Hosted by Yoshizumi Ishihara and Kotaro Koizumi, the TV Asahi variety show "Japan Exploration Academic Variety: Tuesday's Yoshizumi Kotaro" (Tuesdays at 7 PM) teaches visitors about the wonders of various famous places in Japan, including World Heritage sites and hidden gems. On February 3rd, in a two-hour special, the pair will visit Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage site in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. They will learn about traditional culture and enjoy the spectacular scenery and gourmet food in Shirakawa-go, said to be the most beautiful place of the year in winter.
Shirakawa-go has been home to people for over 300 years, since the Edo period, in "gassho-zukuri" buildings. The two take in the panoramic view of the townscape from an observation deck 600 meters above sea level. Koizumi, who is visiting Shirakawa-go for the first time, is amazed, saying, "It's amazing that so much has survived."
When Koizumi commented that "it looks like it would be cool and comfortable in the summer," Ishihara shared an episode from when he and his wife visited in the summer. He brought his wife there because "it would be cool," but in reality it was extremely hot, and "my wife got mad at me..." he confessed.
The two visit the Wada family home, a designated national important cultural property where people actually live and where parts of the Gassho-style house are open to the public. They learn that the hearth, an essential feature of Gassho-style houses, not only provides warmth but also smokes the building materials with smoke, enhancing the insect and rot prevention effects. In Shirakawa-go, an area of heavy snowfall, they learn about the history of silkworm farming in the attic and the production of saltwater gunpowder under the floorboards, and are impressed by the ingenuity of the people who survive in such a harsh environment.
The two also hear about the heartbreaking worries of living in a World Heritage site that attracts a lot of tourists, such as people peeking into their homes. Koizumi says that her own family home has also become a tourist attraction, and she sympathizes with the "pain of living in a place that attracts attention."
The program closely follows the work of replacing the roof, which is being carried out for the first time in about 26 years. Ishihara, who witnessed the "Yui" (bond) of all the villagers helping each other, was touched, saying, "It's really clear that they believe in the value of their village and cherish it." Furthermore, they witnessed the winter illuminations, which are only held four times a year, and Koizumi was moved by the fantastical sight, saying, "It's like something out of a picture book of Japanese folk tales."
The two also enjoy the local cuisine of Shirakawa-go, savoring exquisite dishes packed with the wisdom of the snow country, including "Suttate," a soup made from mashed soybeans, "Tsukemono Steak," made by grilling fermented and sour pickles with egg, and "Tori-chan," a specialty of the Hida region.
Also appearing on the program that day was Yusuke Uechi, a junior colleague of Koizumi's from his hometown and his best friend of 30 years. To investigate the real life in Shirakawa-go, Uechi visited the 160-year-old gassho-style Yoshiyama family home and got a close look at how they live there.
