The best way to discover little-known sights and make even familiar places feel brand new,

is to go exploring by bicycle.

This time, we're exploring Nagasaki,

the coastal prefecture historically known as Japan's Gateway to the West.

Centuries of trade with the outside world influenced this area in diverse ways.

People here are unusually open to change,

willing to accept different approaches to living.

Instead of this for men, that for women,
we should all be able to do anything we enjoy.

Nagasaki contains a staggering 1,400 islands.

On one of them, we'll meet newcomers who are revitalizing their community.

Come with us on this 450-kilometer ride,

as we taste the freedom that is such a feature of life in Nagasaki.

Nagasaki Prefecture lies at the western edge of Japan.

We set off from a point looking down over the port of Nagasaki City itself.

The mid-19th century samurai statesman Sakamoto Ryōma spent much of his time in this area,

studying Western culture in order to promote Japan's modernization.

Good morning!

Janni Olsson is from Sweden.

Janni has always been a great fan of the outdoors.

She's especially fond of bikepacking.

Now, this area has a really unique culture and a long history.

In the past, it was known as the gateway to the west.

And during this time, this man up here, Sakamoto Ryoma, was a really prominent figure.

Now, I can't wait to see what I'll find during my trip here so let's go!

Another, mini version of the great statesman's statue watches as Janni sets off.

This will be a five day trip.

On the first two, Janni will explore Nagasaki City and its surroundings.

The third day will take her to the Shimabara Peninsula, just in time for the autumn leaves.

On the fourth day, she'll go north to Sasebo, a center of traditional crafts,

and she'll spend her last day on the small island of Takashima.

Wow, look at that old, cute tram.

Nagasaki City has a population of 390,000.

Janni begins by taking a look around the city center.

Here we have some more really old buildings here to the left.

Portuguese ships began visiting Nagasaki in the 16th century.

During the centuries when Japan secluded itself from the world,

trade was allowed only through Nagasaki, and only for Dutch and Chinese ships.

It kind of feels like being back in Europe with all these European houses here.

A church, I think.

Wow, look at that. I think we have a Chinatown here over on the right side.

During the period of Japan's isolation,

this area was where Chinese traders had their warehouses.

Today, it's a small but vibrant Chinatown with around 40 restaurants and shops.

Janni has left the city center and is heading out along the coast road.

Wow. Okay, I think we're at a bridge that is called The Bridge of the Goddess in Japanese.

Feels good.

It looks so nice, riding your boat out to sea.

25 kilometers from the start and Janni is in a district called Shikimi.

Over here you have a really tiny city with all the houses kind of facing towards the ocean.

Oh, people are fishing out here.

Look at that.

This is great weather for fishing. I'm so jealous.

Good morning!

There's not much space between mountains and sea in this city,

so many houses are built on steep slopes.

Okay, so let's get in here and see what the city looks like.

Wow! Okay, the roads are really small here.

It's a climb to get anywhere in Nagasaki, which is not really Janni's favorite type of cycling.

Oh, let's see if I can go in.

Wow, this road is so small.

Haha, it's going right...

Wow. Are these roads made for riding a bicycle?

Look at the view.

Okay, I think we have a restaurant here.

I think we have a restaurant here. It looks really fun here, you have, like, dogs.

Intrigued by the quirky exterior of this restaurant, Janni decides it's time for lunch.

Good morning!

The sign said this is a restaurant?

I mostly serve Chinese food, like champon.

Champon? All my time in Japan people keep
telling me about champon, but I've never tried it.

What's it like?

Really delicious!

The owner, Kimura Akemi, sets to work preparing Nagasaki's famous dish.

It was invented around 1900 by a local Chinese restaurant.

The idea was to provide a cheap and nutritious meal

for the many Chinese students then studying in the city.

So quick!

Thank you very much.

This is huge!

Stir-fried vegetables, meat and seafood, served over a special kind of noodle,

simmered in a soup of pork and chicken bones.

Dig right in.

There are lots of noodles underneath.

So much!

Careful! It's hot!

It's so good.

- Bursting with flavor, right?
- It looked heavy, but it's very comforting.

Yes it's quite light really.

But very tasty.

- Is that an order?
- Yes, Saturdays are very busy.

- It's from a fishing group.
- They order food when they're fishing?

- We take it out to the island for them.
- To an island! Not the harbor?

That's what I call service.

- It's a bit unique.
- First time I heard of it.

There's the phone again. You are busy!

Janni follows Akemi's son Yoshinobu as he goes off to deliver the order to their customers.

Won't the noodles get soggy?

No, they're just parboiled.
They'll be ready to eat by the time we arrive.

They're cooking as we sail.

As well as working in the restaurant, Yoshinobu uses his boat to ferry anglers to the island.

Delivering meals to them out there is just part of the service.

Hello!

What a great place for lunch!

- Do you always get it delivered?
- Yes, and we always order chanpon.

As usual, fantastic!

Everything tastes better eaten outdoors.

This must the only place
where meals are delivered by boat.

Akemi's Ibu Restaurant has served anglers like this for 50 years.

Her husband Masuo was a barber, but he also helped with deliveries.

Yoshinobu took over as delivery man to ensure their business could continue.

- Any plans to retire and take it easy?
- I'd like to slow down, but we're so busy.

Even on slow days, we still get some orders.
I feel I have to be here for them.

- People love this place so much.
- That's why I can't stop.

I could never quit.

The world would be a lesser place without hot meals and warmhearted chefs like Akemi.

There'll be a festival here the next day,

and Janni is visiting one of the main participants to find out more.

Anyone home?

Hello!

I heard there's a festival tomorrow.
What kind of event is it?

We have women's sumo, with ritual dances.

I always thought of sumo as a male sport.
I didn't know about women's sumo.

It's a thing. In this festival,
the women perform and the men watch.

This autumn festival has been going for 120 years.

Every 8 years it features women's sumo.

The town's women were originally taught by troupes of female sumo wrestlers who toured the country.

This year, I'll become yokozuna,
taking over from my mother.

This will be Shimomura's first time as yokozuna, the leading role in the festival.

What does it say?

Chogasaki is an area near here.
We have a Chogasaki Tunnel too.

In her youth, Shimomura's mother Mitsuyo was yokozuna three times.

Wow, that's you!

So cool!

You have to have inner strength.

That's what being a yokozuna is all about.
I never thought they'd pick me, though.

The women have been practicing for three months to get ready for the festival.

- Who has been doing this longest?
- That's me!

I'm 89!

This sumo veteran moved here to marry a Shikimi man,

and has taken part in the festival ever since.

I felt a bit shy back then,
wearing the short pants and the sumo belt.

As yokozuna, Shimomura must wrestle as well as perform the ritual dances.

I wasn't comfortable about this at first.

But now I'm happy to be continuing our tradition.
I'm confident I can do it well.

They insist that Janni must take part too.

- This looks hard.
- Don't worry, you can do it.

Everyone is excited about tomorrow's event.

The name of this autumn thanksgiving festival is Kunchi.

It's held in every district of Nagasaki city, but only Shikimi includes women's sumo.

First, the women perform their dance.

Next, Shimomura, as new yokozuna, will lead the dohyōiri ring-entering ceremony.

And now for the grand finale!

The highlight of the festival, a match between the two yokozuna.

Chogasaki!

Shikimi's population is aging, so Shimomura tries to promote sumo to the younger generation.

Sumo has a very long history and I feel
we young people have a duty to keep it going.

But like many things, the rules need updating
to appeal to more kinds of people.

I don't believe the world should work like this.

Instead of this for men, that for women,
we should all be able to do anything we enjoy.

It's kind of funny though. Like, in Sweden, "girl power" is strong, independent women,

and here in Japan it's more cute, delicate women with great manners and you know, this kind of stuff.

So it was nice to see something that was something similar to Swedish "girl power."

Really fascinating.

Today, Janni will cycle round the Shimabara peninsula.

She's in luck - the forests on Mount Unzen up ahead have begun to turn red.

The ocean and red leaves.

Now that's a postcard view.

It's really starting to feel like autumn here.

It's like you're riding straight into the ocean.

Feels good. Nice and cool.

After that trip around Shimabara peninsula, it's time to head back into Nagasaki City.

Look at all these really old Japanese gardens.

One had momiji in there and then these nicely cut trees.

The Koga district is known for its beautifully sculpted pines and maple trees,

skills they've been perfecting here for over 400 years.

This garden, owned by a family of Koga gardeners, is open for the public to enjoy.

Hello!

Janni has found the owner, Kubota Leo.

- My family have been gardeners for about 150 years.
- Wow! That's a long time!

After high school, Kubota moved to Tokyo to train as a dancer.

He loved dancing, but watching his father creating gardens,

he came to appreciate the beauty of this craft.

Eventually he decided to come home and become a gardener himself.

I go by my feelings.
I shape the trees so they look good to me.

- This is a pine tree.
- But it's so small.

These are all bonsai. Potted trees shaped
into miniature versions of trees in nature.

Kubota didn't give up his first love, though.

He also teaches dance.

Bonsai are traditionally expensive luxury items.

To attract younger people, Kubota also makes what he calls "mini-bonsai."

Pick the one you like.

- The twisted trunk is interesting.
- Nice. It's a good one.

Janni helps to prepare her souvenir to take home.

Do you have any dreams for the future?

I want to inspire young people, show them
that traditional gardening is a cool job.

I thought being a dancer was cool.
Now I want to become a cool gardener.

Anything can be cool, if you go about it the right way.

The fourth day sees Janni heading towards Sasebo.

It feels amazing running along these open fields out here.

Autumn really is the best season for cycling, guys.

She plans to meet some players of a traditional Sasebo game.

Oh, here it is.

Let me see if we can stop here for a bit.

Wow, look at that entrance.

Hello!

Ready? Go!

Hang in there!

You won!

What is this game?

It's called Sasebo Koma.
These tops are a local traditional craft.

Spinning tops are thought to originate in India, and were introduced to Japan in the 17th or 18th centuries.

These young players keeping the old tradition alive are members of a Nagasaki University club.

I like this game because I get to meet
all sorts of people. I love to chat.

That's great. Playing and chatting.

They invite Janni to try her hand.

What did you chant as you threw the tops?

It's an old saying meaning "keep going."
The top that spins longest wins.

It comes from a Shinto ritual,
a prayer to keep family and community safe.

A long spinning top symbolizes that wish.

Like this? It's like bowling.

Best not to stand just there...

Stay in there!

No match for the experts, Janni's top is first to fall.

Her next stop is the workshop that makes these tops.

I think I found it.

It's an old establishment, founded in 1907.

Hello!

Nice to meet you.

This is the owner, Yamamoto Yukiko.

- Wow! These are all tops?
- Yes.

So many!

- Ah, here's a cute rabbit!
- One of the 12 animals of the eastern zodiac.

These spinning tops are popular as ornaments,

and many customers order personalized designs.

This is my husband.

Hello.

You do everything by hand?

That's lovely!

The tops are made with wood from the matebashii tree,

a hard, heavy wood that keeps tops spinning even as they collide.

Sadaemon was working in a bank when he married Yukiko, the daughter of a maker of tops.

She persuaded him to leave the bank to help carry on her family tradition.

For a whole year, she kept saying:
"Give up your job and learn our craft instead."

- How many years before you felt you'd mastered it?
- I'll never be satisfied until I'm better than my teacher.

Of all the Sasebo Koma artisans, today only this family remains.

The Yamamoto's daughter Yuko does the painting work.

She'll eventually inherit the business.

By holding events in kindergartens and elementary schools,

the Yamamotos hope to inspire a new generation to carry on this Sasebo tradition.

They offer lessons in how to paint tops too.

Pull the tip from the center like you're writing
the number one. Watch what happens.

It becomes a spiral!

Oh nice!

Well done!

- It's very dynamic.
- That's intense.

I'm not that good at painting but at first I tried a Japanese cherry blossom flower.

And then we have one of the more famous flowers in Sweden. It's called Vitsippor.

This is kind of...

This is the symbol for spring in Japan, and this is the symbol for spring in Sweden.

That was fun, but really difficult.

You did well.

For people over 50, like me,
these tops bring back all kinds of memories.

But most young mothers
and their kids have never seen one before.

People are fascinated by new things,
and I seize that chance to show them what fun it is.

Carving out a fresh future for a traditional toy.

Another hill climb today for Janni.

She's told there's a great view from the top.

Could you imagine living up here?

Look at these people. I'm jealous.

It's so peaceful up here.

Although, if your car breaks you would have to walk up here with the groceries.

That's a good workout.

Okay, so where is the tenbodai?

Look at that view.

Nagasaki Prefecture contains an amazing 1,479 islands.

Tomorrow, Janni will visit one of them.

It's a 30 minute journey from Nagasaki Port to Takashima Island.

There are eight ferries a day.

It's only nine kilometers, so Janni decides to start by cycling round the coast of the island.

So I think even, if you look at the buildings to the right

it looks like not a lot of people are living in these houses. A couple?

So many apartments, but they're mostly empty.

Today, only 280 people live on Takashima.

Hello!

What was the island like in the old days?

When the coal mine was working,
well over 10,000 people lived here.

This island was once a base for undersea coal mining.

At its peak, the population reached 18,000.

However, due to declining demand for coal, the mine closed in 1986.

Today, the island's most famous product is tomatoes.

I hear Takashima is famous for tomatoes.
Is that what you're growing here?

That's right.

These are young tomato seedlings.

- Too soon for any fruits.
- Yes, I just planted them in September.

- Have you always lived on this island?
- No, I moved here about 10 years ago.

- Before that?
- I was living near Tokyo.

Why move here?

I was a musician in Tokyo, but I had to work
other jobs and there was never enough time.

Island life is slower, work takes just part of the day
and we can play music the rest.

- My whole group decided to move here.
- All of you?

Yes. All four of us came to live on this island.

It's a short ride to their studio, where the other members of the group are practicing.

- Lots of cats here.
- More cats than people.

This is our gasoline stand.

One lonely pump.

The studio is in what used to be the island's community center.

Welcome to our secret hideout.
We made it ourselves. Even the door handle.

Hello!

Wow what a nice studio!

I'm Nini, Rainbow Music's leader.

"Everything was fun back then
Covered in mud, just innocent kids"

"We had no worries at all
Each day felt fresh and new"

Rainbow Music have been together since 2008.

They mostly sing cheerful pop music with a reggae feel.

Their leader Nini works at the beach and at a campground.

His wife nonco had a daughter after they moved here to Takashima.

She's now two.

The fourth member, Para, makes tie-dyed T-shirts when he's not working as a fisherman.

That's great! It makes me so happy!

We formed the group in Fukushima.
But after the big quake we moved to Tokyo.

In Fukushima we had about 80 gigs a year,
but in Tokyo that fell to just 2 or 3.

After relocating to the Tokyo suburbs,

the group found it very hard to find work as musicians.

On a visit to Takashima, they fell in love with the island and its people,

and decided to come and live here permanently.

As soon as they settled here, they began giving free shows.

The islanders loved them, their reputation quickly spread,

and now they do about 50 shows a year around Nagasaki.

Creating songs and music videos about life on Takashima,

the group have become a key part of this community.

Over 20 people have actually come to live on Takashima,

inspired by hearing them sing about it.

Hello!

Are you a friend of the group?

Nonco is my singing teacher.

What's your favorite song?

I can't remember the name.

"Rain falls..."

- "Zest for Life."
- That's it. That's my favorite.

I want to sing it with you.
Not today! I haven't practiced.

Hello Takashima! We're Rainbow Music.

Our first song is called "Zest for Life."

"Wind blows, carrying seeds"

"Rain falls, bringing a fresh start"

"On a sunny day, we see the sky"

"Inspiring us to begin another day"

This song is about moving to Takashima and finding work here.

It was the first song they wrote after arriving,

and it's about their feelings starting a new life on the island.

"Life may be full of pain"

"But without pain we never feel joy"

"Emotions give us the strength
To go on to better things"

How was that?

We've come to really love Takashima and Nagasaki.

Look - this is my daughter. Made in Takashima!

We love you, and we're so grateful for your love.

Let's go!

Their dream is to repay the islanders' warm welcome by helping the population recover and thrive again.

Janni is now on the last leg of her ride.

She's headed for the southernmost tip of Nagasaki.

Okay, this is the last spurt up the mountain, so let's go.

She's made it. Janni has arrived at Gongen Yama View Park.

Finally! The last pit's here.

We've made it!

From this point, she can look back at both Nagasaki City and the island of Takashima.

So, it's been a couple of days trip here.

My first impression was that it's really hilly.

It is. But it's an amazing place.

The thing that really surprised me the most was how open everyone is.

So yeah, if I get to describe this journey in one word, it would be "borderless."

For instance, I came here and I was invited to do women's sumo or participate in their festival,

which is actually something that from the beginning, mostly, men did.

And then we had the people over there in Takashima, the band, that really brought their whole community together,

be it children or the old ladies and the grandpas.

I've been living here in Japan for about 10 years now.

And first, you come here and you feel like an outsider and you're very limited in your own space.

So living here for 10 years now, both loving Japan and my home country,

seeing and meeting all of these people here,

I want to try and mimic them a little bit and kind of take down those borders

I had myself and see where that will take me.

Everywhere she went in Nagasaki, Janni found an openness, an acceptance of different ideas,

in communities happy to let everyone be free to live their lives the way they want.