Wild Japan

Snow monkeys and volcanoes (1x1)

Uitzenddatum: Mrt 24, 2010

Beyond the metropolis of Tokyo is a Japan that only a few know. A wild, natural country with no crowds, high-speed trains and skyscrapers. Macaques live in the Japanese Alps on the main island of Honshu. No other species of monkey has ventured as far into the cold north as it has. In deep snow, foraging is difficult for them - but there is always time for small snowball fights. A hot bath is then taken to warm up: the monkeys relax in hot thermal springs for several hours a day. It hisses and steams on the surface everywhere in Japan, and earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis occur again and again. The island of Hokkaido is in the far north. While winter is slowly says goodbye to Honshu, Hokkaido still has Siberian temperatures. In this inhospitable time the rare red-crowned cranes begin their extravagant courtship dances, and giant eagles go fishing between the ice floes. The end of winter finally symbolizes the cherry blossom.