Cycle Around Japan: Temporada 2015, Episódio 3

2015 - 3: Summer: A Nagasaki Pilgrimage

Our summer trip this year takes us on a 290km-tour of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan's former entrance to the Asian Continent since ancient times. During the Sakoku Era, when a strict nationwide policy of isolation was in place, the city thrived as a gateway to the so-called Southern barbarian trade era. This led to the blossoming of unique crafts and culture born from exposure and fusion with foreign culture. Now, 70 years after the end of World War II, we see the Nagasaki residents continuing to pray. After enduring the horrific suffering caused by the atomic bomb in 1945, the city made a remarkable recovery. This show focuses on the locals who work hard to keep those memories alive. At the end of the trip, we visit Ikitsukishima, home to some of the Christianity-related artifacts which Japan is applying to register as a World Heritage Site. There, we meet locals who continue to believe in Christianity, for which their ancestors were punished during an infamous oppression against Christians. What are those people praying for now? What are they hoping for? This tour also features breathtaking views of Mt. Unzen and seashores of Genkainada, and introduces ways to use trains during a cycling trip.