The documentary is about how the local residents of this village - Satoyama - live in harmony with nature. "Satoyama" is the word for a More

The documentary is about how the local residents of this village - Satoyama - live in harmony with nature. "Satoyama" is the word for a unique ecosystem wherein man and nature live in balance. Colourful fishes (carp) move about freely in the kitchen sink acting as nature's cleaning agent by scavenging on the remnants of the dinner plate. The canal water teem with life as the seasons change. The fishes caught in spring are fermented over many months to become part of a meal in November! Each shot has an artistic streak to it and a story to tell. The images and photography are breathtaking. Not only is it vibrant and colorful but also artistically creative, but many of the images of nature suggest a Zen-like simplicity. The camera lingers on bright purple, red, and green vegetables free-floating in a sink filled with the fresh spring water. As the water continually pours in from the pipe above the sink, the vegetables bump and float in an ever-changing kaleidoscope. In brief, this would probably be one of the top 10 ways to spend 52 minutes in front of the TV set.
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BBC combination of NHK's Satoyama: Japan's Secret Garden (1999) and Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden (2004) The first program More

BBC combination of NHK's Satoyama: Japan's Secret Garden (1999) and Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden (2004) The first program focuses on the agricultural cycle of rice paddies on hillsides in Japan. The second program takes a look at a traditional water-supply system called a "kabata", which not only provides water to village households but also nurtures a vast diversity of fish, insects, birds, and other creatures. Both programs offer insights into environmentally sustainable living.
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