Journeys in Japan

With Isabella Bird — Part 6: On the Road to Biratori

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after the Meiji Era began. Accompanied by a young man who served as both interpreter and attendant, she traveled deep into the hinterland. "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is her highly praised travelogue of that journey. One of the main reasons for her visit to Japan is said to have been to write about the indigenous Ainu people living in Hokkaido. After reaching Hakodate, Isabella traveled to Biratori by horse and by rickshaw. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Tijana, a resident of Hokkaido, learns about Ainu culture at Nibutani Kotan, where an Ainu settlement has been recreated.