Great Japanese Railway Journeys

[Super Sonic]

Michael Portillo in Japan going on trains. Starts this evening on BBC 2 at 6:30. Starting in Osaka.

[gt40steve]

Good reminder, first of 15 episodes.

[Earthdweller]

Excellent just spotted it in time

[Super Sonic]

Episode two this evening, 6:30, BBC 2.

[Bonefish Blues]

Really good start last night I thought.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Oh I ll jump on iplayer?

Watching

Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Tuesday 14th April 18:19

[snuffy]

Indeed, he said about that when we saw him on stage a few weeks ago.

[normalbloke]

5 seem to be available, do we know when the rest land, and is it definitely 15 episodes?

[AlexRS2782]

Virgin guide indicates there being 20 episodes for the full run - as usual they're spread over 5 days and 4 weeks in total.

First 15 episodes / 3 weeks are based in Japan and the final 5 episodes / 1 week are based in South Korea.

Episodes are uploaded in the same way as previous serious on iPlayer - all 5 episodes for the 1st week are available on the Monday. The next 5 follow in the same way in week 2, then week 3, etc.

Edited by AlexRS2782 on Thursday 16th April 00:06

[normalbloke]

AlexRS2782 said:

Virgin guide indicates there being 20 episodes for the full run - as usual they're spread over 5 days and 4 weeks in total.

First 15 episodes / 3 weeks are based in Japan and the final 5 episodes / 1 week are based in South Korea.

Episodes are uploaded in the same way as previous serious on iPlayer - all 5 episodes for the 1st week are available on the Monday. The next 5 follow in the same way in week 2, then week 3, etc.

Edited by AlexRS2782 on Thursday 16th April 00:06

Thanks for clearing that up,appreciated.

[FiF]

I'd give those 6 piece Takoyaki a seeing to.

[Gin and Ultrasonic]

Thoroughly enjoying this as per most of Michael's programmes. He always seems so genuinely interested in everyone he meets.

I'm just back from a couple of weeks in Japan, and it's the most amazing place I've ever been - the culture is fascinating, and completely different to anything I've experienced before, and he's showing a lot of it, particularly the care that everyone seems to put into everything from maintaining the trains to making exquisite food. Can't wait to go back and see more!

[Ezra]

Gin and Ultrasonic said:

Thoroughly enjoying this as per most of Michael's programmes. He always seems so genuinely interested in everyone he meets.

I'm just back from a couple of weeks in Japan, and it's the most amazing place I've ever been - the culture is fascinating, and completely different to anything I've experienced before, and he's showing a lot of it, particularly the care that everyone seems to put into everything from maintaining the trains to making exquisite food. Can't wait to go back and see more!

We just done the same and fully agree with your observations. Was great seeing Michael's reaction to some of the same things we experienced. Thought he'd enjoy the octopus balls more than he seemed to - ones we had were next level good.

[snuffy]

When we saw him on Stage in York a month or so ago, he said they filmed him on the Bullet Train as the only passenger (they ran a train just for him), because they did not want his filming disturbing the other passengers.

Somehow I can't see that happening in the UK.

[24lemons]

Ezra said:

Gin and Ultrasonic said:

Thoroughly enjoying this as per most of Michael's programmes. He always seems so genuinely interested in everyone he meets.

I'm just back from a couple of weeks in Japan, and it's the most amazing place I've ever been - the culture is fascinating, and completely different to anything I've experienced before, and he's showing a lot of it, particularly the care that everyone seems to put into everything from maintaining the trains to making exquisite food. Can't wait to go back and see more!

We just done the same and fully agree with your observations. Was great seeing Michael's reaction to some of the same things we experienced. Thought he'd enjoy the octopus balls more than he seemed to - ones we had were next level good.

We discovered Takoyaki in Osaka when we visited in 2018. They are to die for. I always seek them out whenever I’m eating Japanese.

[Elderly]

BunkMoreland said:

. It just feels like the BBC didn't put in as much effort as they should have. I'll still watch it of course

I thought that his Spain programmes were excellent ( for obvious reasons ) , but from what I've seen of the Japan
series so far and comparing it with my own limited experience of the country, I feel that it's been poorly researched.