All language subtitles for Japan Earths Enchanted Islands 1of3 Honshu 1080p

The sun rises on Japan.

More than 6,000 islands
on the edge of the Pacific.

Life here is at the mercy

of Earth's most powerful
elemental forces.

From the wilds
of the frozen north...

BIRDS SQUAWK

..to the subtropical warmth
of the south...

..animals along this
chain of islands have had to adapt

in unique
and sometimes bizarre ways.

Throughout this land,
people have developed

an extraordinary relationship
with the natural world...

BEAR GROWLS

..trying to capture
its fleeting beauty...

..and tame its spirit.

But these islands remain wild,
mysterious

and magical.

This...

is Japan.

Japan's great chain of islands
stretches for 2,000 miles.

Right in the middle
is its biggest island...

..Honshu.

Here is one of the largest
urban areas on Earth.

But this is a wild place too.

From the volcanic mountains
to the edge of the sea,

people and nature are drawn together
in the most extraordinary ways.

Tokyo.

Home to over 35 million people.

It's so densely packed,

it's hard to imagine
there's any room left for nature.

BIRDSONG

But as the sun rises
on a spring morning,

something magical
is about to happen.

In the heart of the city,

thousands of cherry trees
are bursting into blossom.

For just a few fleeting days,
everyone celebrates.

No other event in Honshu
is more welcomed.

This natural event is so important,
it makes front-page news.

Every spring, across Japan,

people follow the sakura zensen -
the cherry forecast -

eager to see the blossom
at its very best.

The magic is all too brief.

The petals start to fall
almost as soon as they appear.

Even in this most urban place,

people still yearn
for a connection with nature.

But Honshu's cities
are crowded for a reason.

Three-quarters of this island
is mountainous,

where fewer people can live.

Over 20 of these peaks
are more than 3,000 metres high,

pushed up by violent upheavals
in the Earth's crust.

This is no place for humans.

The Hida Mountains are instead
home to Honshu's wildest creatures.

A black bear.

And this one's hungry.

He'll spend eight hours a day
flipping rocks, looking for ants.

It might not seem much
to keep a bear going.

He's not on his own up here.

A Japanese macaque
is also looking for a meal.

But for these dextrous monkeys
there are alternatives.

These miniature trees, pruned by the
elements, are covered in pine nuts.

Full of fat and easy to reach.

But despite these rich pickings,

Honshu's macaques have learned

that there are even easier ways
to make a living.

But to reach it, they have to
venture off the mountain peaks...

..and that will bring them
into contact with people.

No matter how wild it seems,
there's nowhere in Honshu

where the paths of people
and animals don't cross.

This crowd of macaques
is on a mission,

all heading down the mountain
to the same place.

In among the rocks, there's a pool
heated by volcanic springs.

The temperature of a warm bath,

it's just the thing
in the chilly mountain air.

This was once a spa
for the exclusive use of humans.

Back in the '60s, one young macaque
discovered the hot tub,

and liked the warmth.

News spread, and now they've
claimed it as their own.

It's so popular, there can be
hundreds of macaques here every day.

And thousands of adoring tourists

venture into the mountains
to see them.

These are some of the most
photographed animals on Earth.

But they are not just here
for a bath.

They're onto a very good thing.

Each macaque has its favourite way
of retrieving the treats.

You can try holding your breath

and stuffing as much into
your mouth as you can.

But if you don't like getting
your hair wet,

there's a daintier technique.

One for the more refined.

At the end of the day,
when the tourists have gone home,

they make their way back
to the mountain forest.

But this is still a wild place,
full of dangers for a young macaque.

It's no place for a swimming lesson.

MACAQUE SQUEALS

There are no gentle streams here.

Water tumbles off these mountains
at four tonnes a second.

The Shomyo Falls
are Japan's highest.

The water cascades over 300 metres -

taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Despite falling so far,
the water doesn't roar,

it murmurs.

People say it sounds like
the chanting of prayers.

It may be a wild journey
down the mountains

but this raging water
is about to be tamed.

As it reaches the foothills,

the torrents are gradually
controlled and channelled.

With so much pure water on tap,

people can grow Japan's
most important crop.

These are Honshu's
traditional rice paddies.

Flat land is scarce,

so these fields have been
painstakingly carved out

of the foothills
and water guided in.

These man-made marshlands, perched
on the edge of the mountains,

are a magnet for wildlife.

At the start of summer,
as soon as the rice is planted,

mysterious white globes
start to appear

in the trees
around the paddy fields.

The paddy fields can be a dangerous
place to raise your young.

Hungry mouths are everywhere.

So some mothers
have taken to the trees

to give their babies
a fighting chance of survival.

FROGS CROAK

The white globes are being made
by these Japanese tree frogs.

It's the breeding season

and the trees
are teeming with frogs.

The female is with a male
at the tip of a branch,

perched above the paddy pool.

She's building a nest by
whipping up a giant ball of foam

with her back legs.

She lays hundreds of eggs inside.

She's attracting the attention
of other males.

Each male could still fertilise some
of the remaining eggs in the foam.

They're coming in
from all directions.

But the foam makes it hard to get
to grips with the competition.

Things quickly descend into
an undignified wrestling match.

This male's work is done here.

It's time to move on
and find other nests.

But when you're covered
in slippery foam,

it's hard to leave with dignity.

It's an unusual problem
for a tree frog.

As the days pass,

the eggs develop in the safety
of their foam nest.

The temperature rises
with the summer sun,

and the foam ball dries
to form a protective case.

The tadpoles inside are still moist,

and six degrees cooler.

But the little tadpoles need rain.

At this time of year,

warm air is rising over
the steep Honshu mountains

and clouds are starting to build.

The tree frogs have timed
their nest-building perfectly.

After 20 days,
conditions are just right

and the waiting is over.

The hard foam starts to dissolve
and the tadpoles drop out,

straight into the nursery pool
of the rice paddy below.

They feast on the remaining
pieces of the nest -

a final meal before they take their
chances in the big, wide world.

Their mother has pulled off
a remarkable feat of planning.

Over a third of Japan's fresh water
goes to its paddies.

Everyone relies on
this precious resource

and there are some uniquely Japanese
ways of keeping it pure.

The little village of Harie has
a network of interconnecting canals.

But these are not just any streams,

they're part of an ancient system
called kabata.

The water is piped into small
buildings close to each house.

This is where Mrs Fukuda
prepares her vegetables

and does her washing up.

All this waste should
make the water dirty

but it's not.

It stays sparklingly clear.

That's because Mrs Fukuda

has an unusual band
of kitchen helpers.

Giant carp.

As she washes her food and plates,
the carp move in.

Carp are natural ground feeders,

sucking up the crumbs
that sink to the bottom.

As Mrs Fukuda
rinses out her rice bowls,

the carp pick out the bits of food

and clean the water
at the same time.

No detergents, no waste,

just some very obliging,
well-fed fish.

The same water is now piped out
of the kitchen and on to the crops,

clean and clear, for the benefit
of everyone on the lowlands.

They call this place
'the village of living water'.

And around the edges of these
waterways, on summer nights,

something enchanting happens.

As darkness falls, the air
is filled with tiny lights.

Fireflies.

They can only thrive
if their watery world is pristine.

They've spent
most of their brief lives as larvae,

living in river beds.

But for just a few weeks in summer,

they emerge as adults
to find partners.

The female flashes her abdomen
to attract attention.

Soon, she's surrounded
by eager males,

all synchronising their flashes
with hers.

People call this dancing swarm
a firefly contest.

They've caught the imagination
of countless generations.

People once thought they were
the fire of human souls,

floating in the night.

The female has found her mate.

It will be a brief relationship.

In a few weeks, they'll all be gone.

But the pure water has created
a magical, fleeting encounter

between people and wildlife.

There's a strong spiritual
connection with nature

in these mountain heartlands.

Over half of Honshu
is still thickly forested...

..and people believe
the oldest trees

are inhabited by kodama -

tree-spirits.

The forests echo with their voices.

LOUD HOWLS AND SCREECHES

It's bad luck, so they say, to cut
down a tree where a kodama lives.

But there's another elusive creature
in these ancient forests

that was once hunted
almost to extinction.

People call it the cow demon
or the phantom.

It's a Japanese serow.

This relative of antelopes and goats
is unique to Japan.

It's a strange, stocky creature,

but it has a certain
quirky charisma.

When numbers fell dangerously low,

the Japanese government
banned hunting.

The serow was saved and it's become
an unlikely national icon.

But it's a hard one to get to know.

At the slightest hint of danger,
it will vanish into the forest...

..like a ninja.

These are still wild woods.

But as you leave the foothills,
the land flattens

and it becomes easier
for people to settle.

It's when animals leave the forest
edge and move into farmland

that the relationship with humans
becomes less benevolent.

The macaques of the lower forests

are as bold
as their mountain cousins

and often venture out
in search of new opportunities.

CAR HORN HONKS

There are all sorts of perils,

but there are rewards too, if you're
willing to take some risks.

CAR HORN HONKS

For over 100 years,
people have been growing

the finest fruit and vegetables
on these warm, rich soils.

For these cheeky thieves,
it's irresistible.

Growing perfect produce
is a Japanese obsession

so the last thing people want
is marauding macaques.

As the day heats up,
the farmers take a break.

The coast is clear.

They have to be cautious.

If they're spotted,
there'll be trouble.

But every day they brave
the electric fences.

They know all the weak spots
where they can stage their raids.

And they gorge themselves on
the fruit of the farmers' labours.

They are almost impossible to stop

but the farmers
are not prepared to give in.

DOG BARKS

They bring out their secret weapon.

Specially-trained monkey dogs.

DOG GROWLS

The Japanese Shiba Inu is one
of the world's oldest breeds

and people have trained them to
protect their crops against monkeys.

There's even a Japanese saying
that when people are fighting,

they're like a dog and a monkey.

But the rewards outweigh the risks.

They'll be back again tomorrow.

But fruit farmers
aren't the only ones

having to outwit hungry visitors.

Mr Nakayama has been keeping
honeybees for more than 65 years

and these sunny forest clearings
are perfect for his hives.

But every year, Mr Nakayama's hives
come under attack.

Whatever it is seems to be unfazed
by a swarm of angry bees.

Mr Nakayama has put an electric
fence around his precious hives

but even this doesn't seem to be
keeping the culprit out.

So he's called in some experts

and they've set up an elaborate trap
laden with honey.

All they can do now is wait.

And it doesn't take long.

Within just a few hours, news comes
in that the trap's been tripped.

GROWLING

Professor Izumiyama and his team
are here to help.

Although it's wise
to tranquillise it first.

It's a young black bear.

He's strayed dangerously close
to the edge of human habitation,

looking for something to eat.

Black bears have attacked
people in the past

so, for everyone's sake,
he can't stay here.

There's just enough room
for the bear in the boot.

He needs to be returned
to the safety of the mountain

but it's a one-hour drive.

The bear could awake at any time.

And there's no cage!

In this rural area,

bear expert Professor Izumiyama
is used to taking this chance.

They need to take the bear

as deep into the mountain
wilderness as possible.

This is the most anxious time
for the professor.

Thanks to Professor Izumiyama,
this lucky bear

is back in the safety of the forest
and out of harm's way.

All across Honshu, big towns have
grown up along the forest edges.

Some are more than 1,000 years old.

Here, links with nature are rooted
in the most ancient beliefs.

These sika deer
live in the hills around Nara,

one of the oldest towns in Japan.

But, every morning,
they leave the safety of the forest

and head straight into town.

Their destination is one of
the most sacred places in Japan.

The temple is the world's largest
wooden building.

Large enough to house
a 15-metre statue of Buddha.

It's visited by thousands
of pilgrims.

The deer are allowed in

because they're believed to be
messengers of the gods.

No-one is allowed to harm them.

Legend has it that a god arrived
at the shrine of Nara

riding on the back of a deer.

1,200 years later, the deer
are still regarded as sacred.

They've become local celebrities.

And they take full advantage
of the situation.

150 yen buys you
a bag of deer biscuits.

For many people visiting the temple,

this may be as close to wildlife
as they will ever get.

But the relationship clearly
needs some finessing.

Some of the deer take unfair
advantage of their sacred status.

LAUGHTER

As with all things in Japan,

courtesy and respect
goes a long way.

A simple bow is quickly rewarded
and everyone is happy.

When they've had enough biscuits,

the Nara deer head back
to their home in the forest.

But as you travel further
from these mountain fringes,

the landscape of Honshu
is swallowed up in an urban sprawl.

Every inch of the remaining
flat land to the coast

has been taken over by people.

Over 35 million people are crammed
into an area smaller than Yorkshire.

In this concrete landscape,

it would seem unlikely
that any wildlife could survive.

But one animal has made
the city its home

and it has
a strangely charmed reputation.

People even put fat little statues
of it outside bars and restaurants.

It's naughty, but it's also
believed to bring good luck.

Tanuki - the raccoon dog.

It's a creature of the forest

but, as buildings have replaced
trees, it's been forced to adapt.

These little creatures
will eat almost anything.

There's an opportunity
at every turn.

Tanuki make mischievous neighbours.

But people think they're lucky,
so they get away with it.

They're so comfortable
with urban life, they never leave.

TANUKI CUBS SQUEAL AND CHITTER

This mum is raising her brood
next to a busy railway line,

which could be lethal for cubs
newly out of the den,

but they grow up fast
and quickly become streetwise.

TRAIN BLASTS HORN

Maybe they deserve
that lucky reputation.

All across this crowded island,

people and nature
are thrown closer together.

In Japan's ancient Buddhist
and Shinto philosophy,

harmony with nature
is an essential part of life.

Mr Watanabe is hard at work.

The space he is tending
is called karesansui -

dry mountain and water.

Mr Watanabe has transformed
Honshu's great mountains

and raging torrents
into something beautifully simple.

It's nature in its purest essence,

for people to observe
and reflect on.

But this is a land where the forces
of nature are impossible to tame.

WATER GUSHES LOUDLY

Honshu sits at the mercy
of four slabs of the earth's crust.

Every year, there are nearly 5,000
earthquakes and tremors.

The rocks steam and hiss
with sulphurous gases.

It's no wonder the Japanese
call these areas Jigokudani -

Hell Valley.

No-one is far
from an active volcano.

Mount Fuji is just 60 miles
from Tokyo.

This volatile landscape
continues all the way to the coast.

These cliffs at Sanriku were
pushed 200 metres above the sea

by violent upheavals
under the ocean floor.

WAVES CRASH LOUDLY

This eastern coastline
is regularly battered by tsunamis.

On the west coast of Honshu,

geological forces have formed a vast
trench that runs just offshore.

But here, this extreme landscape
creates a rare moment of magic.

An underwater valley, nearly 2,000
metres deep, runs close to shore.

The local fishermen
are so in tune with nature,

they know exactly when
conditions are right

to cast their nets
above the deep valley.

ENGINES WHIR

GULLS SQUAWK

Something is stirring
far below the boats.

These are firefly squid.

They spend most of their lives 300
metres down in the ocean depths,

signalling to each other
in the darkness

using bioluminescent chemicals
in their skin.

But on spring nights, the currents
carry them up to the shallows,

where they mate and spawn.

As the eggs float back
to the depths,

the squid's lifecycle
comes to its natural end.

The fishermen have waited months
for this brief event.

The squid are barely
eight centimetres long

but there are millions of them.

It's a valuable catch of sushi.

GULLS SQUAWK WILDLY

As the fishermen haul in their nets,
they may see something even rarer.

For just a few nights of the year,

if the moon, the tide and the wind
are aligned,

the dying firefly squid
are swept ashore.

It's the last, dazzling moment
of their lives.

Between the turbulent sea
and the inhospitable mountains,

there may be little room
left to live,

but nature is still appreciated
by millions of people.

Late at night in Tokyo,

the cherry blossom celebrations
are ending with a great party.

Hanami, or blossom-viewing parties,

have been held here for more
than 1,000 years.

People gather under the trees
to eat traditional food,

helped along with some sake.

But there's a poignancy
to all this revelry.

Cherry blossom only appears
for a brief moment in spring.

Within just a few days,
it will all have fallen.

The delicacy of the flowers captures
a particularly Japanese sentiment...

..the spirit of "mono no aware".

It's a wistful understanding
of the transience of life.

All this will come to an end and it
must be appreciated in the moment.

It perfectly captures
the Japanese connection

to the natural world.

In such a crowded island,

people and nature must find ways
to live together.

But all across Honshu,

there's an ancient bond
with the natural world

that still runs deep.

There aren't many places in
the world where the lives of people

and animals cross
so closely as on Honshu.

Here, there are two animals
that can cause havoc.

Japanese macaques and black bears.

This is a front line,

where these two animals
are always in conflict with people,

so that makes it
a challenging story to tell.

OK and go ahead.

Cameraman John Brown has filmed
these interactions before

and knows how tricky they are.

OK, I think probably this
end, I would say.

SHE SPEAKS IN JAPANESE

But the team are working with some
extraordinary and passionate people.

OK. I think we should...

Professor Shigeyuki Izumiyama
is a bear biologist

and he knows this area very well.

He's spent the last 25 years
rescuing and relocating black bears

that have strayed too close
to human habitation.

Professor Izumiyama
is an incredible individual.

He's a brilliant biologist
that really understands his animals.

He's the only individual,
as far as I know,

who's trying to tackle this problem.

The film crew are keen
to film him catching a bear.

As soon as the next trap is sprung,
he'll give them a call.

Meanwhile, the team are trying to
film the other problem animal -

the macaques
that raid the farmlands.

Filming macaques crop-raiding
is a huge challenge

because they see any human presence
as a major threat,

so they'll run as soon as they sense
that they have been noticed.

So I guess the important thing
is to kind of get a sense

of which direction they're going,
if they're coming down...

They are being helped
by scientist Takayo Soma.

She grew up round here, so she
knows the situation very well.

Finding macaques is easy,

but the team want to film
their crop-raiding behaviour.

That's not so straightforward.

EXPLOSION

The farmers are keen
to move the macaques on

and they use firecrackers and dogs
to scare them away.

DOG BARKS

The macaques cause £5 million worth
of damage every year,

so it's understandable.

It's such a big issue, there's even
a monkey policeman on patrol.

I think he's following us now.

I think he knows
we're onto something.

The crew just need
a bit of time to film,

so Takayo goes to negotiate.

She has a trick up her sleeve.

SHE LAUGHS

You bribed him with an Oreo?
You gave him some biscuits?

He gave you a biscuit?
I had biscuit.

That's genius. How many bites?
He just took one bite.

Two bites. Two bites?!

That's a brilliant bit of work.
Wow, he's got a pretty low price.

But just as the coast is clear,

director Gavin Maxwell gets a call
from Professor Izumiyama.

The previous night,
up in the forest,

a bear wandered into
one of the traps.

The bear was caught last night

and we're going as fast as we can
to get to this site now.

It's about 45 minutes away.

So we're in a bit of a race
to get there in time.

LOUD CLATTERING

Big bear in there.

As well as relocating bears,

Professor Izumiyama
also studies them.

By fitting radio collars
to track them,

he hopes to discover
more about their movements.

I'm not sure
how much more time we've got.

They have to work fast,
before the drugs wear off.

(Does the bear have a name?)

Hirokun. Hirokun.

As Hirokun begins to stir,
it's wise to take some precautions.

Just John and Izumiyama-san
we'll leave here.

So we should retreat to the inside
of the car? Yeah.

Professor Izumiyama
carries pepper spray

just in case of attack.

John knows how nervous
local people can get.

People get so scared and so angry
about these bears

that unless he did something,
they'd just end up dead.

A few hours of unpleasantness, which
it will have forgotten by tomorrow,

is well worth it.

Another bear on its way, but now
its movements can be tracked.

Hunter. Yeah, that one.
If, maybe in a weeks' time...

Over 25 years, Professor Izumiyama
has caught a lot of bears.

More than 1,000.
More than 1,000 bears.

THEY LAUGH

1,000 bears and counting
and there's no sign of stopping yet.

As soon as one bear is released,
it's straight on to another.

Throughout the summer,
he's on call 24/7.

Despite being such
a populated country,

Honshu is home
to over 10,000 bears...

TRACKER PINGS

..and what Professor Izumiyama
is discovering is remarkable.

These bears have huge territories.

They can roam nearly
50 square miles in search of food.

All this effort will help
to keep bears away from people

so that both stay safe.

The next day,
the team are back on the plains,

still trying to catch the macaques
staging a crop-raid.

We haven't seen anything.

Anything interesting? No.

But with Takayo's expert help,

they are learning
to predict the macaques' movements.

You might spot a macaque or two who
are, kind of, looking a bit shifty

and you kind of get the sense
that something's going to happen.

And then, at last,

they are in the right place
at the right time for a raid.

Is that an apple in his hand?

Caught red-handed.

In a place with such close proximity
between people and animals,

the relationship
is always going to be challenging.

But Professor Izumiyama
has seen a big change in attitudes

since he first started
working with bears.

Next time,
we head to Japan's far south.

This is a land
ruled by the power of the sea.

Here, you have to make the most
of every opportunity.

And the further south you travel,
the stranger life becomes.