Journeys in Japan 〜Murayama, Yamagata: Local delicacies, local pride〜

[Music] each season in Japan brings its own special delicacies when early summer arrives that means it's jerry season 70% of all the cherries grown in Japan come from one particular area of Yamagata prefecture remarkable care goes into growing and harvesting these fruit to ensure that the individual cherries shine like jewels on this edition of journeys in Japan debora 10 explores Japan's capital of cherries the muda yama district [Music] she also discovers the fun and thrills of canoeing downriver she observes a contest of cherry pits pitting [Music] and she gets an inside look at the life and the food of the local farmers [Music] [Music] the mood uyama district lies about 300 kilometers north of Tokyo in the heart of Yamagata prefecture the land here forms a basin surrounded by mountains and the Mogami River runs right through the middle beautiful countryside behind me is the Mogami river which is the essence of Yamagata prefecture and today I think I'm going to discover what this beautiful River has to offer for over 400 years the Mogami River has been an important artery for transportation carrying crops such as rice and safflower and important dyestuff but it had many treacherous Rapids and it was hard to navigate Debra goes to find out what the river is like now then what others there's good new guys she wants come to see Nikki Master I cannot touch it so this could a cuticle to our cake oh no they must call me go what don't wanna so miserably okay did so these days the Mogami River draws canoe enthusiasts from all over even if you're a first timer you can find introductory courses too Debra tries her luck heading downriver she's going to ride an inflatable that's guaranteed enough to capsize see the hills and the rocks and waterfalls as well I'm so glad I tried this I kind of like to see what at the end of a six kilometre journey [Music] [Music] but it was so much fun I want to go again so much got stuck so it says cherry LAN I guess the only thing that have your are charities this is a very big cherry center it's like a supermarket what are so many kinds of sweets there's a piece of cherry Annette yeah you're five City knows about this too much I think I found a real thing there we go [Music] yes I'm against this kind of expensive oh wow look at those you're especially packed that is 6,000 you look so perfect I wonder the key thing since I met me there were no so girl Donna same photos Roxanne go to sake Rambo yoga hey Heidi you can order my god oh she's at Grandma's phenomena you know - hi do you bring anybody but as your high so - Oh silly tiny Joker in Japan it's long been accustomed to give deluxe presence of fruit at the peak of their season like these cherries Debra has come to pick some fruit for herself [Music] hmm I guess this is where I can pick cherries further to our coach another Sakamoto could you please handle the cleaner 30 muscle mmm hey what is this it's chicken justice a Chromebook so this local Japan Wow got some money too you know there is that item it is there when the cherries are ripe and ready for harvest they're at risk of damage from the rain so the whole area around the trees is intense oh so many cherry trees wow it's so pretty in my heart who dies no it didn't pick it up Oh funny much thought Columbo they dominated I gave her the political arena when you give it to hunt any type of polymers [Applause] I got the Fiat boy [Applause] Otto Gahr with John Wayne isn't it it's very sweet and this the seat is quite small so you have a lot of flesh in one food mmm it's really good freshly pictures I didn't know they tasted so good Kinetico muy mas taco is key to a Kawasaki no beanie ho show courage the mustard [Applause] me sup buddy suddenly she has a more refreshing texture a less sweet a little sour kind of taste to it and the seat slides off the flesh so easy it's really juicy as well cherry cultivation in Japan dates back about 150 years the Buddha Yama district was one of the first to establish itself as a major producer the soil and climate here are perfect for cultivating the fruit the moisture drains into the river system and there's a wide fluctuation between the day and nighttime temperatures the cherries are only harvested in the morning where their sugar content is at its most concentrated each is individually examined to inspect its color and to avoid any damage they are cherry picked one fruit at a time they're packing the cherries individually how easily columnist Oki the toilet you don't joke that up Percy more so he kills the keys of them all well this requires a bit of skill to kind of arrange it a perfect order these ladies are craftsmen [Music] so much flavor going into a box of cherries the winner is so expensive [Music] there's another food that muta Yama is known for many people visit the area to feast on this delicacy [Music] at lunchtime restaurants like this are packed with customers they come here to eat soba country-style noodles made from buckwheat flour since the old days buckwheat has been an important crop here and local farmers used to make their own homegrown noodles some have turned this into a business [Music] Deborah makes her way out to one of these restaurants [Music] lovely countryside I think I'm here [Music] honey to our place job babe what are this high what does that guys know us I got the died over this this silver restaurant is run by the Shibata family they also offer accommodation as a side business Tommy viana Wow it's a Japanese rule she's saying equals nu doesn't hmm Wow such a beautiful view from this room visitors can learn how to make soba noodles for themselves by copying Islamic oDesk priceless the water has to be measured very precisely okay you you want my stuff it feels so soft and fine so did I need them I use Omashu [Music] [Music] what is you can't kaha deceived or Florida came on it okay push push this so push it mmm keep do you up [Music] mine looks a bit thicker okay [Music] the vegetables for dinner come from the shibata's own garden party fun coreos 400 hey cotton on this now oh yeah yeah which could have it ready do you know what I got the four there so you have to sign the soft spot have you never known a karate mystery no other did that I know my community even there I did this in a gym a DVD fight Yotam would start to tumble awesome we're hearing because you are moving art career avatar name is around octi [Music] OC danger partying over Lane three days sort of all types of are not any Oh [Music] now pups today everything whatever stuff buckwheat can be grown even on poor soil that doesn't retain moisture for centuries it sustained the lives of the people living here in the uplands [Music] all the ingredients in Deborah's meal were picked in the garden or come from the surrounding area so this was powder an hour ago and now it's it's become noodle which is amazing it's first time I've made noodle and then this size is pretty different from each other let me try I think I'll go for the thick one [Music] Oh [Music] very true [Music] mmm I love it it doesn't taste like I'm like that the soba noodles that I haven't told you it tastes really light and delicate it hardly smells like buckwheat as well I'll be curvy what are you kiss Oh don't yell today's call so I'm gonna try noodles from the master sort of all mama mmm different texture mo to touch me I must mmm so there's a bit of a ribbons a bit of lumps left in my noodles but it's kind of smooth like absolutely smooth on his side your mother didn't hold a load button okay doctor 30 muscle Costigan sorry about the Casa de cuyo home to none of you know don't know some is asterisk and when you know it right on my finger stuff ginger stir in this demo Santa Monica so is your Italian I know what I do nothing you know Corrigan [Music] all right shoot top it doable knife watch it Deborah's heard there's an event happening that's connected with the local cherries so she goes to find out for a festival and it says cherry seed spitting World Championship so many people today those girls cherries on the desk good so cute it's a contest people try to spit out their cherry pits to see how far away they land [Music] this contest is held each year during the cherry harvest season it's one of the biggest events in the entire district the record is a distance of 17 meters 30 meters that's thought to be a world record [Music] [Music] Manitoba's candy [Music] [Music] more than a thousand people have turned out to take part they have to wait in line for half an hour or more hi I was finally it's time for Deborah's turn just five meters saying go man sir I cannot you know if I'm right in this I got a bug searchers can practice my spitting even more this competition uh sure is in the summer season here in Moodle yama Japan's capital of cherries [Music] not being able to cultivate rice in this land that not stopped the locals from turning to other natural resources such as cherries and buckwheat I was surprised by how dedicated the people were towards perfecting even the most simplest form of food but personally the thing that amazed me the most was their genuine hospitality I had so much fun in Yamagata and this first trip here has been nothing short of a fruitful one [Music] to reach the muda Yama district of Yamagata prefecture it's a one hour flight from Tokyo by the Shinkansen bullet train it takes about three hours this area boasts many hot springs and there are lots of places where you can treat yourself to a foot bath you can chat with the locals as you relax better yet it's free of charge [Music]

Channel: NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Views: 408,520

Keywords: Yamagata Prefecture, cherry, Cherry picking, Mogami River, canoeing, Soba, Hot Spring, Foot Bath

Id: s6yhndEdqrI

Length: 27min 59sec (1679 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 25 2018