Season 9

The imperial steelworks established 120 years ago in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Kyushu's southern island, propelled Japan's modernization. Coal mined in the nearby Chikuho area powered this industry. We visit venerable ironworks and coal mines along the rail routes that carried the coal, and sample a bento that has delighted travelers for a century. We meet a retired mechanic who is reviving the region with railroad history and a former coal miner preserving its mining heritage for posterity.