigo one encounter can change one's life and that's what I like onza means demon drummers in Japanese for 46 years it has also been the name of a group of virtuoso musicians they play the traditional Japanese drums The [Music] Tao [Music] [Music] is [Music] nuto kinoshita is the youngest member of on Koza for 3 years he has been running every day an integral part of the troop's daily [Music] routine we go running every morning at 6 whatever the weather wind rain typhoon or snow we run no matter [Music] what the members of onza follow a particular life code the SOA kuron a philosophy that combines music and [Music] running running every day enables us to forge the physical and mental strength that characterize [Music] unza the Sook Kuran lifestyle and the Tao have given meaning to naoto's life they say the Taos entirely handmade are true works of art the skills needed to make them go back several centuries it takes 5 years to produce one of these drums from carving the wood up to placing the drum head just to change the heads can cost over $10,000 so proper maintenance is of utmost importance the drums have to be taken to the workshop every 5 years to be tightened each Jack exerts 3 tons of pressure 24 tons all told St you should feel a difference between here and here is the middle okay like that [Music] jump as if you were trying to pierce the [Music] hide it sounds better here these are natural surroundings I'm looking for the spot where the drum resonates the best The Troop founded in 1969 by Den tayasu is now headed by matsuda it began with a handful of enthusiastic young people attracted by the founders vision of communal life and ready to take on the Tao and raise to an art form this drum weighs around 60 kilos this one about 70 this one 80 kilos our biggest drum weighs 360 [Music] kilos in ancient times the drum had military religious or simply festive functions but it had another function as well it determined the geographic limits of a town the further the sound carried the larger the territory which explains the very big drums [Music] a [Music] the unoa members are renowned for their musical talent but also for their top athletic condition the effort demanded during a concert is equal to the 42 km of a marathon they've done entire tours where they ran from one concert to the next during a tour of the United States they ran a total of 15,000 kilom they've also taken part in a number of major races notably the Boston Marathon we set up the Taos at the finish line and then as soon as we crossed it we [Music] played another time in China we clocked over 2,000 500 km in 3 months we were running about 30 km every day 7 days a week once Yoshi had a 40° fever but he ran stopping every kilometer I was behind him thinking he was going to die but he made it to the Finish [Music] The Troop lives as a community and follows a somewhat monastic lifestyle here in the mountains near shishu in a former School the cries of children have been replaced by The Echoes of mantras and [Music] tyos every day Tommy Yoshi and Naruto practice tracing a mantra in Chinese characters with their left hand an exercise to sharpen their concentration the text was not a random Choice it carries the symbol of their aesthetic way of life this Mantra contains an idiogram that is quite common C it's a very interesting character it can signify the void it's present in a number of words for example in the word for air me means everything we can't see but which exists that's what K means for [Music] me no that's not it it's double time oh double time [Music] in itself The Tao is rather simple you hit it and it makes a [Music] sound but if you want to get a rapid clean pleasing ample sound it takes hours of practice to master the technique he's absolutely right Yoshi is the most experienced drummer this virtuoso has been playing for more than 25 years It's [Applause] Tricky hard to catch the Rhythm [Music] let's simplify [Music] [Music] it I feel some kind of fear because every move I make creates a sound I want to push myself to test my limits it's only through practicing every day that I can improve my performance and improve myself okay okay that's enough for [Music] [Applause] [Music] the [Music] I live in a community so I'm hardly ever alone my moments of solitude are important to me they are very [Music] precious we onza we make our own drumsticks because our arms are not all the same length because we don't have the same hands the same strength we prefer to have our own customade sticks making our own tools allows us to deepen our self- knowledge the onoa troop was born from the desire to keep the ancestral Traditions alive in Japanese culture the boundary between art and craftsmanship is imperceptible in shishu they Ed the crystal clear water of the Ogawa River to produce a paper of an exceptional quality following techniques going back 1300 [Applause] years this is how you do it oh that's all yes that's fast this sturdy paper is used to make kites lanterns and for calligraphy a treasure classed intangible cultural heritage since [Music] [Music] 2014 thank you we'll use it to make posters for our Matsuri please come if you have time WR Matsuri big here every year at the Spring Equinox the community holds open house during a Matsuri A Folk Festival it's like music each person has his own Tempo I will write Ona okay the Matsuri is also one of the rare occasions when the musicians can visit with their families the opportunity for nuto to introduce his niece to Tao I don't know how to do that my work and my personal life are inextricably mixed my life is always the same I never take a break other people I know they have a normal job they have vacations they can have a family I'm happy for them and that's enough for [Music] me [Music] thanks to their communal Lifestyle the members of onoa have achieved a Harmony off as well as on stage a near telepathic symbiosis [Music] the motto of the company Geno ilogu means push your [Music] limits I don't really know my limits those my brain recognizes are not the real ones I think there's still a lot of force stored up somewhere I'm striving to draw on those last resources to attain my true limit but as I keep pushing it further it keeps [Music] receding [Music] [Music] I [Music] I

Channel: Best Documentary

Views: 53,777

Keywords: documentary, full, movie, english, hd, japan, asia, volcano, somewhere on earth, nature, wildlife, climbing, culture, tradition

Id: sWQTXWC0JQA

Length: 52min 3sec (3123 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 07 2024