Michael begins in the city of Kanazawa, where he goes behind the scenes of the Shinkansen operation. He discovers the history of the Maeda family and rides the exhilarating Kurobe Gorge railway.

Michael starts a journey in and around Japan's southernmost main island, Kyushu. He begins in Kagoshima, an extraordinary city which sits in the shadow of Japan's most active volcano, Sakurajima.