Onomichi lies on the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture, overlooking the tranquil Seto Inland Sea. Because there is very little flat land in the town, many of residential areas are built on steep hillsides. The town also boasts beautiful views of the sea and the nearby islands. Drawn by Onomichi's mild climate and old-fashioned atmosphere, a growing number of younger people are moving there from other parts of Japan. The town also attracts many visitors, both from Japan and around the world. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, US actor Bruce Taylor explores the town's labyrinthine narrow streets, discovering an area that is known for its friendly cats and meeting local people who are helping to revitalize the area.

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, a mere 10 years after the country opened its doors to the West. Accompanied by just one young man who served as both her interpreter and attendant, she traveled deep into the hinterland. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan is her highly praised travelogue of that journey. It is a valuable record written from the perspective of a devout Christian endowed with critical thinking, which smashed the fairytale image of Japan that had spread in Western countries. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, US writer Benjamin Boas traces Bird's footsteps, looking for vestiges of the Japan of 150 years ago. Starting from Kinugawa Onsen, he makes his way to the Aizu region and then to the town of Tsugawa, in Niigata Prefecture.