1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,440 The sun rises on Japan. 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,320 More than 6,000 islands on the edge of the Pacific. 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,880 Life here is at the mercy of Earth's most powerful elemental forces. 4 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,040 From the wilds of the frozen north. 5 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,280 To the subtropical warmth of the south. 6 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:40,960 Animals along this chain of islands 7 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,960 have had to adapt in unique and sometimes bizarre ways. 8 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:52,920 Throughout this land, 9 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,440 people have developed an extraordinary relationship 10 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:57,960 with the natural world. 11 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,400 Trying to capture its fleeting beauty. 12 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,520 And tame its spirit. 13 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,160 But these islands remain wild, 14 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:19,440 mysterious 15 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:20,880 and magical. 16 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,480 This is Japan. 17 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,080 There's a corner of Japan 18 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,040 that's a world apart from the rest of the country. 19 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,760 It's the northernmost frontier. 20 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:54,880 This island endures a brutal winter that locks the land in snow and ice. 21 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,240 The animals that live here would look more at home in Siberia. 22 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,480 All life is ruled by the changing seasons. 23 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,520 Summers are brief 24 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,800 and autumns dazzle. 25 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,360 This is a land of tough animals and hardy human souls. 26 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,840 Sometimes you need to build unlikely alliances 27 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,720 to survive on Hokkaido, Japan's wildest island. 28 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,040 An Ussuri brown bear is patrolling the Shiretoko Peninsula, 29 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,640 in the extreme northeast of Hokkaido. 30 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:22,200 It's September. 31 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,520 She's waiting for a bounty that comes this way every autumn. 32 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,240 Tens of millions of Pacific salmon are gathering off the coast. 33 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,840 Soon they'll swim inshore to spawn. 34 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,040 And that'll bring them within snatching distance 35 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:42,240 of the female bear. 36 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,040 She needs to put food in the mouths of her two young cubs. 37 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,400 There's a bitter winter coming, 38 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,480 and if they're not well-fed, her cubs won't make it through. 39 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:22,800 This is a hard place to be a mum. 40 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,280 The family is not alone. 41 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,760 This peninsula is home to 200 brown bears. 42 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,360 It's one of the most densely-packed populations in the world. 43 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,880 The salmon bonanza has attracted others here, too. 44 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,160 Nobody lives permanently in this remote part of Hokkaido. 45 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,840 But one hardy group have special permission 46 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:18,240 to stay here for some of the year. 47 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,040 Hokkaido is Japan's second-largest island, 48 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,680 but the harsh conditions mean it's home to only 4% of its people. 49 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,640 Shiretoko is one of the loneliest corners, 50 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,680 where you have to live close to the wild. 51 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,840 Brown bears can weigh 300 kilos, 52 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:53,240 and are not to be messed with. 53 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,760 When bears and humans cross paths, things can get dangerous. 54 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,760 But here, something astonishing has happened. 55 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,120 For the fishermen, bears have become a part of everyday life. 56 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:26,280 It takes some nerve, but the men live alongside them as equals. 57 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,000 Tough characters, side-by-side, 58 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,040 both dependent on the salmon run. 59 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,720 The mother bear knows what she's doing. 60 00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:47,160 Survival is in her blood. 61 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,520 Her ancestors came to Hokkaido from Siberia. 62 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,280 And they walked here. 63 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,040 12,000 years ago, Hokkaido was joined to the Russian mainland. 64 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,560 Siberian animals colonised it, 65 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:11,200 before the sea levels rose, turning Hokkaido into an island. 66 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,120 It's why the wildlife here is so different from the rest of Japan, 67 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,880 and so well equipped to face the coming winter. 68 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,000 By the end of September, 69 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,360 it's getting colder in the heart of Hokkaido. 70 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,240 The forests are starting to glow. 71 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:59,520 The intense colours are created by the warm days and cold nights 72 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,000 of Hokkaido's autumn. 73 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,040 It's one of Japan's most beautiful natural displays, 74 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,560 and the forest fills with visitors. 75 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,360 Every autumn, more than a million Japanese tourists 76 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:16,840 travel to Hokkaido. 77 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,600 Vivid autumn leaves are called koyo. 78 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,120 In Japan, people have been making special trips to see them 79 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:28,600 for over 1,000 years. 80 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,720 And, because it's so far north, 81 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,760 Hokkaido is the first place where koyo appears, 82 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,200 hustled in by the chill of an early autumn. 83 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,160 It's a fleeting display. 84 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:01,480 There's barely two weeks to catch the best koyo before it vanishes. 85 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,600 And soon, the fair-weather tourists will disappear too. 86 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:17,400 For those who can't leave, 87 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,000 it's all about preparation for the winter to come. 88 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:25,600 On the forest floor below, 89 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,120 animals are hurrying to make the most of autumn. 90 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,360 Siberian chipmunks. 91 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,480 They came from Russia too. 92 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,880 Like the brown bear, their ancestors were marooned 93 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:43,760 just here on Hokkaido. 94 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,720 To survive the winter, 95 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:59,200 chipmunks need to have a good kilo of nuts stashed in their burrows. 96 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:10,800 It's a lot to find. 97 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,040 Competition is intense, and chipmunks are feisty. 98 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,120 This chipmunk has been collecting nuts for months. 99 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:39,840 But the forest is full of thieves. 100 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,440 The red squirrel is three times heavier than the chipmunk. 101 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,920 But this little guy punches well above his weight. 102 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,800 He shoves the squirrel off his patch. 103 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,680 And then, back to the job in hand. 104 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,960 He can cram eight acorns into his cheeks in one go. 105 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,840 That means fewer trips to the burrow, 106 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,720 and fewer chances for thieves to follow him. 107 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,960 With the nuts off-loaded, there's one last task. 108 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:04,120 To make it through winter, he'll need leaves to insulate his home. 109 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,200 For the next four months, 110 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,400 temperatures here will plunge below zero. 111 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:18,400 Ready or not, the chipmunks will soon have no option 112 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,000 but to retreat underground. 113 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,520 Every one of Hokkaido's inhabitants 114 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,200 has to deal with the island's seasonal extremes. 115 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,320 And that includes some extraordinary life-forms 116 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,040 that live at the bottom of a lake. 117 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,120 They may look like mossy boulders, 118 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:53,080 but these strange balls in Lake Akan come to life when you speed up time. 119 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,760 This spinning seems miraculous. 120 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,120 After all, these aren't animals, 121 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,760 but an incredibly rare form of algae found nowhere else in Japan. 122 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,320 They're called marimo. 123 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,760 Or, in the local language, "marsh monsters". 124 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,680 They can live for decades, and grow bigger than a basketball. 125 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:44,040 The marimos' dance is caused by Hokkaido's elemental forces. 126 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,040 The mountains funnel winds towards the lake. 127 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:59,480 The resulting waves spin the marimo, shaping them into spheres. 128 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:04,760 But, if the waves are too strong, it can be disastrous. 129 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,960 Washed ashore, larger marimo collapse under their own weight. 130 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,160 Battered by waves, they disintegrate. 131 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,280 But marimo bounce back. 132 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,160 Next spring, 133 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,160 these fragments will start growing into a host of new balls. 134 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,440 Snow on the hilltops is a warning that autumn is nearly over. 135 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:49,680 It's October. 136 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,440 To the east, on the remote Notsuke coastline, 137 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,520 a battle's about to start. 138 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,840 This alien landscape is stark, 139 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,680 even for Hokkaido. 140 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,640 Nobody lives here, 141 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,600 but all summer long, 142 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,720 trawlers have been busy catching prawns off the coast. 143 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:43,680 Now, the fishermen are packing up and shipping out 144 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:45,320 before winter arrives. 145 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,600 But others are made of tougher stuff. 146 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,280 Sika deer live here year-round. 147 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,200 Right now, they're gearing up for the most important event 148 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:05,440 in their calendar. 149 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,400 This stag has built up a harem of females. 150 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,680 He can't hang about. 151 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,320 A harem in heat is a magnet for other males. 152 00:16:55,640 --> 00:17:00,080 The dominant stag has no choice but to go and meet his rival. 153 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,680 It's the newcomer that's won. 154 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:11,200 He has the pick of the females for now. 155 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,200 But it won't be long before other stags move in to challenge him. 156 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,720 Many males are so exhausted 157 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,600 they just won't make it through the winter. 158 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,400 But at least some will leave a legacy. 159 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,280 The females are pregnant. 160 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:36,760 They'll need all their resilience to survive the lean months of winter. 161 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,080 40 miles to the north, back on the Shiretoko Peninsula, 162 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,080 the mother bear is trying to feed her cubs. 163 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,040 Pretty soon, they'll have to go into hibernation. 164 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:11,480 They'll be holed up together for five months without food, 165 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,320 so it's vital they lay down fat reserves now. 166 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,120 The salmon have arrived. 167 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:36,720 By watching underwater, 168 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,120 the mother bear tries to get a head-start in the chase. 169 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,880 Just offshore, 170 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,000 the fishermen have also been rewarded for their patience. 171 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,360 On Hokkaido, you have to grab every opportunity 172 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:13,800 that comes your way while the good times last. 173 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:28,320 Now the mother bear's finally got her eye in, there's no stopping her. 174 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:09,200 The cubs still have a few weeks left to bulk up before hibernating. 175 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,360 In December, winter arrives in force. 176 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,640 A colossal mass of freezing air barrels in from eastern Russia. 177 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:30,600 Crossing the Sea of Japan, it picks up enormous amounts of moisture 178 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,760 which it drops onto Hokkaido as snow. 179 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,120 Over a metre of it can fall in a single day. 180 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,320 The freeze intensifies in mid-winter. 181 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:09,560 By February, sea ice closes like a fist around the coast. 182 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,320 Nowhere else in the northern hemisphere 183 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,720 does sea ice reach this far south. 184 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,840 Hardy animals travel 1,000 miles 185 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,040 just to reach this frozen wasteland. 186 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,160 The Japanese call them owashi. 187 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:41,680 Steller's sea eagles. 188 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:47,520 CHIRPING 189 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:50,000 In winter, they fly in from Russia 190 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,640 and join other birds eking out a living on Hokkaido's coastline. 191 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,920 The sea eagles rule this roost. 192 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,800 They're the heaviest eagles in the world. 193 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,160 CHIRPING 194 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:10,800 The birds are surrounded by the ghostly hulls 195 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,440 of abandoned fishing boats. 196 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,120 Winter has grounded the ocean-going fleet. 197 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,600 But a little ice isn't enough to stop Hokkaido's fishermen. 198 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,680 They venture out onto the surface of a frozen lagoon. 199 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,760 And the eagles follow their every move. 200 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,240 This band of brothers has been ice fishing for over 40 years. 201 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,440 And for Mr Takahashi, the eagles are a lucky sign. 202 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,480 The fishermen have built a relationship with these birds. 203 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,920 It's a two-way thing. The nets are bulging 204 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:43,920 and some of the catch is for sharing. 205 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,640 As the brothers make their way across the ice, 206 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:08,920 the Steller's sea eagles move in. 207 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:10,360 SQUAWKING 208 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,720 White-tailed eagles enter the fray. 209 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:18,440 SQUAWKING 210 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,520 On the ice, the boldest, brashest eagles do best. 211 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:54,400 Huge flocks of black-eared kites join the party. 212 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,320 They're only a tenth of the weight of the eagles. 213 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,720 But what they lack in stature they make up for in bravery. 214 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:21,400 In spring, the Steller's sea eagles will fly back to Russia, 215 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,640 fuelled by the fishermen's generosity. 216 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,720 Hokkaido's winter is a force to be reckoned with. 217 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,360 2,000 metres up, on the peaks that tower over the island, 218 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:39,520 nothing moves. 219 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:55,760 Even on the lower plains, the farmland is locked in thick snow. 220 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:05,120 WIND ROARS 221 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,680 This extreme season tests even Hokkaido's 222 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,480 most adaptable inhabitants to the limit. 223 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,000 CAWING 224 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,000 But a remarkable group of people lived through 225 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,440 thousands of winters here. 226 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,680 Hokkaido was home to its own indigenous inhabitants... 227 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,360 ..the Ainu. 228 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:46,000 Their ancestors came from the mainland, just like the brown bears. 229 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,320 These hunter-gatherers were well in tune with the natural world. 230 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,320 They lived for millennia on Hokkaido 231 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,880 before Japanese traders arrived, over 800 years ago. 232 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,920 In time, the traders became conquerors. 233 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,040 Since then, the Ainu way of life has almost disappeared. 234 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,400 But the animals they worshipped still survive. 235 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,200 CHIRPING 236 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:38,240 The Ainu revered red-crowned cranes as gods of the marshlands. 237 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:48,480 To modern Japanese, these birds are symbols of beauty and long life. 238 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:51,720 SQUAWKING 239 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:01,080 Hokkaido is the only place in Japan where red-crowned cranes still live. 240 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:09,840 But settlers' farms have swallowed up the wetlands 241 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,080 where they used to hunt for fish and insects. 242 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,160 In these fields, pickings are slim. 243 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,960 Last century, there were fewer than 30 cranes left in Japan. 244 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,200 It looked like they might disappear altogether. 245 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:38,400 CRANES CALL OUT 246 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:47,200 But salvation has come from a small group of farmers. 247 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,560 They don't just tolerate the cranes, 248 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,040 they go out of their way to help them. 249 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:00,880 Throughout the winter, 250 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,880 they brave sub-zero temperatures to feed these giant birds. 251 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,200 Over 100 hungry mouths gather every morning. 252 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,840 Thanks to these hand-outs, 253 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,960 the red-crowned crane has fought back against extinction. 254 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,040 Hokkaido is now home to nearly 1,000 birds. 255 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:43,600 CRANES CALL OUT 256 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:51,000 Whenever cranes get together, no matter what time of year, 257 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,400 they put on a show. 258 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,040 CRANE CRIES 259 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:57,840 It starts with a song. 260 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:06,200 CRANES CRY OUT 261 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:13,360 And then a dance. 262 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:31,440 Cranes often pair for life, and this ballet is key to that bond. 263 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,720 But perhaps there's more to it than that. 264 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,520 It seems that dancing is something that cranes simply enjoy doing. 265 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:02,120 Thanks to their own tenacity, and human help, these enormous, 266 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:05,680 irrepressible birds have survived to dance another day. 267 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:13,400 And on Hokkaido in deep winter, survival is the name of the game. 268 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,120 The Ainu people call the Shiretoko Peninsula "the end of the Earth". 269 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:34,160 In winter, this northerly outpost becomes a snowy wonderland, 270 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:35,920 and even more isolated. 271 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,920 Brown bears are asleep beneath the drifts. 272 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,160 But sika deer have nowhere to hide. 273 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:57,120 Instead, they rely on their own extraordinary resilience. 274 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,560 Pregnant bellies make for awkward snow ploughs, 275 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,400 but the females take the drifts in their stride. 276 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,760 Their favourite foods, bamboos and other grasses, are buried. 277 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,440 But these are the toughest deer in the world. 278 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:25,480 And they're prepared for everything winter can throw at them. 279 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,920 Blizzards bury the deer's food deeper and deeper. 280 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,040 So they look in high places. 281 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,200 They'll even get by on tree bark. 282 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,400 It's just enough to keep hunger at bay 283 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,640 while they live off their fat reserves. 284 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:20,040 But even in this bitter winter, there are a few places where 285 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,640 Hokkaido offers some unexpected comfort. 286 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,920 All across this icy island, there are hot spots. 287 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,200 Hokkaido has 20 active volcanoes. 288 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:51,480 And in places, hot gases escape from deep underground, 289 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:53,800 melting holes in the snowy landscape. 290 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:03,640 Hokkaido is alive and breathing. 291 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:13,000 Lake Kussharo is all that remains of a colossal collapsed volcano, 292 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:14,840 seven miles across. 293 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:24,200 At the end of winter, 294 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:28,760 the lake is a lifeline for migrating whooper swans. 295 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:41,280 It's a warm oasis in the middle of a frozen desert. 296 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:48,760 A thermal spring keeps this patch of water warm and ice-free. 297 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:54,520 SWANS HONK 298 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,960 Most swans only use the lake for a layover before continuing to 299 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:03,360 warmer parts of Japan. 300 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,160 But a few have learnt to save themselves 301 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,720 a journey by spending the whole winter here. 302 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,520 SWANS HONK 303 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:38,120 This is the perfect place to strengthen old relationships, 304 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:39,800 and make new ones. 305 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,600 The swans will stay until the spring allows them 306 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,440 to return to Russia to breed. 307 00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:01,840 They don't have long to wait. 308 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:09,000 It's April, and there's another great seasonal change on the way. 309 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,120 From winter to summer, the temperature can 310 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:19,160 swing from 30 degrees below zero to 30 above. 311 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:27,480 For Hokkaido's frozen inhabitants, the thaw can't come soon enough. 312 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:38,360 The Shiretoko Peninsula is released from the grip of 313 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:39,280 sea ice. 314 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:49,600 By May, everybody on Hokkaido reaps their reward for seeing out 315 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:50,600 the winter. 316 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,760 The island bursts into life. 317 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:15,120 Spring is short, there's no time to waste. 318 00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:24,120 Farmers race to make the most of the growing season. 319 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:37,160 Over the last century, Japanese farmers have transformed Hokkaido. 320 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,440 Half a million tonnes of wheat are harvested every year. 321 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:52,640 The most fertile parts of the island look more like rural England 322 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:53,840 than wild Japan. 323 00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,720 And all this greenery is irresistible. 324 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:08,520 The sika deer have started creeping into the lush cultivated fields. 325 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:11,240 It's a whole new world. 326 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,360 These fields are brimming with specially-sown grass, 327 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:35,560 intended for cattle. 328 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,800 But this herd always seems to be one step ahead, 329 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,960 helping themselves to the best grass before it can even 330 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:47,160 be cut. 331 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:55,120 Every year, deer can munch their way through over 332 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:56,960 £30 million worth of crops. 333 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:03,880 But some farmers have developed a live-and-let-live attitude. 334 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,920 The deer are reaping the benefits of Hokkaido's human landscape. 335 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,320 In a place like this, it pays to be adaptable. 336 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:32,840 In the warmth of early summer, the red-crowned cranes have moved into 337 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:34,520 the farmland waterways. 338 00:41:37,720 --> 00:41:39,840 And they have a new family member. 339 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:47,360 They traditionally nest in marshes, but most have been drained. 340 00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:55,920 So the cranes are raising their chick in an irrigation channel. 341 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:06,320 All through the summer, 342 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:10,280 the chick will be entirely dependent on its parents for food. 343 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,920 The channel is teeming with insects, fish and frogs. 344 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:22,680 But the parents 345 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:26,320 can barely keep up with their gangly offspring's appetite. 346 00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:42,160 The family won't be able to move on until the chick can fly. 347 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:52,640 In the meantime, they can't escape from surprise visitors. 348 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,280 The sika deer have managed to wander right into the path of a pair 349 00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,160 of cranes with a week-old chick. 350 00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:11,720 CRANE CRIES OUT 351 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:27,880 Mum and Dad work together, to shepherd the chick to safety. 352 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:36,680 And then, a quick flash of the dagger-like beak 353 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:39,280 to make sure the deer keep their distance. 354 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:45,200 CRANE CACKLES 355 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:56,160 The parents' diligence has paid off. 356 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:01,040 Their priority now is to feed their chick while times are good. 357 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:14,880 All Hokkaido's inhabitants 358 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:19,080 must rush to make the most of the short summer. 359 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:34,320 Once the island blooms, some of the busiest workers fly into action. 360 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:39,120 BUZZING 361 00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:45,720 European honeybees. 362 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,040 People brought them to Japan more than 100 years ago. 363 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:58,520 They're much more docile than the native bees. 364 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:05,000 Every summer, Mr Seo brings his hives to Hokkaido. 365 00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:28,960 Mr Seo and his travelling bees have found paradise here. 366 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:40,320 In July, Hokkaido becomes positively Mediterranean. 367 00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:47,680 While the rest of Japan swelters in a sticky summer, 368 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,680 Hokkaido enjoys warm days and cool nights. 369 00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:58,320 It's the perfect place to grow flowers. 370 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:07,320 For a time, Hokkaido brims with tourists who've come to soak up 371 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:09,800 the beauty of this man-made spectacle. 372 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,160 Their love of nature has drawn them 373 00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:17,960 from across Japan and East Asia. 374 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:28,240 But Hokkaido's summer is short. 375 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:35,520 Soon, the blooms will fade and the tourists will go home. 376 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,440 It takes a certain resilience to live here year-round. 377 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:57,400 Mr Seo doesn't stay for long. 378 00:47:19,720 --> 00:47:23,720 By September, Hokkaido is already sliding into autumn. 379 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:31,880 Leaves that only grew a few months ago are changing colour 380 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:33,080 and dying off. 381 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:40,960 Hokkaido never stands still, its seasons rush by. 382 00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:51,360 This hostile frontier has long been a place that tests 383 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:52,360 life to the limit. 384 00:47:55,320 --> 00:47:59,280 But its extraordinary inhabitants are more than up to the challenge. 385 00:48:02,240 --> 00:48:06,320 And they've discovered that by forging new alliances, they can deal 386 00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:08,120 with everything that the toughest 387 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:10,040 corner of Japan can throw at them. 388 00:48:22,240 --> 00:48:23,520 All across Japan, 389 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:26,080 from the mountains of the heartland... 390 00:48:29,120 --> 00:48:30,480 ..to the southern seas... 391 00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:37,080 ..people still celebrate its unusual nature 392 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:39,560 and fleeting beauty. 393 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:48,840 Japan may be one of the busiest places on Earth, 394 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:51,720 but the connection with the wild 395 00:48:51,720 --> 00:48:53,520 still runs deep. 396 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:12,840 The wildest part of Hokkaido is the Shiretoko Peninsula. 397 00:49:14,320 --> 00:49:16,520 It's remote and mysterious, 398 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:20,760 one of the last true wildernesses in Japan. 399 00:49:26,720 --> 00:49:29,400 After months of negotiation, 400 00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:32,080 cameraman Graham MacFarlane has a special permit 401 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:34,000 to enter Shiretoko National Park. 402 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:40,800 He's come here to film brown bears and their salmon-hunting techniques. 403 00:49:42,720 --> 00:49:47,080 Shiretoko means "the end of the Earth", 404 00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:48,920 so it kind of feels like that. 405 00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:55,120 I've never specifically gone to film, um, brown bears 406 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:58,560 so I'm very excited but also a little bit nervous. 407 00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:03,040 I, I don't really know how these animals react to humans, 408 00:50:03,040 --> 00:50:04,800 how they behave. 409 00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:06,560 A journey into the unknown. 410 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:15,160 Right from the start, the signs are promising. 411 00:50:17,240 --> 00:50:19,680 Oh, yeah, oh, fantastic. 412 00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:22,760 Hopefully that's not the last we're going to see of them. 413 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:31,040 This is the end of the road, a small base used by seasonal fishermen. 414 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:40,160 There's no hotel here and Graham's not going to risk a tent. 415 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:46,320 So, my bear-proof living quarters, my van, 416 00:50:46,320 --> 00:50:49,880 and, uh, it's actually very cosy 417 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:53,720 and it feels very safe, too. 418 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:56,840 Goodnight. 419 00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:13,040 Well, I've just woke up, it's about five o'clock. 420 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:20,640 That's pretty amazing, I can actually see a bear 421 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:24,640 sat on the rock on the shore waiting 422 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:26,520 to fish, from my bed. 423 00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:31,560 There's no time for a lie-in, Graham needs to get to work. 424 00:51:39,720 --> 00:51:42,840 The first morning and there are the bears. 425 00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:47,200 Wow, there's another one there. 426 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:54,680 There's loads about. 427 00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:58,360 And they're not shy. 428 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:06,080 She's coming right up to the car. 429 00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:10,840 Should I put my window up? 430 00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:19,400 She could certainly get her paw through the window. 431 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:25,400 Until Graham can get to know these bears, 432 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:27,400 it's better to be safe than sorry. 433 00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:34,720 His main mission is to film a salmon hunt. 434 00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:43,920 But the bears aren't fishing, so Graham can focus on getting 435 00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:46,320 close-up underwater shots of the salmon. 436 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:56,080 To help him, he's called on his friend, cameraman Daisuke Semiya, 437 00:52:56,080 --> 00:52:59,720 who's got a simple idea for how to reveal the beauty of the fish. 438 00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:05,200 This time just first experiment, so, yeah, let me see what happens. 439 00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:06,640 OK, cool. 440 00:53:06,640 --> 00:53:09,480 It requires an underwater camera, a phone... 441 00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:11,440 So you're going to attach it to the end of this? 442 00:53:11,440 --> 00:53:13,400 ..and an improvised pole. 443 00:53:13,400 --> 00:53:15,920 I think it's a curtain rail, isn't it? 444 00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:18,000 It'll do, you know. 445 00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:19,560 Yeah, Japanese technology! 446 00:53:19,560 --> 00:53:21,800 That is, that, genius, that's cool, man. 447 00:53:24,280 --> 00:53:26,360 By hooking the phone up to the camera, 448 00:53:26,360 --> 00:53:28,760 they're hoping to monitor shots of the fish. 449 00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:31,960 Just, I love it, the simplicity. 450 00:53:41,360 --> 00:53:42,960 That is amazing. 451 00:53:48,200 --> 00:53:49,280 Oh! 452 00:53:52,080 --> 00:53:53,080 Great, it works! 453 00:53:54,920 --> 00:53:56,160 Semiya's ingenuity 454 00:53:56,160 --> 00:53:57,200 has paid off. 455 00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:00,240 Oh, fighting going on. 456 00:54:00,240 --> 00:54:01,680 Wow! 457 00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:03,720 Now Graham's filmed the salmon, 458 00:54:03,720 --> 00:54:06,360 he can turn his attention back to the bears. 459 00:54:10,880 --> 00:54:13,320 They're still not hunting. 460 00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:16,800 Instead, they seem more interested in checking out something else... 461 00:54:18,720 --> 00:54:19,960 ..the fishing base. 462 00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:30,680 Nowhere else in the world are people so relaxed around brown bears. 463 00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:42,880 It's a unique relationship that's developed over time. 464 00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:50,160 Mr Ohse has been working here for over 50 years. 465 00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:53,640 In the early days, attitudes 466 00:54:53,640 --> 00:54:55,120 to bears were very different. 467 00:55:07,200 --> 00:55:08,520 But over time, 468 00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:12,360 the fishermen realised there were easier ways to deal with the bears. 469 00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:28,600 The relationship has strengthened over the decades. 470 00:55:45,920 --> 00:55:48,880 All the same, the situation can take some getting used to 471 00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:50,200 for new recruits. 472 00:56:04,520 --> 00:56:07,480 It's advice that Graham's trying his best to follow, 473 00:56:07,480 --> 00:56:10,200 as he continues his quest to film a hunting bear. 474 00:56:14,960 --> 00:56:18,520 But there's one situation that is dangerous. 475 00:56:18,520 --> 00:56:20,800 Getting between a mother and her cubs. 476 00:56:26,320 --> 00:56:28,800 And this cub's coming far too close. 477 00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:33,080 The mother bear could be anywhere. 478 00:56:43,120 --> 00:56:44,600 There she is. 479 00:56:46,440 --> 00:56:50,480 The bear family are reunited, so Graham can set up the camera. 480 00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:55,560 It's very close. 481 00:56:55,560 --> 00:56:59,480 I could, um, I could smell her, she glanced at me, I glanced at her. 482 00:57:01,200 --> 00:57:02,920 Finally, the hunting begins. 483 00:57:09,280 --> 00:57:13,520 Over the next few days, Graham gets the shots he needs. 484 00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:23,520 It's a rare view into their private lives. 485 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:42,640 And the team discover that it's not just 486 00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:44,720 the bears that accept their presence. 487 00:57:46,200 --> 00:57:47,120 Wow! 488 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:53,560 The normal rules between man and beast don't seem to apply in 489 00:57:53,560 --> 00:57:55,160 this strange, lonely place. 490 00:57:56,600 --> 00:57:59,400 Actually, it's been a complete success, we've got 491 00:57:59,400 --> 00:58:01,760 everything we came for and more. 492 00:58:01,760 --> 00:58:02,840 I didn't think in 493 00:58:02,840 --> 00:58:05,640 my wildest dreams I'd film as much bears as we have 494 00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:08,480 and to be able to follow a particular bear family, 495 00:58:08,480 --> 00:58:10,640 it's just been a privilege, really. 496 00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:13,800 On the Shiretoko Peninsula, 497 00:58:13,800 --> 00:58:17,560 Graham has found a world where the normal barriers between a cameraman 498 00:58:17,560 --> 00:58:19,840 and his subjects don't exist. 499 00:58:22,480 --> 00:58:26,640 That's the magic of Hokkaido, Japan's wildest island.