WEBVTT

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So here we are at the top of Yamadera Risshaku-ji Temple completed in 860.

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There is no more beautiful spot than this one in autumn

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an amazing view overlooking Yamagata Prefecture.

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And at the top of 1015 steps lies a public Japan

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Post box and a man who has to climb these

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steps almost every day to pick it up.

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[Music]

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Irasshaimase (welcome)

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Only In Japan (voice of Peter von Gomm)

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I jumped on an E3 series bullet train

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the Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo

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for the 2 hour 45 minute ride north

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the morning mist exciting me

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for the adventure at hand today.

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Yamadera north-east of Yamagata City in the

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mountains is a gem for off-the-beaten-path

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travelers, especially beautiful in autumn.

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Close to the JR station is an over

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1000 step stairway hike to the ancient

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Risshaku-ji Temple or Yamadera which

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is directly translated at mountain temple.

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And at the top besides the temple

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serving the residents and tourists

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alike is a red Japan Post box

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With pick-up time 11am six days a week.

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I always wondered who climbs up here to

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pick it up, that's over 12,000 steps each week.

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A real workout.

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(music)

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And I found the man who has a most scenic

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and one of the most challenging postal

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routes perhaps in all of Japan.

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This is Sasahara San who has been on

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this route for several years.

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He parks at the Yamadera Post Office

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and then hikes up the same as tourists.

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Autumn here is warm in the afternoon sun,

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chilly in the evening perfect hiking temperature.

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When you're carrying mail and packages and

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have to climb up a mountain it's a long way.

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Well, it's not that far away.

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Just 20 or 30 minutes to climb up.

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The temple was founded in 860 nearly 1200 years ago.

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An ancient hike that now has well-maintained

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stone and cement steps to the top.

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We'll end the episode at the stunning

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Godaidal observation deck and an autumn

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view of the mountain town below.

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It does look much more difficult

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from street level though.

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(music)

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11:59am

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We start the climb from under the torii gate.

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The real climbing in the forest starts here at

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the temple gate. Admission for non postal

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workers is 300 yen, open 9 to 5 daily.

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Oh really?

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Take it step by step, but you have to

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stop and look around. There's no reason to

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rush it even when you have a postal route.

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Yamadera is one of the big attractions of

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Tohoku. It's really nice to get out of the city.

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The steps up here have a lot of character

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built around the ancient rocks that give

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you a chance to look around

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say hi to the other travelers.

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There aren't that many people in the early

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mornings and near closing time

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the best time to visit and climb.

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We passed the Midahora Rock,

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worn from centuries of weather resembling

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a figure of Amida Buddha.

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We took a break at the halfway mark

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and I asked Sasahara San what

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Yamadera's attraction is to him.

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[Laughter]

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Aaahhh.

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The climb up is easy today - no packages.

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But sometimes he does have to bring them up.

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12:09pm

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This is Niomon Gate, a scenic spot

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to cross from the forest to the

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opening top of the mountain.

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The Yamagata fall colors seem to start

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a month before Tokyo.

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(flute music)

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From we start to enter the mountain-top

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village where only a handful of people

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actually live. Even without any roads

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to drive up, mail needs to be picked up

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and dropped off like every small town

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around the country.

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"Here we go."

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The view is also easier to admire.

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We're about 300m above sea level.

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The mail must be delivered no matter what.

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So it is true almost nothing stops the Post Office.

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We've reached the public mail box.

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Sasahara San makes another delivery.

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We've got more work to do before picking

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up the mail from the public post box.

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(dog barking)

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One resident was happy for the visit

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OK!

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As we move to the digital world,

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it's good to remember that these daily

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interactions also become more important too.

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The delivery of mail - that human connection -

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important in remote areas.

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We quickly visited the main hall,

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Daibutsuden, and made our way back

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down to the post box.

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12:32pm

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There doesn't seem to be a lot of

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mail to pick up today.

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You could see that a lot of people

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stop to watch us pick up the mail.

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(laughter)

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Seeing someone whose job it is to walk

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up the path so often that some tourists

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struggle with is also an attraction,

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especially for Japanese visiting Yamadera for

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the first time.

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I suppose in a way, Sasahara San is

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a connection between the world on the outside

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and the spiritual world atop the mountain.

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It would make quite an interesting anime.

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We walked down past Neomon Gate,

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a slice of everyday life in Japan perhaps

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the most intertesting way to see the stunning

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attractions in the heart of Yamagata.

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The trip down is much faster than the trip up.

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You notice the different view, the sun setting,

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changing the direction of the light through the trees.

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(spirited orchestral music)

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The whole trip from post office from top

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to bottom took about an hour.

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12:57pm Post Office reached.

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A lot of Japanese hikers say hi,

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take selfies with Sasahara San -

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a lot of respect for the guy who has to do

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his duty up and down the trail every day.

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And there are a lot of things he'll miss.

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(laughter)

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Good.

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1:12pm Sasahara San is off.

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There are more stops on his route

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in the surrounding mountains delivering mail

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until his retirement in a couple of years.

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I went up for a quick climb again to visit

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the most scenic spot, the Godaido

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Observation Deck at sunset.

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It said that those who ascend the steps

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1015 to Okunoin Temple at the top,

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forget the outside world as they ascend.

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They transcend into something greater.

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And when you walk around, make sure you look around

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'cause it's just stunning.

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Between three and 4pm there were fewer people

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on the steps. It had a much different feel.

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The Godaido Deck, Pavilion of the Five Masters,

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when the lighting is right, is one of the most

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incredible views of Japan.

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It feels surreal when you have it all to yourself

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just the sound of the wind, trees and maybe the

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local train passing by at the bottom in town.

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25 years ago when I first came to Japan,

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I remember coming up to Yamadera around that time.

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And more than the view around me, I was

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impressed with this.

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Who has to climb those stairs and pick and deliver

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the mail almost every day? Sasahara San.

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And it was really special to get a chance

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to see him at his job.

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These are the kind of stories I like to bring you

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on this channel, and if you liked it, hit that

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subscribe button and join me on

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another adventure as I take you to

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every corner of this amazing country.

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Mata ne.

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(temple music)