Season 2

In this episode, we embark on a winter journey from Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, to Kyoto. In the ancient capital, we celebrate Setsubun, one of the spring festivals. Lake Biwa functions as a vital reservoir for cities such as Kyoto and Osaka, supplying drinking water to around 15 million people across the Kansai region. Along its shores, people have long enjoyed a distinctive way of life shaped by the lake’s abundant waters. Setsubun marks the day before the start of spring in Japan. We will visit an historic temple in Kyoto and take part in a special ritual designed to purify away the misfortunes of the past year and ward off disease-bringing evil spirits for the year ahead.