S5 · E1: Nishiarai - The Beating Heart of a Temple Town

Koishikawa is a residential area in the city center that is home to a botanical garden and a temple associated with the Edo shogunate. As we explore, we discover a legacy of printing and bookbinding.

Shinagawa is home to a major train terminal used by 500,000 people a day. We explore a historic lodging area, an old garden with abundant nature, and more as we unravel 1,000 years of history.

We take a trip to Sapporo, the city that served as a base for the development of Hokkaido. Learn the history behind its central river and see how locals are now working to restore wild salmon runs.

Okachimachi is an area just north of Akihabara renowned for its jewelry district. Its story involves Buddhist craftspeople, American servicemen, and more recently, communities of foreign artisans.

We head past the Scramble Crossing into historic backstreets, where we find an upscale residential area, a former geisha quarter, and a leisure district that paved the way for modern-day Shibuya.

The Kinshicho and Kameido area is an urban subcenter in eastern Tokyo. We go in search of celebrated scenic views, savor local flavors, and learn how a network evolved into a logistics hub.

Join us as we explore Sendagaya, an area nestled between Shinjuku and Harajuku. It's home to sports facilities, venues for Noh theater and the board game shogi, and hundreds of apparel makers.

Jimbocho's famous secondhand book district is home to stores carrying everything from old academic texts to manga. Join us as we trace its history as a college town and spotlight new initiatives.

Home to musicians, comedians, writers, and more, Koenji is known as a subculture hub. Join us as we explore its shopping streets and countless alleys and learn the origins of its maze-like layout.

Join us for a stroll around Shirokane, a town nestled on the edge of a plateau. We visit a luxury residential area, then explore lowlands home to skilled workers and old-school shopping streets.

Akabane is a hub in northern Tokyo known for its drinking scene. We discover its roots as a riverside lodging town and explore a plateau where a housing complex now sits on former military grounds.

We visit Tachikawa, a major hub in western Tokyo. Once home to a historic airfield that later became a U.S. military base, the town is known today for a vast national park and colorful art district.

Shimonoseki is situated along the Kanmon Straits, which have long served as a key shipping lane. Join us as we learn how the city has had a front seat to several turning points in Japanese history.

The 8 km-long Meguro River has long supported the lives of people in the southwest of central Tokyo. Come along as we discover how its tumultuous history mirrors the evolution of the city itself.

Tsukuda and Tsukishima sit on reclaimed land at the mouth of the Sumida River. We take in the old-town charm, discover a legacy of fishing and industry, and savor monjayaki, a local comfort food.

Nagoya is a major urban center situated between Tokyo and Osaka. We marvel at the city's ultra-wide roads and grid-like layout and learn how its laid-back charm was shaped over the centuries.

Home to blueberry farms and open gardens, Kodaira is a suburban getaway that offers a taste of rural living. We learn about the efforts of early settlers to bring life to what was a barren landscape.

Tama New Town is a vast residential development in western Tokyo. Once the object of admiration, its aging population has become a social concern—but residents are now stepping up to help one another.

Ikebukuro is a transit hub used by 2 million people a day. We explore the west side and learn about its educational roots, postwar black markets, entertainment district, and Chinese community.