For over 350 years, the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, has been renowned as a center for traditional culture. Rosa Yum visits the city and attends an annual event, Kanazawa Touryoue, that showcases the local craftsmanship and cuisine. One of the representative crafts of this region is Kutani-yaki, a style of pottery known for its vibrant colors.

Allan West discovers the depth of flavors in the Shonai region - from Italian cooking incorporating heirloom local vegetables to traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine (shojin ryori) featuring wild greens foraged from the nearby mountainsides.

David Bull travels to Shirakami-sanchi, in northern Japan. Nature guide and botanist Hajime Makita takes him around. Shirakami is recognized for its primeval broadleaf forest of mostly beech trees. David experiences the heartbeat of this vast, undisturbed forest. He later enjoys swimming in a beautiful river, just outside the preserve. David alights at Fukaura-machi in Aomori Prefecture where the water from Shirakami-sanchi flows into the sea. He observes the deep ties of Shirakami-sanchi with the sea.