The Mark of Beauty

This episode features cooking ware fashioned from copper, taking us on a journey into the little-known aspects of this world. Copperware is the magician's tool, as it were, for any first-rate chef. It produces mouthwatering, fluffy egg dishes, and glistening jams. Niigata Prefecture is a world-renowned center for beautifully shaped and colored hand-hammered copperware produced by craftsmen from single sheets of the metal. We look at how the craftsmen achieve the astonishing luster. There is an interview with the famous chef Tami Hiyama, who has been using copperware for more than half a century. And we also feature a producer of pancake-like sweets in downtown Tokyo who relies on copper utensils.

This episode features the allure of chocolate. Chocolate is enjoying an unprecedented boom in Japan, owing to the health benefits of the polyphenol it contains, as well as from the recent development of a new variety. "Bean-to-bar" producers have appeared, handling all aspects of chocolate production, from the selection, roasting and milling of the cocoa beans to the refining. They offer a taste of the cocoa beans from different regions that many people hanker after. Ruby chocolate is the new so-called "4th" type of chocolate, which joins the ranks of dark, milk and white chocolates. It has been a great hit with consumers. It relies on a process that is able to bring out the natural pink color and particular flavors of a special type of cocoa bean. We visit a long-established confectioner which has breathed fresh air into tea ceremonies by blending chocolate into its traditional Japanese-style sweets. And we also visit a bar in Ginza that pairs chocolate and drinks.

This episode provides a taste of sake, or Japanese rice wine. It visits an old, traditional-style earthen-walled brewery, looking at the reason for its high ceilings, and the role played by the inner storeroom. Elsewhere, a brewery whose history spans more than 250 years is maturing its sake in a disused railway tunnel. Also featured is the traditional method for producing the koji mold essential to sake brewing, and the new sake aromas resulting from koji obtained from flowers. There are some new and daring pairings of sake, food and tableware as well.

Wasabi (Japanese horseradish), Sansho (Japanese pepper) and Karashi (Japanese mustard) all play an important supporting role in Japanese cooking. This episode looks at what makes them so special, providing a detailed introduction to these seasonings that have been developed in Japanese cuisine. There is an interview with a sushi chef about how to get the most out of a premium variety of wasabi grown with spring water from Mt. Fuji. Also featured is Chirimen-sansho, a favorite in Kyoto home-style cooking made with fish sprats and Japanese pepper, as well as a rare, red-colored variety of Japanese pepper produced in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. The episode in addition looks at the traditional method of preparing Japanese mustard that removes the harshness but preserves the spicy flavor, and the origins and the painstaking work involved in preparing Karashi-daikon, a Kumamoto Prefecture specialty of lotus root stuffed with miso paste and mustard.

This episode features fragrances that can immediately evoke spring. We focus on the lavish bouquets of a Paris-based floral artist that look and smell like a spring garden, as well as pretty art nouveau-style perfume bottles and the quest to produce unique fragrances that express the motions of this season. In Japan, where the appreciation of fragrances has developed into an art form, devotees rely on small fragrant pieces of wood to evoke the plum blossoms that appear in spring. The knack is sensing the plum blossoms without them actually being there. Various smells in the woods and mountains herald the arrival of spring, stirring memories of home, as well as stirring the appetite.

This episode features earth globes. The copywriter Itoi Shigesato tells us what inspired him to develop a state-of-the-art version relying on augmented reality. The astronaut Mori Mamoru shows a treasured globe he used during his training, and talks about a massive version measuring more than 6m across fashioned from organic light-emitting diode panels. And we take a look at some extraordinary, fold-up versions inspired by traditional-style umbrellas from the Edo period (1603-1868), and a firm that has been handcrafting globes for more than 80 years.

Tango Chirimen refers to the silk crepe renowned for its unique sheen that has been produced for the last 300 years in the Tango region, nicknamed "Kyoto by the Sea." The Kabuki actor Bando Tamasaburo V describes the suppleness of these fabrics, which make them indispensable for Kabuki costumes. The undyed white fabrics come in more than 10,000 woven patterns, including auspicious plants and animals. We delve into the fascinating skills required for the woven patterns and the crimping. The crimping or texturing was developed in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and has been passed on by Kyoto craftsmen. We look at some premium Yuzen-dyed kimonos produced in Kyoto Prefecture. The white patterned crepe goes through 10 different stages to achieve the desired colors and designs. We also feature a local forest of green alders, which are depicted on kimono fabrics dyed from plants from Tango.

This episode takes us on a journey into some of the little known aspects of Shigaraki ware. This pottery was featured in the NHK morning drama series "Scarlet." Shigaraki jars, both of the narrow- and wide-mouthed kind, have been praised by devotees of the tea ceremony as espousing the aesthetics of "hie" (chill) and "kare" (wither). The best examples of Shigaraki ware are said to have been produced prior to circa 1700. They are distinguished by their firing techniques called "yaki-shime." Kawase Toshiro, a master of flower arrangement, produces some floral displays using antique Shigaraki vases. We look at the versatile nature of the clay used in Shigaraki ware that potters find so attractive, and also feature a Shigaraki-ware bath soothing to body and soul.

Small things are always somehow enchanting. This episode explores the whimsy world of miniatures. We delve into the astonishing skill required to fashion a tiny bowl of noodles that can be perched on a finger. It looks just like the real thing, even down to the glistening noodles and soup. And we take a look at a range of tiny toys, which came about after the 18th century Shogun issued an edict against extravagance and luxury, as well as a witty health charm in the shape of a red owl. Emperor Napoleon was among those fascinated by miniature books - they resemble tiny works of art. We peek inside what appears to be just an ordinary wall socket to see what is causing such a sensation on social media. Also featured is miniature scenery in pots and tiny bonsai that give a soothing touch to any surroundings.

This episode features staircases of the kind that somehow beckon people to ascend them. Architect Ando Tadao keenly describes his ideal stairs. A visit is made to some staircases highly recommended by fans. We take a look at a large theatrical set of stairs that has appeared in Tokyo's Kyobashi district. And we delve into the intricacies of the traditional-style stairs at the teahouse in Yokohama's Sankeien Garden and Nijojinya, which was the home of a rich merchant in Kyoto. Viewers can admire the beauty of the drawers and shelving that built into the stairs in the smaller townhouses of other Kyoto merchants to make effective use of the limited amount of space in the city. The craftsmen who fashioned such staircases had an eye for detail. We look at the skill that produced the beautiful curves in the wooden handrails and the clever way in which the stairs were organized to accommodate drawers and shelving.

This episode features Bingata, the Okinawan dyed fabrics renowned for their vivid patterns and vibrant colors. We look at some examples, listed as national treasures, which recall the splendor and pomp of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Only royalty was granted the privilege of wearing one particular color. We look at the techniques for producing the vivid reds and the motifs inspired by the natural surroundings. After the devastating Battle of Okinawa in 1945, people resorted to some unexpected things for dyeing scarce fabrics. And we feature the tapestries fashioned by a 16th generation artisan committed to reviving Bingata. The 2019 fire which destroyed Shuri Castle, the seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom, has prompted the artisan to break new ground.

This episode features Wasarasa, or Japanese-style chintz. These printed fabrics originated in India, and subsequently evolved into unique styles in Japan. We take part in a tea ceremony performed by the Issa-an school of sencha tea ceremony that makes lavish use of chintz. And we look at the pattern sheets (more than 200 of them!) and the brushwork required for a premium-quality chintz kimono. We meet an up-and-coming artisan who is reviving 1,400-year-old designs. Also featured is the chintz supplied to the Nabeshima clan, which ruled over what is now Saga prefecture. The techniques were kept secret and were only rediscovered again when certain texts came to light in the Showa period (1926-1989). We admire some woodblock-printed examples of the Nabeshima-style chintz produced by an artisan designated as a National Living Treasure.

Ice has a cooling effect on the eye and inside the mouth. We look at some beautiful but transient ice sculptures boldly fashioned with a chainsaw, as well as blocks of ice which flowers amazingly inserted in them. We follow the challenge to come up with an ice dessert fashioned with ice sourced from the Yatsugatake Mountains in central Honshu. There is also an ice receptacle modeled after a tea bowl cherished by the renowned 16th century master of tea ceremony Sen no Rikyu. We also listen in on a record made from ice. And we feature ice as a great partner for whisky, coming in the versatile form of ice cubes and mist.

This episode features Japanese swords. We look at Chikakage, a sword of the 16th-century warlord Akechi Mitsuhide, which was discovered in 2019, and ponder what he might have thought about this weapon. We delve into the fascinating craftsmanship that goes into forging the ultimate sword. The Hon'ami Family has been polishing and sharpening swords since the Muromachi Period (1336-1573). The current head of the family, who has been designated as one of Japan's Living Treasures, shows us what this craft involves. An accomplished sword drawer shows off his swordsmanship and how the forms of swords have evolved over the ages. Also featured is a sword dating from the Heian Period (794-1185). Its scabbard, featuring the oldest extant feline motif in Japan, is a national treasure. A fictional swordsman and computer game character Mikazuki Munechika, who has taken his name from another well-known weapon, makes his appearance.

This episode features zori, or the flat, thonged sandals that have evolved with the Japanese lifestyle. The variety of materials used for the soles and the thong straps provide limitless opportunities for design. Dr. Robert Campbell, an authority on Japanese literature, describes how this footwear is a living tradition. 2 brothers, who have been crafting zori for 60 years, show us sandals offering the ultimate in comfort. And a Kyoto-based footwear store, which has been in business for more than 100 years, shows how it produces its beautifully crafted and functional thong straps. Also featured are the tatami-padded sandals with straw straps, which are worn by the referees for sumo bouts.