The chanoyu is a ritual celebration of tea. Isis Tyminski Perez, who studied the art for two years, visits a Japanese teashop, wagashi sweet store, and a local resident's home to get in touch with the deep tea ceremony culture in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture.

Haiku is the world's shortest form of poetry. It originated in Japan. One of the most famous haiku poets was Matsuo Basho, who lived in the 17th century. Kit Pancoast Nagamura travels to Otsu (Shiga Prefecture) and Ogaki (Gifu Prefecture), two places that Basho visited several times.

On this edition of "journeys in japan" we visit the southwestern foot of Yatsugatake, a chain of mountains extending 30 kilometers from north to south on the border of Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures. About 5,000 years ago, a prehistoric culture known as the Jomon flourished around the lower slopes. Remnants of the Jomon have been discovered at more than 300 sites in the area. Our reporter Peter MacMillan meets residents of mountainous communities, discovers their way of life, and traces the footsteps of the Jomon people hidden behind it. At museums adjacent to excavation sites, he marvels at the artistic quality of objects created by the Jomon people, such as clay figurines and earthenware vessels. He also treks through the Kirigamine plateau to reach its highest point-Kurumayama (1625m), enjoying the beautiful natural scenery on the way. Researchers believe the Jomon people visited the plateau frequently.