Spiritual Explorers

For 3 days during the summer, the Japanese celebrate the Obon festival. It is a time when the ancestors' spirits return from the other side, to spend time with the living. All across Japan, Obon is celebrated in local, traditional ways. To discover the spirit of Obon, 2 explorers visit a small village in Aichi Prefecture.

Mount Fuji. The highest mountain and volcano in Japan. For centuries, the Japanese have feared Mount Fuji for its numerous eruptions. However, it has also been a symbol of worship, as a spiritual place where the gods reside. The Japanese continue to climb this mountain with wonder and fear.

KAGURA is a Shinto ritual to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest. Performances are held throughout the country from autumn, through to winter. Kagura is a celebration to enjoy the fruits of a hard year's work by singing and dancing along with the gods. To discover the spirit of Kagura, 2 explorers visited Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture.