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Episode 3

Joanna travels to the island of Shikoku to undertake a pilgrimage, visiting a selection of temples to gain a better understanding of Japanese Buddhism. She then takes a bullet train to the fourth of Japan's main islands; Kyushu where she finds the Henn Na Hotel, the world's first robot hotel.

Joanna travels south to Nagasaki – the site of the second atomic bomb to be dropped on Japan in 1945. She visits Shiroyama Elementary school which was the school closest to the bomb's hyper centre, and one of the only buildings to survive. Joanna meets Matsuyoshi Ikeda – a student of the school, the day the bomb dropped. He shares his miraculous story of survival.

Joanna travels south to Kagoshima and home to one of Japan's most active volanoes, Sakurajima. She witnesses a volcano drill at the local elementary school and takes to the skies in a plane, to get as close as possible to the crater.

Joanna's final destination are the islands of Okinawa where one of the bloodiest battles of WW2 was fought between Japanese and American troops. This is where the Japanese Navy made the ultimate sacrifice - committing seppuku (suicide, Samurai style) instead of being captured by the American forces. For her final destination Joanna travels to Kohama, an island whose population is famed for the longevity of its residents. She meets members of KBG84, a group of charming elderly ladies who produced a pop video that topped the Japanese charts.

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Cast Appearances

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