Documentary, Adventure, Comedy,

0:46:00 Hours    -    Rating: 8

Frankie Fathers, Tom Whitter

James May, Makiko Kobayashi…

Honshu, Japan's main island, is a veritable cornucopia of different environments. While the main tourist draws - including Tokyo - lie further south, it's the beautiful Northern region of Tohoku where James finds himself. And he wastes no time in shattering that tranquil beauty by getting involved in a giant robot duel with his new guide, Maki. To atone for the fallout of this epic shootout with a woman he's only just met, James seeks wisdom on a pilgrimage through the snowy woods of a holy mountain with a very friendly monk. After the monk introduces James to the benefits of naked bathing in natural hot pools, it's time to trade spiritual reverence for an altogether more modern type of worship: screaming pop fandom, courtesy of a trip to watch the Zenryoku Boys, Sendai city's newest J-pop sensation. Although James is confident in his status as a global style icon, the boys insist on giving him a post-gig makeover, complete with a hip new wardrobe and trendy hairdo. This region is home to Matsushima, a stunning bay of pine-covered islands and one of Japan's historical 'Great Views'. Here James is moved to write a haiku, before committing it to paper with a valiant attempt at traditional Japanese calligraphy. But the beauty of the area hides the fact that it was these shores that bore the brunt of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Eight years later many of the towns and villages in nearby Fukushima province remain uninhabited. James meets one of the pioneers who's recently moved back to the deserted town of Namie after the area was finally declared safe by the government. Next stop: Tokyo, and James decides to arrive in style on the Shiki-Shima, the world's most luxurious train. Of course, the train's on time, so what could possibly go wrong?