Eiheiji: Inside Dogen's Zen Monastery

A circus team called "Happy Dream Circus" travels all over Japan. Among the team of 50 people, there is a Colombian man and a Japanese woman couple. They have ten children, and soon the eleventh child will be born. The family live in trailers behind the circus tent. Arashi, the fourth son, attracts audiences with his great performance skills, but the 11-years-old boy finds it hard to say good-bye to his friends every two monthsas his family and the circus team move to another city.

Located in the foothills of Japan’s Northern Alps and surrounded by forests is the city of HidaTakayama. Known as Hida’s“Little Kyoto, " Takayama’sold town, retains a traditional touch with its streets lined with wooden buildings. During the spring and fall, the city hosts the celebrated TakayamaFestival featuring a parade of large floats, which has been added to UNESCO’S list of Intangible Cultural Heritages. It is a popular tourist destination. In this episode,we explore HidaTakayamaand meet its residents who love their traditions and their distinctive culture.