KYUSHU, ANCESTRAL JAPAN

Sublime escapes

An episode from the series FLAVORS

Synopsis

Traveling in contemporary Japan means constantly bouncing between modernity and tradition.

Kyushu, the westernmost island of the archipelago, is a volcanic land where all the inhabitants - artisans, fishermen, farmers, or artists - associate a spiritual quest with their daily activities, which they wish to protect, preserve, and bequeath.

Often considered "Masters" in their fields, we meet Muriyama Tarao, an expert in indigo dyeing; the Soekyu family and its exquisite ceramics; or Hiro Kumamoto, a squid fisherman. They become our guides to an ancestral Japan.