The Vivid Colors of Gunma and Niigata - Train Cruise

[Music] the blue of the sea [Music] there's a green of the mountains [Music] the colors of early summer [Music] thank you join us for a leisurely trip on local trains from gunma prefecture located northwest of Tokyo through to the Sea of Japan in nigata prefecture [Music] we stop off to admire colorful sculpture created around 170 years ago [Music] foreign [Music] social media is a buzz with photos of one Lookout Point that plays with colors and Light [Music] and we also find some traditional Confections redrawn in pastel Train Cruise through gunma and nigata to find your favorite colors in unexpected places [Music] we start at yokawa station [Music] looking down from the platform you'll notice the tracks have been severed [Music] in days of yore they climbed up to the mountain pass special type of train once struggled up the Steep incline [Music] it used the app system of rack rails and cogs for Wheels the trains were too slow to cope with the increased Freight and passengers so the line was discontinued [Music] the arched brick Bridges and tunnels are evidence of the harsh conditions around yokawa station [Music] out of yokawa we head toward takasaki Guma prefecture's largest city [Music] the train has four cars and we seem to have the first all to ourselves [Music] thank you see that unusually formed mountain in the distance that's Mount miyogi one of gunma prefecture's major Peaks foreign station [Music] darumaji is a Buddhist temple founded in 1697. [Music] the main hall is crowded with DaRuMa modeled on the founder of Zen Buddhism bodhidharma known as DaRuMa daishi in Japan he secluded himself in a cave meditating for nine years the dolls are good luck charms for success and household safety one devotee carved this likeness of the monk in a meditative pose it inspired the Temple's construction and later spurred the creation of the Dharma charms foreign stands on the temple grounds this simple house of around 43 square meters was the temporary Abode of a German architect [Music] Bruno taut left hitler-controlled Germany in 1933 and took up a position teaching craft design at the gunma Industrial Research Institute [Music] he spent just over two years living in this house and some of his Works still survive [Music] this green chair is one of them [Music] he designed it and made prototypes with an eye to mass production [Music] um foreign [Music] many years later in 2018 Todd's chair was manufactured in various colors [Music] let's Press On we now head for takasaki station where we'll change to the joetza line Bound for nigata prefecture [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we put takasaki behind us and head for the mountains the joets line runs northward along the Tony River foreign [Music] river flows 300 kilometers making it Japan's second longest river it has long been an indispensable water transport system [Music] thank you way in the distance extends mount tanigawa a favorite among Mountaineers towering 1977 meters it presides over both gulma and nigata prefectures [Music] foreign we need to change chains here at minakami station our next ride has two cars [Music] thank you [Music] our next stop is 70.7 meters underground and it is quite chilly here do I station is so deep it's affectionately referred to as Japan's deepest mole station by rail fans [Music] ten trains stop here per day on weekdays and the number of daily passengers can sometimes be counted on two hands we need to climb 462 stairs to get above ground up 300 162 more to go ten minutes later we finally arrive at the top what a climb the station is unmanned trains for takasaki use the above ground platform which was originally used by trains in both directions on the single track eventually the underground line was added for trains bound North for nigata a foreign [Music] the old station office has been upcycled into a cafe [Music] [Music] who manages the cafe belongs to a venture capital firm that creates new value by utilizing idle land in this depopulated area foreign [Music] when they opened the cafe they also turned the vacant land next to the station into a glamping area it's becoming a popular place to get away from the daily Rush of urban life [Music] train fans love that the trains run past their tents [Music] thank you [Music] now to continue our journey [Music] [Music] out of the tunnel and into the prefecture in Winter over two meters of snow accumulates in Ichigo yuzawa one of the heaviest snowfalls in Japan [Music] let's head to a spot you can enjoy no matter the season [Music] you can feel the breath of nature in Kyoto Gorge dug along the Kyoto River in 1996 for people to appreciate the Gorgeous Beauty [Music] foreign the 750 meter long tunnel was upcycled into an art installation inspired by the trianale Art Festival held in the area [Music] [Music] the dynamism of nature spills over you at several Lookouts throughout the tunnel magma flowed into the stratum five million years ago it cooled and contracted to form columnar jointing the highlight of the installation is at the end of the blue tunnel [Music] the mirrored shaft which includes a shallow pool of water reflects the natural beauty outside [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] the tunnel has become one of the must-see attractions in the region throwing 200 000 visitors annually [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] monks founded this Buddhist temple in 1534 foreign Hall was built in the hope that it would become a spiritual center for the village residents about 170 years ago the Temple's Abbott entrusted the interior to a Master Carver [Music] the elaborate carvings and the Vivid colors that crowned every nook of the room are Testament to the artist's skill the roof sculpture depicts the legend of Buddhist monk Dogan who transformed his staff into a dragon to Vanquish a tiger foreign [Music] who lived in the 19th century and is referred to as the Michelangelo of Japan was also talented in painting and Design more than one thousand of his sculptures and paintings remain throughout nigata prefecture is foreign foreign [Music] is the second most populous city in nigata prefecture this confectioner has been in business since 1778. this Suite was inspired by the snowy mountains of nigata and is made from rice flour and high quality sugar it's been the Shop's Mainstay since its founding [Music] their latest Folk folk pastel colored version of traditional jelly sweets called kohakuto that are crunchy on the outside [Music] they add sugar and starch syrup to melted agar agar then boil this down and add coloring the mixture is left to cool overnight then cut into shapes using molds and left to dry [Music] traditional Confections are firm favorites of older customers and Tea Ceremony enthusiasts but Kishi yoshiya wanted to expand their appeal to younger Generations his wife who is busy with child rearing at the time suggested a building block Motif in pastels foreign [Music] [Music] soft colors both are hit products with younger customers [Music] at nagaoka station we change to the Shing it's a line and head to naoitsu [Music] [Laughter] [Music] we take a local train to nawatsu and it takes around 90 minutes [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] this station offers Travelers one of the best up close views of the Sea of Japan [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] terminus [Music] a Railway Museum stands right beside the station [Music] and one of the trains on display is quite rare [Music] this is a clearance car [Music] the body has spikes that act as feelers to check the clearance around the tracks for safety the car would run along new train lines before they opened to ensure trains would not encounter any obstructions [Music] thank you [Music] the interior is unique as well the rods on the outside Pierce through right into the car [Music] when one of the 94 exterior rods strikes an obstruction the corresponding lamp lights up on the panel the car itself was manufactured in 1937 and it was used for various purposes before being upcycled into a clearance car it was retired in 2004 only two such cars exist in Japan [Music] akiyoshi is in charge of preserving the trains um foreign [Music] and now it's a we change to the mioko Hane Uma Line run by the etigo tokimeki railway [Music] good the Train's color was inspired by the mountains [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] takada in the city of joyetsu evolved after the construction of a castle four centuries ago one Museum conveys an interesting part of the area's history and culture [Music] takada was once home to many gaze or blind traveling female performers centuries ago gaze would travel in groups of three to local Villages where entertainment was sparse [Music] [Music] the museum exhibits paintings depicting gaze foreign the intense red in each is striking [Music] [Music] the artist is he commuted from Tokyo often to have deep discussions with sugimoto kikui the last goze [Music] foreign foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] tradition disappeared with tsugimoto's passing [Music] [Applause] others are also working to preserve takada's history this movie theater is over 100 years old it originally opened in 1911 as a playhouse and it retains an atmosphere of yesteryear that can't be found in modern Cinemas today it's one of Japan's oldest operating movie theaters thank you [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] was born and raised in the neighborhood a Citizens group passed him the Baton of protecting the deteriorating Theater which was in danger of closure [Music] is going Beyond screaming movies ueno aspires to Rebrand the theater as a cultural facility and community space so he also rents it out and conducts tours [Music] images [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] now for the last leg of our journey foreign [Music] visible in the distance 2454 meters above sea level [Music] fresh clean air the miyoko Highland is a summer playground as well as a skiers Paradise in winter foreign [Music] shift with the epochs and seasons did you find your favorite [Music]

Channel: NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Views: 66,582

Keywords:

Id: 8Q3AKiMFOIY

Length: 44min 6sec (2646 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 06 2023