Since ancient times, people in Japan have felt a profound veneration for the bedrock of their land. Quarried and mined, this rock has been skillfully used to create the stone walls of castles and buildings. It is also the base material for statues carved as an expression of religious faith. And in some places, there is a strong belief in the spiritual power of those forms in stone. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, we travel to 4 sites — in Okayama, Tochigi, Oita and Aomori Prefectures — to discover this deep, mysterious relationship.

In the third of our programs introducing Japan to active wheelchair travelers, Ryoko Nakajima and Shizuka Anderson explore Nagasaki Prefecture. It is one of the hilliest cities in Japan, with more than 40% of it built on hillsides. They find a community with deep religious faith and also dark memories of war. They meet with an atomic bomb survivor, and also 2 singers from Ukraine. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Ryoko and Shizuka explore the city, conquer the challenging terrain and pray for peace.