Cycle Around Japan (2014)
Season 12
Come ride with us! Bicycle through the scenery of Japan, stay with locals and discover hidden traditions in a Japan you didn't know existed.
Released June 7, 2014
Episode 47 min
2+
Genres: Documentary
Keywords: tmdb.travel, tmdb.cycling, tmdb.japan
Production Companies: NHK, NHK World-Japan
Network: NHK
S12E1 - Shiga - From Lake to Mountains
Shiga Prefecture, site of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is home to centuries-old crafts like Shigaraki ware and Wana velvet. We explore an island in the lake by tricycle before climbing into the mountains.
Jan. 18, 2025, midnight
S12E2 - Ibaraki - Passion for Tradition
In Ibaraki Prefecture, we explore how local wisdom has been passed down to the present day. We visit a town famous for organic farming, see how traditional silk fabric is made, and experience catching icefish.
Feb. 15, 2025, midnight
S12E3 - Yamaguchi - Where Kindness is King
On the islands and coast of the Yamaguchi end of the Seto Inland Sea, we experience a warm welcome in these hard-working small communities, poor in amenities but rich in happiness and human kindness.
March 15, 2025, midnight
S12E4 - Japan's Northern Alps - Life-Giving Mountains
On an early spring ride around the base of this extensive mountain range, we meet an artisan making traditional snowshoes, a family making salmon trout sushi, and villagers picking medicinal herbs.
May 24, 2025, midnight
S12E5 - Kumamoto - Blessings of Ancestry and Nature
In Kumamoto, we meet people who cherish their ancestry and nature, such as a traditional inlay artisan, a group passing on the history of the building of an embankment, and a brown cattle breeder.
June 21, 2025, midnight
S12E6 - Izumo Highway – A Road That Builds Bonds
We travel the Izumo Highway, which has been used since ages past, and meet people who value human connection, such as a magatama jewelry artisan and a pro wrestler learning farming in a village.
July 19, 2025, midnight
S12E7 - Osaka - Boundless Passion for Life
We explore Osaka, a prefecture known for its great cuisine. We meet a couple who fish for daggertooth pike conger (hamo), which taste great in summer, a farmer growing juicy eggplants, and much more.
Aug. 23, 2025, midnight
S12E8 - Colorful Cultural Charms
In this special series, we cycle Taiwan! In episode one, we visit Taipei and the west coast and explore cultural features like a tea famous for its distinctive aroma and beautiful rush weed craft.
Sept. 20, 2025, midnight
S12E9 - CYCLE AROUND TAIWAN - A World of Indigenous Wonders
The second episode of our Taiwan series features indigenous cultures in the south and on the east coast. We meet a Rukai man preserving the forest and Bunun people with a stunning choral tradition.
Oct. 18, 2025, midnight
S12E10 - CYCLE AROUND TAIWAN - Into the Future, Together
In the third episode of our Taiwan series, we travel to Taiwan's south to meet vibrant, energetic families, like one that grows unique vegetables, and another which farms dragon tiger groupers.
Nov. 22, 2025, midnight
S12E11 - Noto – A Resilient Peninsula
We cycle the Noto Peninsula, hit by a major earthquake in 2024. We visit a temporary morning market where people who lost their shops sell goods, and a salt-maker keeping traditional methods alive.
Dec. 27, 2025, midnight
Network: NHK
Episode Runtime: 47 min.
Season Runtime: 4648 min.
Released: June 7, 2014
Last Air Date: Nov. 22, 2025, midnight
Next Air Date: Dec. 27, 2025, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: TV-G / 2+
Rate this show
Add {Movie} to static lists