Tokyo to Chiba - Finding Art along the Way

Today, we travel from Tokyo to its neighbor, Chiba.

It's right next to Tokyo, but it's replete with nature.

I hope my kids will proudly tell their friends,
"our dad's seaweed is the best."

We'll discover various types of art inspired by that bountiful nature.

In snow and sun, from coast to mountain, we'll take a 300-kilometer ride.

We're off to Chiba!

Our trip starts from the northern edge of Tokyo.

We've come to Nishiarai Daishi, a temple founded in 826.

Paul Imperatrice is from New Zealand.

Paul's lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years, teaching English.

And for much of his life, he's been a dedicated student and teacher of martial arts.

I'm really looking forward to today's trip, because I get the chance to show you where I live, and all the usual places I visit.

Off we go.

Heading out into the cold of a Tokyo winter.

The weather is really beautiful.

The sun is nice, but that wind chill is really cold.

And, you can see up there, we join the Arakawa Cycling Road.

This is one of Paul's favorite cycling routes.

It runs beside the river for about 90 kilometers.

That's what they are, rushes.

It's really nice, the wind and the rushes.

It gives you a real outdoors feel.

And I'm sort of in the Senju area.

Tiny little shops.

Narrow streets.

This part of Tokyo has many small factories and workshops.

It's long been home to traditional artisans.

Oh, here it is: Takeuchi san.

I think this must be it.

This is the home of well-known artisan Takeuchi Isao.

Good morning! Are you Takeuchi san?

- That's right.
- I'm Paul. Pleased to meet you.

What are these?

They're obi - kimono sashes.

The art of Edo Shishū embroidery dates back to at least the 17th century.

It's mainly used to decorate kimono sashes and neckbands.

- Can I touch it?
- Sure.

It looks different as you change the angle.

So much detail.

Takeuchi's embroidery gives the feeling of three-dimensionality.

This incredible precision is his specialty.

It takes about a month to do, but I can't
work continuously or it destroys my eyes.

You can't do such fine work unless
you keep taking breaks.

Takeuchi is the third generation of his family to run this workshop.

He has worked to perfect his traditional embroidery skills for over 55 years.

I might just have a look to see what's going on down there.

I use the needle like this to find the spot.

As he passes the needle through from below, he can't see what his lower hand is doing.

You have to be quick as well as accurate.

When Takeuchi became an apprentice at age 22, he was taught that an artisan's job is simply to fulfill each client's order swiftly and exactly.

When I was learning embroidery, I didn't really enjoy it.
It was just mastering a trade.

I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't enthusiastic then.

Takeuchi found true satisfaction in embroidery after he began to create his own original designs.

I tried making my own designs, and they sold well.
That's when I started to love this work.

Yukino! Come and look.

This is Takeuchi's wife, and their granddaughter.

Can you embroider too?

Yes. He taught me every summer
as my school holiday project.

Takeuchi has given her a good grounding in the basic techniques.

He always has time for his granddaughter.

What do you think of granddad's work?

He's amazing. I could never be that good.

- Really?
- No one can embroider so small.

Great skill and freedom of expression leading to small, but powerful art.

Welcome to Chiba.

The night here is really fresh.

It feels very nice.

The sun's gone down, and Paul has now crossed over into Chiba.

This giant industrial complex on the Chiba coastline was a mainstay of Japan's economic growth.

Cycling by this place at night reveals another fascinating side to its appearance.

That's huge. That factory is huge.

That is extensive.

It's the kind of brilliant view only to be found in a metropolis.

There's a little bit of wind chill, but it's looking like it's going to be a very nice day again.

Up with the dawn, Paul is cycling along Tokyo Bay.

There's the bridge across to Tokyo.

That's a really long bridge.

Tokyo Bay has long been known for its fisheries.

Paul meets up with a fisherman named Saitō Masaomi.

Good morning. I'm Paul.

Pleased to meet you.

Saitō is taking Paul out to where the seaweed grows.

Very nice. I haven't been on a boat for I don't know how many years.

But it feels really good.

The Chiba side of Tokyo Bay is one of Japan's largest producers of nori seaweed.

- This is where I harvest the seaweed.
- Here?

- Yes.
- Here?

It looks like a net.

Nori is one of the oldest types of seaweed eaten by the Japanese, and is still a staple at mealtimes.

Be sure to keep your hands inside the boat.

We've got to stay in here, and keep our hands out of danger.

I'm not so sure what that means.

Wow, they move!

The net is being dragged up and over the top of the boat.

A series of blades on the roof rotate rapidly, harvesting the seaweed.

Take a bit off and taste it.

I'm going to try some.

Very nice!

I can taste the ocean.

Kaneda nori has a specially deep flavor.

Because the sea here is quite shallow,
it traps the nutrients carried down by the river.

What's the hardest thing about your work?

Getting up so early. And the cold.
And the work is really hard.

But I feel great when people tell me how tasty my nori is.
Like you did just then.

This is the fruit of Saitō and his team's hard work.

Will your kids take over the job?

I have two daughters, and they aren't interested.

They won't even tell their schoolmates I'm a fisherman.

My job embarrasses them.
I understand - they're just young girls.

But I keep trying to do better,
to make tastier nori so they'll be proud of me.

Some day I hope they'll boast to their friends
"our dad's seaweed is the best."

As you can see, the snow has fallen in the fields here.

There's quite a bit of it, a lot more than I expected.

And it looks really beautiful.

Today, Paul is heading inland to a farming area called Sanmu.

There's a big sign.

I think this must be it.

Paul's come to a place where you can experience traditional farming village life.

- This is what we're making today.
- Wow! I've never seen this before.

Can you read it?

Paul.

She's made sushi rolls spelling out Paul's name.

Futomaki Matsuri-zushi is a type of sushi roll featuring seasonal flowers and kanji characters.

It's a Sanmu specialty, always served to guests.

Suzuki Kazuko is from an old rice farming family.

She built this facility to show young people how to make their local traditional foods.

Ready to go.

The ingredients include mountain burdock and dried gourd.

They're all local village products.

They'll also use the nori given to Paul by Saitō on his boat.

Smells good!

They're going to make shikai-maki, featuring a swirling pattern inspired by the waves of the ocean.

Waves are represented by rice that's colored pink with vegetable juice.

He's really taking it seriously.

Paul rolls the seaweed around the rice.

Then he slices the roll lengthwise.

The four pieces are combined to form a single thick sushi roll.

No need to check inside.

I'm not confident.

Use it like a saw.

Unbelievable.

What's the most important thing?

You have to put your heart into it.

That's the whole point, really.
It doesn't mean anything without love.

So beautiful, it's a shame to eat.

I love showing people how to do it.

And it feels so great when they get the knack.

A simple village art, seasoned with love.

Beautiful morning.

A little bit cold, but we're riding into the morning sun.

Very, very, very fresh air.

I think I'm approaching the town's center.

This is Sakura, in the north of Chiba.

There's an old style house just up here.

Wow, nice roof.

In the old days, Sakura was a castle town.

Samurai residences still remain.

Good morning!

Samurai houses.

The martial arts the samurai practiced here are passed on to this day.

Paul has studied Eastern martial arts for many years, so he's been looking forward to meeting the martial artists here.

The Tatsumi-ryū martial arts school is holding their practice here.

They're using real swords.

Katō Hiroshi is the 22nd grandmaster of this traditional art.

Turn to your rear and cut down.

Focus on perfecting your moves instead of
thinking about reacting to an opponent.

All martial arts begin by working on yourself.

Kata, or set movements, train both body and mind, so in a real combat you will act effectively, with no wasted effort.

I'm impressed by everyone's concentration.

Training the mind is just as important
as training the body.

The goal of this training is to allow both
to be used freely at all times.

Tatsumi-ryū was founded during a time of civil war and unrest 500 years ago, and has been in existence ever since.

The core principle of the school is to always train as if you are at the point of facing death.

Only in this way will you discover the meaning of your life.

Cultivating an unshakeable spirit is said to impart perfect control over the body.

- How long have you been doing this?
- Ten years now.

It's not easy for me, but I just try
to follow the teacher's instructions.

- After all, I'm 80 years old.
- That's amazing!

Inheriting the art from his father, Katō has now been practicing for over 70 years.

His eldest son Atsushi is preparing to follow his father's path.

He's my father, and my teacher.

I still could never beat him. He's too good.

He didn't want to train when he was little.
But these days he's really keen on it.

This was my first time to see the real thing.
It was seriously impressive.

Thank you so much.

Paul pushes toward his final goal.

Hello!

It's a spot overlooking Lake Inbanuma, famous for its large number of majestic birds.

It's really extensive.

This is like a round... I get a big round view.

Very much a winter scene.

All these people I've met were great artists.

And even in their forms, they found great freedom from doing them.

The conditions of their work are being created by the environment.

But these people have tried hard to keep it going.

And despite the difficulties, they've continued to battle on with the hope that sometime in the future, their arts will be appreciated once again.

I had so many varied experiences, I just can't believe it.

It's been overwhelming in its variety.

The people Paul met have all worked hard toward their own goals.

In a way, their lives are like works of art.