On "Journeys in Japan," our reporter Julian Carl Crocker ventures to Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, about 400 kilometers north of Tokyo. Ishinomaki prospered as a fishery town, but recently has become known for promoting Japanese comics. Manga City-Ishinomaki was developed in homage to local manga legend, Shotaro Ishinomori (1938-1998), through the joint efforts of fans and fellow artists. Ishinomori had long dreamed of creating a town where people were exposed to manga on a daily basis.

In this edition of "Journeys in Japan," we visit the Goto Islands, in the East China Sea off the west coast of Kyushu, southwest of Japan. Our reporter, American actress Haruka Orth, travels to Fukuejima, the largest of the Goto islands, to meet the people there and find out about the way they live.

This week's "Journeys in Japan" focuses on the small factories that helped to lay the foundation for Japan's postwar manufacturing prowess. Our reporter Adeyto visits four factories in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Tokyo, to meet craftsmen whose products are in demand all around the world, and to discover their skills and artisan spirit.