Stream It
Rain
Japan gets a lot of rain, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Rain falls year-round in Japan, but differs from season to season. Tokyo gets its fair share of rain, but some areas of Japan receive more than three times as much. Traditionally, the Japanese prayed for rain during times of drought, and found ways to put up with violent downpours. But they also built large reservoirs of water, some of which are over 1,000 years old. Today, Japan's methods of putting up with rain are more sophisticated than ever. In urban areas, giant underground reservoirs have been constructed to help control flooding, and initiatives have welled up to capture and reuse rainwater. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is rain. We examine how rain has shaped Japan's climate, lifestyle, and culture.
Aired: Oct 13, 2011 Genre: DocumentaryCasts: Peter BarakanDuration: 28m Rating: 0 Country: Japan, United Kingdom Production:
Episodes
01: Mochi Rice Cake02: Watches and Clocks03: Fugu Blowfish04: Haneda Airport05: Kagura Dances06: Snow07: Pollen Allergy08: Sashimono Woodwork09: Cranes10: Kitchen Knives11: Fishing12: Armour13: Judo14: The Life of Taro Okamoto15: The Life of Osamu Dazai16: The Life of Kenzo Tange17: The Life of Hideko Maehata18: Toilets19: Lifts20: Motorcycles21: Unagi Eel22: Japanophiles - Ilan Yanizky23: Japanophiles - Silvain Guignard24: Japanophiles - Stéphane Danton25: Japanophiles - Dorothy Feibleman26: Plastic Food Samples27: Insects28: Traditional Japanese Mathematics29: Bicycles30: Chusonji31: Seaweed32: Charcoal33: Rain34: Golf35: Shipbuilding36: Japanophiles - Bruce Huebner37: Japanophiles - Noelke Muho38: Japanophiles - Matt Alt39: Karaoke40: Holidays41: Red Sea Bream42: Shopping Streets43: Chickens and Eggs