Japan, the Land of the Eternal

Hey, Japan is a

land

of extremes situated on the Pacific ring of fire, this archipelago still bears the scars of a tumultuous birth. This living volcanic earth emerged from the depths of the ocean. His tormented nature produced masterpieces and has swallowed many enigmas here facing the East. At the tip of Asia there are men and women who pursue their passions in a relentless pursuit of perfection. Going beyond one's own limits has been elevated to art, a marriage between nature and tradition that has left its mark in this

land

of the

eternal

in the tropical south. the long ribbon of ryuku island stretches for 1200 km these islands are distinguished from the rest of

japan

by their history, language and traditions a quiet corner of the world next to the east china sea here in the westernmost part From Japan, the cliffs rise from a small island of 29 square kilometers, Yonaguni.

Its closest neighbor is Taiwan, 110 km away. shal MAA was born and raised here and this remote island has no secrets for him. He could never live anywhere else but near the sea. I am one with him. I feel the sea around me, it's like he's flying. It's something you can only experience in the water. I feel like he's traveling through space. It is a very special environment. There is no high school in Yonaguni, so after high school I went to Kwa the. main island and leaving my island made me realize how magnificent this SE is here in Yonaguni, that's why I came back and I'm glad I did because my roots are here when Shoto returned to live on his island that he brought with him. his wife and son here is taking you and kylie to discover an important sacred site in the ryuku islands they practice ancestor worship and fear the power of shamans this is a monument in honor of saai isoba she was a great shaman who ruled the island of yonaguni a long time ago sa isoba had four brothers and they ruled the villages of Tatu duuuu she ruled from the center of the island and could see everything if the invaders arrived she could protect the island do you understand that the Ruku Islands are full of legends that are passed down from generation to generation indifferent to the trends of modern Japan uh hi dad hi in 1985 kashiro aratake a professional diver discovered an extraordinary underwater site he is totally convinced that it is an archaeological ruin if we find any trace of human activity we will find it trying to have this structure declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, we have to focus on the dolman, the turtle sculpture and the triangular basin that it obtained, yes, we have to look for evidence, in particular, in the holes that supported the pillars, we have to measure the depth. where we have to start and around the turtle we have to see if there is anything left there how it felt when you discovered this place it was around the time you were born it was like a vision I was in the water but I felt like I was flying the water was crystal clear I thought that I was dreaming I thought what is this it was like I was looking at Machu Picchu from the sky I got goosebumps I thought maybe I had gone crazy that's how overwhelmed I was now it's Shoto's turn to solve the underwater mystery of Yonaguni when I was in secondary school.

It was easy to get to the water from here, but then the ledge collapsed. I haven't been here for quite some time. This is one of Yun's landscapes that I really love. The rocks. They are so characteristic here, from here they look like steps, it looks very archaeological, but the site my father discovered is much larger and really looks man-made several times a year Yonaguni is hit by violent typhoons in April 2015, an earthquake of Magnitude 6.8 shook the island. The threat of a tsunami is always present, so the islanders live in a state of permanent alert. Yonaguni looks like a besieged fortress.

The inhabitants of Okinawa practice unique funeral rights. The round tomb symbolizes the mother's womb when returning to it. The deceased are completing the cycle of reincarnation In Okanawa all generations are buried in the same grave. We must preserve this tradition. This grave will be the final resting place for me, my two children, and their children after them. I think it is very important that we continue as a family even after death. that we all stay together I believe that each element of culture has a soul we must transmit this heritage once a year the men of yonaguni launch the sabani a sacred boat to thank the gods for their past blessings and ask their fishermen ancestors for their future protection and intrepid travelers ventured far from the archipelago aboard these unstable, difficult-to-steer ships Hiiro has mastered the art of steering the savanni the weather has finally calmed down Shoto and his father head to the underwater site to continue their research Kiro Pioneer in diving in the Ryuku he was the first to create a diving center here and has trained hundreds of divers now his son continues his work, take this with you, okay, let's just go to the Stone Throw of the human world, we find strange creatures and somewhat threatening standing guard.

One of the most enigmatic places in the world. Some people think that these are the ruins of a long-gone civilization, so sophisticated scientific techniques such as carbon-14 dating have shown that a few thousand years ago this site was above water. It is now widely accepted that the foundation is natural. but for many observers its shape was modified by the hand of man between 6 and 10,000 years ago with its east-west orientation ditches basins regularly spaced holes stairs and geometric sculptures this 180 M long vision is potentially the largest discovery ever made testimony of An extremely advanced Civilization that predates even the time of the Pharaohs, this place is actually very serious.

We had several archeology experts here from abroad and we also had Japanese geology professors who came to study the site, but why is this here? We do not know. We do not know it yet. I don't know exactly what it is, I hope other teams will come and do the necessary research to one day solve the mystery of history and tradition, the soul of the Yonaguni islanders. It takes a long apprenticeship to master the traditional Okanawa dance form, a discipline that is both a spiritual exercise and a martial art. In feudal times, only the elite had the right to carry weapons, so peasants raised their sides to defend themselves. the hat was used to hide the sword and also serves as a shield yonaguni is a land outside time Shalo returns to enjoy the peace and tranquility of his childhood home an island with a wealth of treasures the rare and expensive Yaky is a seafood endemic to the island, it looks good, would you like to try it?

You're eating it without sauce. Is it okay, yes, is it okay? This is Japan, this is Okanawa and it's also something else. It's almost like a foreign country. Here we speak our own language. This place is unique. Yagi is very competent in a dangerous and little-known discipline. He is the ice climbing champion of Japan, right, I'm a little strange, normal people go shopping, go to the movies, meet other people, have jobs, lead a normal life, a simple life without ups and downs, but I'm a little special, that's why I climb ice. this is how i do it so Nai has abandoned the comforts of a conventional lifestyle to pursue his passion to the point of completely remodeling the interior of his home.

I used to work in an office so every morning I put on my suit I took the train I made myself a Bento but I'm much happier now NAA is preparing an expedition to a little known and dangerous climbing site nature scares me sometimes It's like I'm going to meet a very strict new boss oh On Japan's main island, Honu, the weight is heavy. The overcrowded valleys are surrounded by magnificent mountains with peaks over 3,000 m. The Japanese Alps rise like walls against the bustle of human activity. Suggests in the region of Nagano Passes, a well-kept secret that only the most expert climbers dare to face Ed Hanam, an experienced mountaineer who is an expert in ice falls. 12 years ago, this Australian fell in love with Japan and the mountains around it.

It's the end of winter and ice is becoming rare with the mild weather. Certain ice falls have melted and what are they doing? Do you think the condition is good or not huh, I don't think it's good anymore. I think the ice on the top section maybe okay, it's not, it's still thin, but it hasn't collapsed yet, but the things that look good when we get there might No, I'll let you go alone, no, me too I'm afraid, I'll stay still, C, there, so most people that's their idea of ​​hell, not their idea of ​​fun, and if you're attracted to things like danger and strategy, plan and carry a heavy backpack that ice climbing is perfect you know you can feel all your emotions at once Ed Ed this is very difficult you can do it Ed and I are determined and persevere in our search for the ice, but the conditions are particularly Bad today mother nature is not giving us making easy.

I don't know if it's good or not. I can't actually see the waterfall. It's here somewhere. I was there before I could hear the waterfall. Which is not good. going on wet ice is always a difficult place it's always a gamble the weather is always against you the season is always short um half the danger is just getting there somehow climbing the ice is just a small part so on the days where it doesn't work, I don't really worry about it, so there are only two things in the world that I think are true, one is quantum physics and the other is the spirits of the mountains and today, yes, the spirits of the Mountains just say no and quantum physics will do it.

Explain it a different way, that's how it is, it's all part of ice climbing. D it na and Ed will have to make the most of their time, they will return in the next cold snap if the mountain spirits are willing, the truth is that I am. I'm always afraid I'm afraid of ice I'm afraid of nature I'm afraid of people I don't have enough confidence in myself I worry so I started ice climbing to combat that I hike in the mountains I think about myself my life That scares me too because means facing myself at 31 na is at the top of her discipline she has been able to face her doubts to reach the top of an extremely demanding sport for a long time I don't see how she is doing great thank you, understand that taii and her ancestors ​They have been the Guardians of the Yatsugatake Shelter for four generations.

They used to bring supplies on foot. Now this little custom van saves them hours of hard work even though it only walks at a speed of 6 km per hour. The Tyi Shelter is a base camp for climbers for which it is known. its unusual structure of artificial ice, the Ice Candy. I bought it at the Sai Olympics. I participated in a climbing demonstration so that ice climbing can become a recognized discipline while representing Japan. I stuck the flag on my helmet and after that. I kept it. I know many climbers who would like to have one like this.

Ice Candy is a place to train and organize meats in relatively stable conditions. It is rebuilt every winter and offers a variety of climbing difficulties. It looks good here now. It's your turn oh it's cold in the 70s thanks to new tools and techniques ice climbing revolutionized mountaineering and opened the way to new conquests on routes that could not be imagined before the competition is much more recent the World Cup of climbing in Ice was only created in 2000 and has already participated in 20 international championships Sports have allowed me to achieve what was impossible before I became a better person Climbing has led me to evolve, okay, let's try again Always I overcome my limits I fight with myself I fight against nature but I also resort to its Strength to move forward and never give up the country has 27,000 Hot Springs for centuries these have been part of the daily life of the Japanese they believe that they purify the mind and body rest training and a healthy diet are essential if you want to do a good climb when you climb on ice your fingers and feet freeze your back gets stiff you are always climbing in very cold places the best way to relax is to warm your body in an onson then you are ready to return to ice in the Shinto religion suin is the god of water associated with all his earthly and heavenly manifestations there are gods wherever I go the gods let me know that they are always present that they are watching me they are challenging me one of the main characteristics of the religion Shinto is a great respect for nature, divinities exist in all their aspects, the role of the priest is to harmonize the relationships between humans and the forces of the universe because for Japanese mountains they are not simply mountains, they are also the abode of numerous gods, climbing is not simply a sport when a Japanese climbs a mountain is to approach the G to grow in body and soul mountaineering in Japan began as a path to spiritual awakening the gods have answered the prayers of Naand we're offering you this last chance to tackle a frozen waterfall before winter ends.

Danger is always present in natural climbing places, there are ice and rock falls, but also avalanches from extreme cold, injuries caused by sharp climbing equipment. So many dangers and always in isolated places nowadays the life expectancy is very long while the competitive years are very short, so now I am concentrating on climbing Natural Ice. I put myself in the hands of Nature. Ice and mountains have many faces that always change. It is always a new encounter, as we say here. in Japan Ichigo an encounter can change your life and that's what I like ounce means demonic drummers in Japanese for 46 years it has also been the name of a group of virtuoso musicians who play traditional Japanese drums The Tao is nuto kinoshita is the youngest member of Koza for 3 years has been running every day as an integral part of the troop's daily routine we go running every morning at 6 any weather wind rain typhoon or snow we run regardless of oz members follow a code of particular life the SOA kuron a philosophy that combines music and running running every day allows us to forge the physical and mental strength that characterizes unza the lifestyle Sook Kuran and the Tao have given meaning to the life of naoto they say that the Taos are Entirely handmade, true works of art, the skills needed to make them date back several centuries.

It takes 5 years to produce one of these drums, from carving the wood to fitting the head, changing heads alone can cost over $10,000, so proper maintenance is of utmost importance. the drums have to be taken to the shop every 5 years to tighten them each jack exerts 3 tons of pressure 24 tons in total St you should feel a difference between here and here is the middle ok so jump like you are trying to pierce the hide it sounds better here these are natural environments I am looking for the place where the drum resonates best The troop founded in 1969 by Den tayasu now led by matsuda began with a handful of young enthusiasts attracted by the founders' vision of community life and ready to take on the Tao and elevate it to a form of art this drum weighs around 60 kilos this one around 70 this 80 kilos our largest drum weighs 360 kilos in ancient times the drum had religious or simply festive military functions but it had another function it also determined the geographical limits of a town how much The farther the sound reached, the larger the territory, which explains the very large drums.

The members of unoa are recognized for their musical talent but also for their very high athletic condition. The effort required during a concert is equivalent to 42 km of a marathon. They have done entire tours where they ran from one concert to another during a tour of the United States they ran a total of 15,000 km they have also participated in several big races, in particular the Boston Marathon, we installed the Taos at the finish line and then, as soon as we crossed it, we played again in China, we clocked more than 2,000 500 km in 3 months, we ran about 30 km every day, 7 days a week once.

Yoshi had a 40° fever but ran, stopping every kilometer. I was behind him thinking he was going to die but he managed to reach the finish line. The troop lives as a community and follows a somewhat monastic lifestyle here in the mountains near Shishu in an ancient At school the children's screams have been replaced by The echoes of mantras and tyos every day Tommy Yoshi and Naruto practice tracing a mantra in Chinese characters with the left hand an exercise to sharpen your concentration the text was not a random choice carries the symbol of your aesthetic way of life, this mantra contains an idiogram that is quite common C, it is a very interesting character, It can mean emptiness, it is present in several words, for example, in the word airearme it means everything that we cannot see but that exists. that's what K means to me, no it's not that, it's double time, oh, double time itself.

The Tao is pretty simple, you hit it and it makes a sound, but if you want to get a big, fast, clean, nice sound, it takes hours of practice to master. technique is absolutely right Yoshi is the most experienced drummer this virtuoso has been playing for over 25 years. It's hard to grasp the rhythm, let's simplify it. I feel a kind of fear because every movement I make creates a sound. I want to make an effort. To test my limits, only by practicing every day can I improve my performance and improve myself. Okay, that's enough. I live in a community, so I'm almost never alone.

My moments of solitude are important to me. They are very valuable. ounce we make our own drumsticks because not all our arms are the same length because we don't have the same hands the same strength we prefer to have our own custom-made drumsticks making our own tools allows us to deepen our self-knowledge the onoa troop was born from the desire to maintain Long live the ancient traditions in Japanese culture, the boundary between art and craft is imperceptible in Shishu. They built the crystal clear water of the Ogawa River to produce paper of exceptional quality following techniques that date back 1,300 years. how to make it, oh that's it, yes, just like that, this sturdy paper is used for making kites, lanterns and for calligraphy, a treasure classified as intangible cultural heritage since 2014.

Thank you, we will use it to make posters for our Matsuri . Please come if you have time. WR Matsuri is big here every year at the spring equinox, the community holds open houses during a Matsuri folk festival. It's like music, each person has their own tempo. I'll write Ona, okay, the Matsuri is also one of the rare occasions when musicians can visit their families the opportunity for nuto to introduce Tao to his niece I don't know how to do it my work and my personal life are inextricably mixed my life is always the same I never take a break other people I know they have a normal job they have a vacation they can have a family I am happy for them and that is enough for me thanks to their community lifestyle the members of onoa have achieved such harmony on and off stage an almost telepathic symbiosis the motto of the company Geno ilogu means pushing your limits I really don't know my limits, the ones my brain recognizes are not the real ones.

I think there is still a lot of strength stored somewhere. I'm trying hard to take advantage of those last few resources to reach my true limit, but as I keep pushing. keep going back I I