Great Japanese Railway Journeys
BBC iPlayer Running Travel
Great Japanese Railway Journeys is a wide-ranging exploration of a country synonymous with rail innovation. The series starts with Michael in Osaka, he journeys from Kyoto's imperial heritage to Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, from the volcanic landscapes of Kyushu to the vast urban system of Tokyo, before continuing through the Seikan Tunnel to Hokkaido. Along the way, he explores a nation where technological innovation and long-held tradition sit side by side, using the railway to connect stories that have shaped modern Japan.
Where to Watch:
BBC iPlayer
Next Air Time: Mon, Apr 20 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
Seasons & Episodes
Season 1
15 episodes
E01
Osaka to Nagoya
Mon, Apr 13 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
28 min
Beginning 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.
E02
Kyoto
Mon, Apr 13 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E03
Shima Peninsula to Nara
Mon, Apr 13 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E04
Kanazawa to Kurobe Gorge
Mon, Apr 13 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E05
Japanese Alps: Nagano to Narai Juku
Mon, Apr 13 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E06
Kagoshima to Chiran
Mon, Apr 20 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E07
Amakusa Islands to Shin Omuta
Mon, Apr 20 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E08
Yame to Nagasaki
Mon, Apr 20 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
28 min
Michael 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.
E09
Arita to Fukuoka
Mon, Apr 20 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael arrives in the home of Japanese porcelain, Arita, where a railway line runs straight through the town's stunning porcelain Shinto shrine.
E10
Shimonoseki to Hiroshima
Mon, Apr 20 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
Michael 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.
E11
Tokyo, Part 1
Mon, Apr 27 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
28 min
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.
E12
Tokyo, Part 2
Mon, Apr 27 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
29 min
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.
E13
Tokyo to Sendai
Mon, Apr 27 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
28 min
Michael 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.
E14
Sendai to Lake Toya
Mon, Apr 27 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
28 min
Michael'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.
E15
Lake Shikotsu to Otaru
Mon, Apr 27 2026 5:00 AM GMT+0000
28 min
Michael 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.