Along the Sparkling River into the Heart of Japan

Overview

The Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture is one of Japan's most beautiful. Running for 72.1km north-south along the stream is the Nagaragawa Railway. The run takes about 2 hours and includes 38 stations. The people who live along the line have intimate relationships with the river. A highly skilled boatwright who uses ancient techniques to build wooden river ships. A middle-aged couple celebrates the river and mountain scenery at their country inn. A man refocuses his life on the river after giving up on his dream of making music overseas.