Tochigi: Secret World of Samurai and Hot Springs

The hot spring resort of Yunishigawa is associated with an historic episode from the 12th century. Defeated in the Dan-no-Ura Battle, a group of fleeing Heike samurai settled deep in the mountains of present-day Tochigi Prefecture, where they found a source of hot springs. The warriors' descendants still dwell in the town. Yunishigawa Onsen has long been beloved by hot spring fans, but it experienced a drastic drop in visitors due to rumors following the nuclear accident of 2011, in neighboring Fukushima Prefecture. But the local community rallied, turning misfortune into an opportunity to encourage and inspire people. On Journeys in Japan, model and reporter Akane Nakajima visits the village. Interested in martial arts and the way of the samurai, she tries to identify with the samurai spirit through exchanges with Heike descendants.