Japan Hour: Road Trip To Hokkaido (Part 2)

(Local line) There is still a lot to see in Japan. A spontaneous trip on a local line across Japan. Let's walk freely and aimlessly. We will surely find beautiful scenery and heart-warming encounters. From the first station to the last, we'll look for places that cannot be found in the guidebook.

The locals always know the best places. So all aboard on this trip of enquiry and discovery. This time, the journey takes place on the JR Tsugaru Line, running north-south on the Tsugaru Peninsula.

From the train windows, you can see the magnificent Mutsu Bay, as well as the peaceful rural landscape. Let's get off the train at a station you've never been to and discover great places in Japan. What's right in front of us is Hokkaido. Is there any place around here that you really like? Sorry? Through enquiring the locals, our duo finds Nebuta, Aomori's summer tradition. They experience traditional local performing arts and feast on the seafood of the Michinoku region. So good! -However... -Do you have rooms available?

We're full. (A crisis!) They find themselves in a crisis as they cannot find accommodation. We have no place to stay. This has never happened in the history of this show. It's your fault that we had to take the bus both ways. We ship scallops.

-Wait! They're filming a TV show! -What's going on? What's happening? -It's so hot. -It's so hot! Filming this show is so hard! It turns out to be a hectic journey filled with incidents. -Here we go. -Here we go. They have nothing planned for the trip.

Yoo-hoo! A spontaneous two-day overnight journey. Let's start our spontaneous local line journey of enquiry and discovery. I wonder if it'll be open.

This isn't so bad. It's an experience we don't get to have very often. Let's hope that Maruhachi is open. It's getting dark. (1 hour, 3 minutes to the 9:00 pm train) It's almost 8:00 pm. They walk for 12 minutes from the station and cross the Kanita River again.

Maruhachi. -What? -Is this it? "Kappo Suehiro." It says "Maruhachi" next to it. What? See? -Doesn't it say so? -What? No, not that. I think I'm right because it says "Maruhachi" here.

It's definitely not here. -See? -It's somewhere else. (Maruhachi) Too bad. Maruhachi was closed. You can walk a lot for a girl.

Yes, it's been a good exercise. You're a good fit for this show. Thank you. It's their fourth time crossing the bridge. There are no places for dinner. No accommodation either.

-It's difficult to find them now. -Right. That place seems to be open. They're open.

-It's a bar. -Why don't we try? (Dozen) (47 minutes to the 9:00 pm train) Good evening. Is this place open? Is this place open? Is your bar open? (Welcome, we're open) -Yes. -She's gone. What did they say? It looks like a deeply local spot. What was it like? Did you ask about filming? I got scared and couldn't ask about filming. I'll go this time.

-Okay, thank you. -Please wait here. It's a bar with an interesting atmosphere. Is it possible for us to film this place? Yeah, I'm Sugimura, and I've been walking around this area.

They're having a good conversation. Thank you. What did they say? -They agreed to be filmed. -Really?

Impressive! You're impressive! -Hello. -Ma'am, we'll have about 10 people. Sorry for the trouble. -Thank you. -All right! -Thank you. -Sorry for the trouble.

-Welcome. -Hello. What is the name of this bar? It's Dozen. -You read it as Dozen? -Yes.

Not Michimae? -It means "Hokkaido is in front of us." -I see. -It's because Hokkaido is in front of you. -Yeah, in Aomori. Is that why it's called Dozen? -I see. -That makes sense. Let's drink together. I'll buy you a drink. Thank you. Do you have any food? It can be a snack.

We have some Kenoshiru (veg miso soup) if you want. What is it? -Kenoshiru soup. -Kenoshiru? Yes. -What's that? -The name sounds good. -It's a speciality of Aomori. -Is that so?

-Nice work. -Nice work. Thank you for having us. -Thank you for visiting us. -Congratulations. -What are you congratulating me for? -What? Go for it. Thank you for it.

This beer is great! Here is Kenoshiru, a speciality dish of Aomori. Normally, we cut the ingredients into smaller pieces. Is it similar to Tonjiru (pork & veg miso soup)? -No, it's not. -No? It's made with vegetables, edible wild plants, and soybeans.

It's a simmered soup seasoned with soup stock and miso paste. (Kenoshiru) Thank you for it. It's good! It's really good. -Thank you. -It's good. It has a similar taste to Tonjiru. It's something that my grandma would make.

-I'm a grandma too. -Is that so? -You look young. -Not really. We need to ask you something important.

-What is it? -Tomorrow, from Kanita, -we need to go farther. -To Minmaya. We're going to take the Tsugaru Line and go to Minmaya. Do you know any nice place? Let's see. Well...

Tsugaru-Futamata Station, a bullet train station, is going to open soon. What's around Tsugaru-Futamata Station? They've built a new Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train station. -Is the building already done? -Yes. It's a great station. Thank you. We'll visit Tsugaru-Futamata Station. -That would be good. -You should.

(Aomori Prefecture) Our duo decides to go to Tsugaru-Futamata Station tomorrow. (Tsugaru-Futamata Station) -Thank you. -Thank you. -I really appreciate it. -Take care.

-Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. The bar cannot be an entry as they didn't go there based on a recommendation, but they still got a great piece of information for tomorrow. (9:00 pm) Our duo couldn't find accommodation at Kanita Station, so they take the last express train back to Aomori Station, the first station. It was around 9:30 pm that they arrived at Aomori Station. -We're back to the start. -Ta-da!

Ta-da! This is just like our lives. Do you think so? You advance and you go back to the beginning. -It's like, "What is going on?" -True.

-All right. -Okay. Let's ask. Our duo secures rooms at a business hotel near Aomori Station. (Narration: Fumitoshi Sano) We'll stay here. Please wait, Mr Taizo.

I want to confirm the time we're leaving tomorrow. Okay. We'll take the first train from Aomori Station, which is at 6:20 am. -What? -Yes. If we miss the train that leaves at 7:07 am from Kanita... -The next one would be at 11:21 am. -If we take that train,

we won't have time to film at all tomorrow. So let's leave this hotel at 6:00. We need to take the 6:20 am train.

Let's meet here at 6:00. (Aomori Station) On the journey on the JR Tsugaru Line, our duo advanced to Kanita Station and found five entries on the first day. But they had to go back to the start as they couldn't find accommodation.

(Nogiwa Park, Nebuta, Okunai Port, Tamamatsu Beach, Nippamaru) (The second day) -Good morning. -Good morning. (6:00 am) -Let's go. -Okay. -Okay. -It's too early. I know it is.

We need to hurry. -Our train is at 6:20 am. -I don't like that serious voice. Let's start again from Aomori Station. I have a sense of deja vu. (3 minutes to the 6:20 am train) We don't have time, Mr Taizo.

We made it. We made it. All right. (6:20 am) The second day of the journey on the JR Tsugaru Line begins now. (Aomori Prefecture) The JR Tsugaru Line runs through the Tsugaru Peninsula, Aomori Prefecture.

It's a local line with 18 stations in total and a route distance of 55.8 kilometres. Their goal is to enquire local residents and make an original guidebook with 10 entries. They can only have a timetable and a map to help them. After Kanita Station, there are fewer trains. At some stations, trains don't come for up to four hours.

-For four hours? -Right. This isn't a dream, Mr Taizo. The train is still empty. The time limit for today is at 6:00 pm as they need to go back to Tokyo tonight.

(Kanita Station) In about 30 minutes, they arrive at Kanita Station, where they stopped yesterday. This train only goes as far as Kanita Station. Our duo transfers trains and heads to Tsugaru-Futamata Station, which is three stops away. It's this way. Is that so? I want to eat something delicious.

Me too. I imagine there will be a wonderful seafood market where they'll have a morning market, where we can eat fresh scallops. -For the Minmaya-bound train... -I'll say, "It's delicious."

It's the one-car train that we took yesterday. So is it this way? All right. Goodbye, Kanita. Goodbye, Kanita. (7:07 am) This is where their day truly begins.

Thank you for waiting. Nice. The air is fresh. It really is.

After the rural landscape, a tunnel of trees lies ahead. We're on a train, but it feels like -I'm running in a forest. -Look at this. This is incredible. This is exciting. Getting to see this view is a luxury.

Is that the bullet train station? Is that it? It's huge. It's impressive. It's not open yet. I know.

Once you go through the mountains, you'll see this great station. I see something that looks like a roadside station. Great. I'm glad. After a 24-minute train ride, our duo arrives at Tsugaru-Futamata Station. (Tsugaru-Futamata Station) (7:31 am) Here we are.

Look at this. (Aomori, Tsugaru-Futamata, Minmaya) If you're a train enthusiast, you'll know that this is a very rare train. (4 hours, 14 minutes to 11:46 am train) I wonder how close we can get to the station.

Our duo visits the Hokkaido Shinkansen Station recommended at the bar. This looks impressive. Are we sure we can enter this part? Impressive.

Are you sure? This is for Hokkaido Shinkansen? Incredible. This is crazy. These tracks go all the way to Hokkaido. Impressive. Amazing. We don't usually get to stand here, do we? Never.

(Scheduled to open in March 2016) The Hokkaido Shinkansen line is planned to partially open in March 2016. Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station here is the northernmost bullet train station on Honshu. Construction work is currently underway...

and test runs are also being conducted. Yoo-hoo! What do you think? It feels nice. It goes all the way. -Is that so? -Yeah. It's strange, isn't it? The tracks go on and on. That's true. They go on and on forever.

Yeah, forever. The sixth entry in the guidebook, Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station, which is scheduled to open next spring. (3 hours, 57 minutes to the 11:46 am train) Since they still have four hours left before the next train, our duo visits the roadside station. -Are they not here yet? -It opens at 9:00. We still have over an hour.

In that case, let's look for people to enquire. There are not many people out yet. No. It's still 8:00 in the morning. Let's look for a place to visit around here. Why don't we ask them? Good morning.

We want to promote nice places in this area on national TV. Is there anything? It can be a spot with a nice view or good food. You should go to that place... Arama in Okawadai. There's that school.

-Arama? -Yes. They attach a horse on themselves. It's a festival where they take the reins and dance.

-Is it that way? -That is... Exactly. There is a place where they store their tools for it. What is the place called? Well... What is the school's name? That school? Former Okawadai Elementary School. -Former Okawadai Elementary School. -It might be called Arama no Sato.

(Aomori, Tsugaru-Futamata, Minmaya) Okawadai Station, where Arama no Sato is located, is the next station. (Okawadai) Thank you very much. -Thank you. -Bye.

I would like to find something that's closer. -Is there anybody? -It's 9:00 am, and the roadside station is now open. Our duo will look for more information about Arama. Excuse me. Can I ask you something? It's more than 3 kilometres away.

More than 3 kilometres away? -It's that far? -Yes. I see. I wanted to see Arama. You can rent bikes here. -Really? -We have five to six electric bikes. I think we can go see Arama if we go there by bike.

-Do you want me to call them? -Could you do that? The storekeepers offered to call the place. They're filming a TV show. Is that okay? She's doing everything for us. They accepted the filming request. -Thank you very much. -Thank you for your kindness. What is Gapparamochi? Gapparamochi is a rice cake made on a large griddle, where batter is poured and cooked in large batches.

They say "gappara" when they flip it. That's why it's called Gapparamochi. I see. -Is this a speciality? -They say "gappara"? Yes, they say "gappara." I'll take one.

Yeah, let's try Gapparamochi. They haven't had breakfast yet. I didn't know that.

It's rice cake. (Gapparamochi, 100 yen) -How is it? -It's rice cake. Yes, that's what it is. (Sasamochi, 100 yen) Ms Tanaka has Sasamochi.

It's red bean paste mixed with rice cake? -That's right. -Sweet bean paste is mixed in. It's good. -Why don't we rent the bikes now? -Sure.

Let's do that. This is really good. Yes, it is. I see the bikes.

The rice cakes gave them energy, so now, they'll bike to Arama no Sato. (Imabetsu Town bike rental, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, free of charge) This is nice. It's very comfortable. They bike for about 10 minutes. This is the elementary school.

Nice. Where should we park? Here's Arama no Sato Museum. Hello. -Hello. It's hot, isn't it? -Yes.

-Hello. -Hello. -Hi. -Thank you for having us. -Hi. -Hello. -Hello. -Thank you for having us. -Hello. -Sorry for the commotion. -Can we come in? -Sure, come on in.

This looks impressive. -This used to be an elementary school. -In the past? -Did the school close? -Yes. -How long ago was that? -Eleven years ago. -The school was closed 11 years ago. -It was closed.

We have a local art form called Arama. Well... We have a preservation association for it. We borrowed drums and costumes from the town hall and display them here.

-Do you have time? -We have a lot of time. -You have a lot of time? -Yes, a lot. I'll call the female dancer now. That would be great. We dance in pairs. I see.

-We can't do it alone. -I see. These are for kids. Using the former Okawadai Elementary School building, which had closed down, Arama no Sato Museum opened 11 years ago. They display materials and tools related to a local art form called Arama. We've been waiting for you.

-Hello. -Thank you for coming. The female dancer arrived despite getting a call at short notice. Have you been doing Arama for many years? For 40 years. Really? -Forty years? -You're an experienced dancer.

I've been doing this since I was 20 years old. You have a lot of experience. I'm 60 years old. What? You look young. You don't look 60. Do you get that often? Great! This is exciting! (JR Tsugaru Line) On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the JR Tsugaru Line...

(Tsugaru-Futamata Station) our duo gets off at Tsugaru-Futamata Station and visits Arama no Sato Museum. Sir. Great! This is exciting! Actually, I... -Look at you! -Thank you.

I actually play the drums. -Really? -I'm good at playing the drums, but this is my third time performing Arama. I watch it very often, -so I roughly know how it goes. -Is that true? -I've been watching this for decades. -I see.

I see. -Do you say anything? -Do you know what they say at Nebuta? No. Please tell us. -Rassera... -Rassera... Rassera, rassera. Rasse rasse rassera. -Rasse rasse rassera. -Rasse rasse rassera.

-Rassera, rassera. -Rassera, rassera. -Rasse rasse rassera. Rassera... -Rasse rasse rassera. Rassera... A man dresses as a horse and a woman pulls its reins. They jump up as they dance.

Wow, impressive. Arama is a dance for good harvest that has been passed down generations for about 400 years. As a local art form, it's recently been performed at Nebuta Festivals around this area. Impressive! -Bravo! -Bravo! -We continue to dance for 2.5 hours. -That was a lot. -For 2.5 hours? -For 2.5 hours?

We all take turns. We take turns. Mr Taizo, why don't you try it? -Can I? -Go ahead. -Do you want me to take your jacket? -It's fine. It's quite heavy.

-It's heavy. -Here you go. It's heavy? -Here you go. -Why don't you put that on, Ms Tanaka? You mean it? Okay. Our duo tries Arama. -All right. -Let's do this. -Come on! -Okay.

-Could you play the music? -You know... -Just follow her. -Okay. -All right. -Okay. Here you go. Okay, one...

Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Fifteen, sixteen. -Jump up! -Okay.

More! Soon! -Here we go. -Here we go. That was great! What do you think? What do you think of our Arama? You'll need three more years. The seventh entry in the guidebook, Arama no Sato Museum, which features a traditional dance with a 400-year history. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -Thank you.

They go back to the station by bike. They still have a lot of time. We made it! (1 hour, 11 minutes to the 11:46 am train) They'll ask for recommendations for lunch at the roadside station. Around this season, there is a seafood restaurant called Shinkomaru in Takanosaki. This is it.

The owner is a fisherman. He serves set meals like sashimi using the fish he catches himself. They have different raw fish and sea urchin bowl during this season.

-Sea urchin bowl? -That sounds good. If you go toward Takanosaki, today, you'll be able to see the Tsugaru Peninsula, the Shimokita Peninsula, and Hokkaido all together. Why today? -Because the weather is nice today. -I see. When it's foggy, you can't see them. -From where can we see them? -From Takanosaki.

Get off at Imabetsu Station, -and then get there by car or bus. -Car? -Bus? -Are there buses? From Imabetsu Station... They were kind enough to confirm the bus timetable for our duo.

If we take the 12:06 pm bus, -we'll get there at 12:23 pm. -12:23 pm. -Perfect. -How would you get back? -To come back... -We'll need to go back to Imabetsu. Yes, we'll go back to Imabetsu Station. Takanosaki.

Takanosaki. 3:54 pm. -3:00? -3:54 pm. We'll arrive at 4:11 pm.

Thank you very much. Finally, we can have some seafood. -I hope we can go there. -Let's eat a lot of food.

Also, we'll be able to see Hokkaido and the Shimokita Peninsula. (Aomori Prefecture) Mr Taizo looks very excited now. Our duo gets two recommendations and heads to Imabetsu Station. Hi.

No matter how many times I see this train, I always get excited. (11:46 am) Passing the fast-paced construction of the Hokkaido Shinkansen line, the Tsugaru Line train travels through the countryside at a slow pace. I live in Tokyo now, but eventually I want to move back to my hometown. -You're from Hokkaido, right? -Yeah. My hometown looks like this. Is that so? This is normal for me.

I see. -Do you feel calmer? -Yes. On the other hand, Ms Tanaka is from Saitama. I get jealous when people say that they feel at home whenever they go to a place like this. Really? Places like Aomori or Hokkaido...

If I marry someone from one of those places, that place would become my second home. I want to marry someone who is from a place like this. Really? As they talk about that, the train arrives at Imabetsu Station. (Imabetsu Station) Where do we pay? -Do we pay over there? -This way? It's for two people.

-We took it from Tsugaru-Futamata. -Thank you. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -Excuse me. Hello. -Sorry for the commotion. -There are many people here. -Look at the timetable. -We wanted to take the 2:52 pm train, -Yes, but...

but it's impossible, considering the bus schedule. So we'll take the train that leaves at 5:02 pm. We'll take this to Minmaya.

Here comes the bus. Considering the time of the return bus, they will skip the next train. They have three more entries to find. They want to find as many entries as possible at Imabetsu Station. (12:06 pm) What? Sorry for the commotion.

Five minutes after leaving on the bus... -We can see Hokkaido. -Really? Can we see it? -That's Hokkaido. -That's Hokkaido? I didn't know it was that close. (Hokkaido) So that's Hokkaido.

-That's Hokkaido. -Impressive. I didn't know you could see it so clearly. Did you often swim to Hokkaido in the old times? What are you talking about? I thought they'd say, "I used to swim there when I was young." Once they come to the coastline, Takanosaki, their destination is close. -I see Shinkomaru. -I see it.

-Great! -Thank you very much. They arrive in about 20 minutes. We're here. -Takanosaki. -This is a great place!

-It says "sea urchin bowl" on the banner. -I see it. (Sea urchin bowl) It's lunchtime. -It's crowded. -There are so many people. -There are so many people. -Yeah. It's very crowded. I wonder what they'll say. On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the JR Tsugaru Line, our duo takes a bus from Imabetsu Station to go to a restaurant by the sea.

They arrived right around lunchtime. Will they agree to be filmed? -It's crowded. -There are so many people. It's very crowded. I wonder what they'll say. Excuse me. We're filming a TV show right now. Can we film this place? -We managed to get their permission. -Where can we order? The restaurant is almost full.

Do you want our table? -Nobody is sitting on that side. -We're fine. -Take your time. Are you visiting? -Is that table reserved? -No. -Is it okay if we take it? Well... I'm glad.

All right. Do you have sea urchin bowl today? -Yes, we do. -I'll take that. -What would you like? -Sea urchin bowl for me too. -Two sea urchin bowls, please. -Yes.

I'd also like some scallops. Shinkomaru in Takanosaki is a restaurant serving fresh seafood caught that morning by the owner who's a fisherman. As a table opened up, our duo is seated at a table with a great view. This is incredible. What a nice spot! -This is the famous... -Let's eat.

Wow, so much sea urchin! This is their famous dish. I can't wait any longer. Here comes the recommended sea urchin bowl. It's made with 10 pieces of sea urchin caught in the nearby sea. How is it? So good! So good! I don't know what to do.

It's creamy. Great. Here are the raw scallops.

(Raw scallops, 500 yen) Can I put them on the rice? -Go ahead. -Sorry for the trouble. It looks good. Thank you for it. How is it? I love raw seafood! The eighth entry in the guidebook, Shinkomaru and its fantastic sea urchin and scallops. Two more entries left to accomplish their goal. We had a lot of sea urchin.

-Here's 5,000 yen. -This is very reasonable. Yes, it is. Hokkaido and... -the Shimokita Peninsula. -The Shimokita Peninsula.

Where can we see them together? You can see them over there. You can see them all. Great. Thank you very much. Once they exit the restaurant... They marked everything out here.

-Oh, yeah. -It's all marked out here. (Pacific Ocean) What's right in front of us is Hokkaido. Hokkaido is where Mr Taizo is from.

So the Shimokita Peninsula must be that way. Is that the Shimokita Peninsula? (Shimokita Peninsula) The Shimokita Peninsula is seen on the right. I didn't expect to see all of them side by side.

I'm impressed. We can go down quite far. I'll never get tired of looking at this view.

What a wonderful place! -The water is emerald green. -Yeah. We can clearly see what is underwater. Incredible. This is a 360-degree panoramic view. You're right. I'm glad we came all the way to this place.

Me too. I love this place! Me too. A spectacular view from the tip of Takanosaki. Hokkaido and the Shimokita Peninsula are rarely seen so clearly.

Our duo was lucky. The ninth entry in the guidebook, Takanosaki, a scenic spot. They have one more entry to go to accomplish their goal. How many entries have we found now? We've got nine. -We need one more. -That's right. I see it.

The bus is stopping. -It's the driver we met earlier. -That's right. I thought so. Let's get on. -They take a bus back to Imabetsu Station. -Hello.

We loved the place. It was very nice. It's almost 4:00 pm, and the next train is at 5:02 pm. Can I say something that might shock you? What is it? At Imabetsu Station, we have to wait for an hour.

-What? -We have some time. (1 hour, 49 minutes left until the time limit at 6:00 pm) The time limit of the journey is at 6:00 in the evening. Our duo will try to find the 10th entry around this station. Excuse me. Is there any place around here that you really like? Sorry? You can't get there without a car. -I thought so. -Sorry.

-No problem. -Thank you very much. They continue to enquire. There's nothing to see here. Not much? Thank you very much.

Sorry, there's nothing to see in Imabetsu. -No problem. -It's fine. Thank you very much. They run out of time and go back to the station. This isn't good.

(Imabetsu Station) Our duo came back to Imabetsu Station. They have less than an hour to go before the time limit. With one more entry left to find, our duo heads to Minmaya, the terminal station. (Aomori Prefecture) Minmaya Station, the terminal, is two stops away. It's the northernmost station on the Tsugaru Peninsula. (Minmaya Station) (5:02 pm) This is the last Tsugaru Line train that we take on this journey.

This is our last train. It makes me sad that I have to say goodbye to this adorable train. -Wow, we're so close to the water. -Amazing. (Minmaya Bay) This is Minmaya Bay, which is facing the Tsugaru Straits.

This place looks amazing. Next stop, Minmaya Station, the terminal. (Minmaya Station) The train arrives at Minmaya Station, the terminal. They need to find the last entry here, but... The station is not what we imagined. No? All right.

(5:09 pm) This is the last time. Here we go. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. We made it! (Aomori, Minmaya) Our duo says goodbye to the Tsugaru Line. They have one more entry to find. -Thank you. -Thank you very much. We need to find an entry in 45 minutes, or we'll fail. (45 minutes left until the time limit at 6:00 pm) Should we stop that car? Excuse me. Do you have a minute?

I would like to ask you something. In Minmaya, is there any place that you'd recommend? What kind of place? A restaurant? -Sure. -It can be anything. -I know of one. -Where?

There is a place called Hidezushi. -Also... -Is it open? -What is the restaurant called? -Hidezushi. It's a sushi restaurant. Great!

Is it open today? -Yes, it is. -Are you sure? -Are you sure? -Yes. -Really? -It should be open. -It should be open. -He can go and check if it's open.

No, you don't have to do that. It's fine. I'm friends with them. I'll be right back. -We'll start walking that way, then. -You can wait here.

-We'll start walking. -I'll go. -I'll go ask. -Okay. We'll head that way.

They have another wonderful encounter. There are so many similar vehicles. What? It would be great if Hidezushi is open.

Hi there! He came back from the hospital today, so he can't prepare food. -I see. -Was he sick? -That's too bad. -If you go straight for about 25 minutes... -Twenty-five minutes? -Twenty-five minutes? Yeah, if you walk.

Then, you'll get to an inn called Tappi Ryokan. -We only have 25 minutes left. -So... (25 minutes left until the time limit at 6:00 pm) -Is there anything closer than that? -No. -Thank you for everything. -Thank you. Thank you, ma'am.

They're in a crisis. We need to hurry and find people. There's nobody around. Excuse me, do you have a minute? We're asking people for recommendations around here.

It can be anything. Food, scenery, or a place. I don't know what to tell you. I see. Thank you very much. Sorry to bother you. Meanwhile, here's Mr Taizo.

Any place where we can walk within a few minutes? Do you know any place? Over there. If you walk for four to five minutes on this road, there's a place called Toshiko no Mise. -Toshiko no Mise? -Yes. -Four to five minutes on foot? -Yes.

What kind of store is it? They sell squid. -Squid? -Yeah. There's a squid shop called Toshiko no Mise, a few minutes away on foot.

Really? He kindly offered our duo a ride to the store. -Sorry for the trouble. -No problem. -Thank you. -Please take us to the squid shop. This is very helpful. Thank you very much. Do you like their squid? -I love it. -Great.

It'll be fine, then. -Here it is. -Here. Okay, I see. Is it your favourite place? Great. Thank you.

-Are you Ms Toshiko? -Ms Toshiko? (13 minutes left until the time limit at 6:00 pm) Are you Ms Toshiko? Sorry to bother you. My name is Sugimura. -Sorry. -Is it okay if we film this place? -Film what? -The squid. -Sure. -Is it okay? This is a nice place.

-You're so loud. -Yes, I know I am. I'm sorry. He recommended us to get squid. Can we please have some? -Sure. -Thank you. He's really loud. Sorry for visiting so suddenly.

She's always like that. Is that so? -This is Toshiko-style. -I see. -I see. -Don't worry.

It's fine. I'm sure her food is good. Our duo is worried about the time. They only have 10 minutes left before the time limit. Can I help you with anything? -No, I'm fine. -Okay.

You can just lightly grill the squid. Toshiko has been working in this field for 40 years. Using the squid that landed at Minmaya Port, she makes dried squid and marinated squid and sells them at this store. She only uses salt for seasoning. Does it take two to three minutes to grill? No, it takes five to six minutes. Our duo looks for the 10th entry at Minmaya Station, the terminal.

They have eight minutes left before the time limit. Does it take two to three minutes to grill? No, it takes five to six minutes. Here comes some hand towels.

Thank you. We have five minutes left, and we've got hand towels. Please keep quiet. Seriously. Nothing good comes out when you panic. You're right. Panicking doesn't help anything.

It's starting to smell very nice. It's a great aroma. Everything is done Toshiko-style. And these squid hold the key to our duo's success. (Dried raw squid, 200 yen per piece) Thank you for it.

It's so hot! Very good! It's so hot! It's hot, isn't it? So hot! It's good. -So hot. -So hot. Why are you eating it that way? -What? -What? How do you eat it? Isn't this hot for you? Tear it like that to eat it. It's hot, right? So you tear it by hand to eat it? It's good. -It's really chewy. -Yeah. We succeeded! We did it.

(6:00 pm) This is perfect. Music for the end of our filming trip. Our job is done. I'm so glad. It's so hot. The 10th entry in the guidebook, Toshiko, a store where flavourful squid is sold.

They've accomplished their goal. -Thank you very much. -Thank you. Please live a long life and take care of yourself. Let's shake hands. What is this? What? Just a finger? -She doesn't want to shake hands. -Just a finger? My hand smells bad.

-No, it doesn't. -It smells like squid. -No. -It's fine. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. She shook hands with just a finger. She really didn't want to shake hands with you.

How did you enjoy the journey on the Tsugaru Line? It was a local line that I don't normally take. It was lovely to see those one-car trains moving slowly. They were really adorable. -Nice work. -Thank you for everything. We might not talk for a while.

Finding new places through new meetings. With those many meetings, we made warm memories. To everyone who helped us on this heart-warming journey, thank you very much. Their original guidebook includes Nogiwa Park with a large lake; Nebuta in Aburakawa with a long history; a ramen shop on National Road 280; Okunai Port where scallop fishery is popular; an exciting, white, sandy beach; Hokkaido Shinkansen Station before its opening; Arama, a traditional dance; a feast with fantastic sea urchin and scallops; a magnificent view of Takanosaki; and Toshiko, who's been grilling squid for 40 years.

(Aomori Prefecture) On the journey on the JR Tsugaru Line, our travellers found 10 wonderful places through enquiring the locals. Subtitles: Iyuno-SDI Group

2022-04-27 00:49

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