Great Japanese Railway Journeys
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Play S1 E1Michael Portillo is in Japan for a breathtaking railway journey through the country that launched the magnificent Shinkansen bullet train.
Cast: Michael Portillo
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Series 1
15 episodes
1. Osaka to NagoyaBeginning his journey in Osaka, Michael explores the artistic phenomenon of manga, takes a trip on the Shinkansen and, in Nagoya, visits the factory making the smart loo.CC28minApr 13, 2026
2. KyotoMichael travels to the cultural heart of Japan, Kyoto, the city that for a thousand years was the capital. He visits a Shinto shrine, learns about a classic of Japanese literature and meets a geisha.CC29minApr 14, 2026
3. Shima Peninsula to NaraMichael takes a luxury, panoramic Shimikaze train to the beautiful Shima peninsula. He visits Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, and encounters one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world.CC29minApr 15, 2026
4. Kanazawa to Kurobe GorgeMichael begins in the city of Kanazawa, where he goes behind the scenes of the Shinkansen operation. He discovers the history of the Maeda family and rides the exhilarating Kurobe Gorge railway.CC29minApr 16, 2026
5. Japanese Alps: Nagano to Narai JukuMichael ends the first leg of his Japan adventure on a Shinkansen bullet train, heading to Nagano, the host city of the 1998 Winter Olympics and the gateway to the Japanese Alps.CC29minApr 17, 2026
6. Kagoshima to ChiranMichael starts a journey in and around Japan's southernmost main island, Kyushu. He begins in Kagoshima, an extraordinary city which sits in the shadow of Japan’s most active volcano, Sakurajima.CC29minApr 20, 2026
7. Amakusa Islands to Shin OmutaMichael Portillo takes the ferry to the Amakusa archipelago, visits the town where missionaries brought Christianity to Japan and meets a master swordsmith in Shin Omuta.CC29minApr 21, 2026
8. Yame to NagasakiMichael visits a Kyushu tea farm and the city of Nagasaki, the only port open to foreign trade when Japan was closed to the outside world for more than 200 years.CC28minApr 22, 2026
9. Arita to FukuokaMichael arrives in the home of Japanese porcelain, Arita, where a railway line runs straight through the town’s stunning porcelain Shinto shrine.CC29minApr 23, 2026
10. Shimonoseki to HiroshimaMichael tries the deadly delicacy of pufferfish in the harbour town of Shimonoseki and visits Hitachi’s Kasado Works, where the iconic Shinkansen high-speed trains are manufactured.CC29minApr 24, 2026
11. Tokyo (1)On board a sleek Shinkansen bullet train, Michael arrives in Tokyo, one of the greatest cities on earth, with a population of 37 million in the metropolitan area.CC28minApr 27, 2026
12. Tokyo (2)Michael rides the 21-mile Yamonote line, an elevated railway that encircles the city, and visits the busiest train station in the world by passenger numbers.CC29minApr 28, 2026
13. Tokyo to SendaiMichael heads north from Tokyo to Honshu’s Tohoku region, known as the rice granary of Japan. In the city of Sendai, he learns about the disaster of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.CC28minApr 29, 2026
14. Sendai to Lake ToyaMichael’s bullet train takes him through the undersea Seikan tunnel to Hokkaido. He explores the southern port city of Hakodate, one of the first to trade with the outside world.CC28minApr 30, 2026
15. Lake Shikotsu to OtaruMichael explores the history of Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu people. At Lake Shikotsu, he enjoys a traditional meal of salmon soup and witnesses a performance of the ancient Dance of the Cranes.CC28minMay 1, 2026
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Great Japanese Railway Journeys
★ 6.0/1020261 season15 episodesEnded
Michael Portillo is in Japan for a breathtaking railway journey through the country that launched the magnificent Shinkansen bullet train.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Ben Rowland
- Created by
- John Comerford, Alison Kreps
- Cast
- Michael Portillo
- Studio
- Fremantle
Maturity rating
Not yet rated.
Audio languages
English, Japanese
Where to watch
Not currently listed on any streaming, rental or purchase service.
