Stream It
Snow
Around 20 million people live in Japan's "snow zone," where a single winter brings at least five meters of snow altogether. Japan is distinct in having so much snow so far south. Life in the snow zone has inspired many innovations. Traditional homes in Gifu Prefecture have steep, snow-shedding roofs and flexible frames. People in Niigata Prefecture weave colorful textiles whose brightness can be enhanced by laying them on the snow on a sunny day. Snow creates beautiful visual effects, as well as bringing great pleasure to children. In parts of Japan, children gather in snow huts on winter evenings. Some farmers look at mountainside snowmelt patterns to help them decide when to plant rice, and one farmer even uses snow to preserve the taste of freshly harvested rice. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at snow - how the Japanese appreciate it, cope with it, and coexist with it.
Aired: Feb 17, 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