Japan, the Land of the Eternal

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 depths. 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. Marriage of nature and tradition that has left its mark on this land of the eternal. In the tropical south, the long ribbon of the Ryukyu Islands stretches out over 1,200 kilometers. These islands differ from the rest of Japan by their history, their language, and their traditions. A quiet corner of the world, lapped by the East China Sea. Here, in the westernmost part of Japan, rise the cliffs of a little island of 29 square kilometers, Yonaguni. Its nearest neighbor is Taiwan, 110 kilometers away. Shotaro Maja was born and bred here, and this remote island holds 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 me. 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 environment. There's no high school on Yonaguni, so after middle school, I went to Okinawa, the main island. And the fact of leaving my island made me realize just how magnificent the sea is here at Yonaguni. That's why I came back, and I'm glad I did, because my roots are here. When Shotaro 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 Ryukyu Islands, they practice ancestor worship and fear the power of the shamans. This is a monument in honor of Sanae Isoba. She was a great shaman who ruled the island of Yonaguni a long time ago. Sanae Isoba had four brothers, and they ruled over the villages of Tategu, Danu, Datubaru, Debaru. She ruled from the center of the island and could see everything. If invaders came, she could protect the island. Do you understand? The Ryukyu Islands are steeped in legends that are handed down from generation to generation. Indifferent to the trends of modern Japan. Hi, Dad. Hello. In 1985, Kiyoshiro 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 dolmen. The turtle sculpture and the triangular basin. 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 was. Now it's up to Shotaro to solve Yonaguni's underwater 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 Yonaguni'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. 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 fortress. The inhabitants of Okinawa practice singular funeral rites. The round tombs symbolize the mother's womb. By returning to it, the deceased are completing the cycle of reincarnation. In Okinawa, 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. 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, hard-to-steer boats. Hiyashiro has mastered the art of steering the sabani. Weather has finally calmed down. Shotaro and his father head for the underwater site to continue their investigation. Hiyashiro, pioneer in diving in the Ryukyus, 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, let's go. Just a stone's 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. 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 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. With its east-west orientation, irrigation ditches, basins, regularly spaced holes, the stairways and geometric sculptures, this 180-meter long site is potentially the greatest discovery ever made. Testimony to an extremely advanced civilization, predating even the time of the pharaohs. This spot is truly mysterious. 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. History and tradition. The lifeblood of the Yonaguni Islanders. It takes a long apprenticeship to master the traditional dance form of Okinawa. 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 used their scythes to defend themselves. The hat is used to hide the sword and also serves as a shield. Yonaguni is a land outside of time. Shotalo is once again enjoying the peace and quiet of his childhood home. An island with a wealth of treasures. The rare and expensive yakogai 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 Okinawa. 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. Nahei Yagi is highly proficient at a dangerous and little-known discipline. She is the ice climbing champion of Japan. 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 ice. Here's how I do it. Nahei 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'd fix myself a bento. But I'm much happier now. Nahei 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 strict boss. Oh, it's heavy. On Japan's main island, Honshu, the overpopulated valleys are surrounded by magnificent mountains. With peaks of over 3,000 meters, the Japanese Alps rise like ramparts against the bustle of human activity. Sugadera, in the region of Nagano, harbors a well-guarded secret that only the most skilled climbers dare tackle. Ed Hannum, a seasoned mountaineer, is an expert in icefalls. Twelve years ago, this Australian fell in love with Japan and its mountains. It's the end of the winter and ice is becoming rare. With the mild weather, certain icefalls have melted. Ed, what do you think? Condition good or not? I don't think it's any good anymore. I think the ice in the upper section is maybe okay. 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. For 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 backpack, but ice climbing is perfect. You know, you can get all your thrills in one go. Ed, this is really hard. You can do it. Ed and Nae 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 waterfall. It's in here somewhere. It was there before. I can hear the waterfall, which is not a good thing. To go ice climbing, it's always in a difficult place. It's always a gamble. The weather's always against you. The season's always short. 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 are just saying, no, no. And quantum physics will explain it in a different way. That's how it is. It's all part of ice climbing. Nae and Ed will just have to bide their time. They'll come back at the next cold snap, if the mountain spirits are willing. 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 myself. At 31, Nae is at the peak of her discipline. She has been able to confront her doubts to rise to the top of an extremely demanding sport. Long time no see. How's it going? Great, thanks. Taiki and his forebears 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 him hours of hard work. Even though it only does six kilometers an hour. Walking speed. Taiki's refuge is a base camp for climbers. It's known for its unusual structure of man-made ice. The ice candy. I got this at the Sochi 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 meets 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 routes that couldn't have been imagined previously. Competition is much more recent. The Ice Climbing World Cup was created only in 2000. Nae has already taken part in 20 international championships. Sports has allowed me to accomplish what was impossible before. I'm becoming a better person. Climbing has led me to evolve. All right, let's try that again. 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 up. The country has 27,000 hot springs. For centuries, these onsen have been part of daily life for the Japanese. They believe they purify the mind and body. Rest, training and a healthy diet are essential if you want to make a good climb. When you climb on ice, your fingers and feet freeze. 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 onsen. Then you're ready to return to the ice. In the Shinto religion, Suijin 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 universe. 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 gods, to grow in body and soul. Mountaineering in Japan began as a path to spiritual awakening. The gods have answered Nae'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. Nowadays, life expectancy is very long, whereas once-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 always a new encounter. As we say here in Japan, ichigo ichie. One encounter can change one's life. And that's what I like. Dekoza 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 taiko. Oto Kinoshita is the youngest member of Ondekoza. For three years, he has been running every day, an integral part of the troop's daily routine. We go running every morning at six, whatever the weather. Wind, rain, typhoon or snow, we run no matter what. The members of Ondekoza follow a particular life code, the Sogakuron, a philosophy that combines music and running. Running every day enables us to forge the physical and mental strength that characterize Ondekoza. The Sogakuron lifestyle and the taiko have given meaning to Naoto's life. The taikos, entirely handmade, are true works of art. The skills needed to make them go back several centuries. It takes five 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 five years to be tightened. Each jack exerts three tons of pressure, 24 tons all told. You should feel a difference between here and here. Is the middle okay? Like that. Jump as if you were trying to pierce the hide. It sounds better here. These are natural surroundings. I'm looking for the spot where the drum resonates the best. The troupe, founded in 1969 by Den Tagayasu, is now headed by Matsuda. It began with a handful of enthusiastic young people attracted by the founder's vision of communal life and ready to take on the taiko and raise it to an art form. This drum weighs around 60 kilos. This one about 70. This one 80 kilos. Our biggest drum weighs 360 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. Ndekoza members are renowned for their musical talent, but also for their ability to express themselves. The effort demanded during a concert is equal to the 42 kilometers 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 kilometers. They've also taken part in a number of major races, notably the Boston Marathon. We set up the taikos at the finish line, and then as soon as we crossed it, we played. Another time, in China, we clocked over 2,500 kilometers in three months. We were running about 30 kilometers every day, seven days a week. Once, Yoshi had a 40-degree fever, but he ran, stopping every kilometer. I was behind him thinking he was going to die, but he made it to the finish. The troupe lives as a community and follows a somewhat monastic lifestyle. Here, in the mountains near Shishibu, in a former school, the cries of children have been replaced by the echoes of mantras and taikos. Every day, Tommy, Yoshi, and Naoto 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 ascetic way of life. This mantra contains an ideogram that is quite common. 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, ku means everything we can't see, but which exists. That's what ku means for me. No, that's not it. It's double time. Oh, double time. In itself, the taiko is rather simple. You hit it, and it makes a 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 tricky. Hard to catch the rhythm. Let's simplify 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. OK, OK, that's enough. I live in a community, so I'm hardly ever alone. My moments of solitude are important to me. They are very precious. We ondekoza, 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 custom-made sticks. Making our own tools allows us to deepen our self-knowledge. The ondekoza troupe was born from the desire to keep the ancestral traditions alive. In Japanese culture, the boundary between art and craftsmanship is imperceptible. In Shishibu, they use the crystal clear water of the Ogawa River to produce a paper of an exceptional quality, following techniques going back 1,300 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 2014. Thank you. We'll use it to make posters for our matsuri. Please come if you have time. Write 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 ondekoza. The matsuri is also one of the rare occasions when the musicians can visit with their families. The opportunity for Naoto to introduce his niece to taiko. 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 me. Thanks to their communal lifestyle, the members of ondekoza have achieved a harmony off as well as on stage, a near telepathic symbiosis. Naoto of the company, genkai wo ilogeru, means push your 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 receding.