Yoshino, Nara: Awash in Pink Petals

In this episode of Journeys in Japan, poet and artist Peter MacMillan visits Yoshino Town in Nara Prefecture, which many consider to be the best site for viewing cherry blossoms in Japan. On his walk up Mt. Yoshino, he passes by some 30,000 cherry trees in full bloom. These trees are not indigenous. Starting about 1,300 years ago people began planting them for religious reasons. They are still regarded as sacred. Peter comes across an annual festival related to the cherry trees, which dates back more than 1,000 years. He gains insights into why the Japanese have so much affection for cherry blossoms. Peter also stays overnight in temple lodgings to experience the beauty of nocturnal cherry blossom viewing.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows

Big Brother
Big Brother follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with dozens of high-definition cameras and microphones recording their every move, 24 hours a day. Each week, the Houseguests will vote someone out of the house. At the end, the last remaining Houseguest will receive the grand prize of $500,000.

The Red King
Smart, capable and by the book Grace Narayan was flying high as an inner-city police sergeant before being forced into a 'punishment posting' on the small, antiquated island of St. Jory. Confronted by the forgotten and unsolved case of missing teenage boy Cai, Grace quickly discovers that she must overcome scarce evidence, extraordinary local characters, and the island's strange cult history to uncover the truth. The Red King is a character-driven mystery-thriller, that combines the powerful story of a knotty police investigation with chilling, atmospheric folk-horror through the island's eerie past devotion to a pagan God called the Red King and the cult of the True Way.

Return to Paradise
Set in the idyllic, beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove, Return to Paradise is six gripping, twisting and fiendishly clever murder mysteries – all against the spectacular backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape.
Australian ex-pat Mackenzie Clarke is the seemingly golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force – with an intuitive approach to detective work, she has built a reputation for being able to crack the most impossible of cases. However, she's suddenly forced to up sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove, a beautiful, coastal paradise… and Mackenzie's worst nightmare.

English Teacher
English Teacher follows Evan Marquez, a high school teacher in Austin, Texas, who often finds himself at the intersection of the personal, professional and political aspects of working at a high school. Evan wants to be a principled person but often runs into trouble because of it.