A Train Ride Into Japan's Past

Kyushu is said to be the wellspring of Japanese civilization. Yet few tourists visit the southernmost of Japan's main islands. This documentary contrasts modern Japanese cities with traditional customs in the countryside. The rail journey begins in Fukuoka - a city with a metro population of 2.5 million - and ends at the southern tip of the island, in the city of Ibusuki. As the train rolls along, it travels through time - and reveals the amazing diversity and contrasts of the most southerly of Japan's four main islands. The trip provides spectacular landscape views, as well as deep insight into a foreign culture, and its ancient traditions and modern lifestyles.