Episode 1 - The English Gentleman
The first Encounters takes the actor Nakano Hideo to England for a cram course in becoming an English gentleman. You will experience firsthand the training, the discipline, and all the subtleties that go into the making of a "gentleman" in this unique episode. Question: What does an English gentleman look for most in a house? Hint: The opposite of what an American looks for.
Episode 2 - Venetian Glass
Murano, an island off the coast of Venice, is renowned for its beautiful Venetian glass. Of all the glassworks in the world, Venetian glass has the oldest heritage. To become a maestro, or a master glassblower, is no simple task. Question: What are the requirements for becoming a maestro?
Episode 3 - Fishing in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, an island republic in the Indian Ocean, is a famous tea exporter and has been an important junction for the cultures of the East and the West. Here, rock singer and actor Harada Ryuji tries out their unusual bonito fishing methods. Question: Why must Harada take off his pants before he gets into the boat?
Episode 4 - Going Native in New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is an independent island nation located just north of Australia. A dense jungle covers most of the island, and its inhabitants live close to the nature in a way best characterized as "simple and primitive." Can the celebrity guest adjust to the native lifestyle?
Episode 5 - Hungarian Cowboy
Hungary, a republic in central eastern Europe, is mostly flatland and still has the lifestyle and the romance of America's Old West. Actor Bessho Tetsuya, who once homestayed at a Texas ranch, will experience the ways of Hungary's horsemen. Question: Other than to make the horse run faster, why does the Hungarian horsemen crack his whip?
Episode 6 - Bulgaria, Land of Roses
Bulgaria, a republic on southeastern Europe's Balkan Peninsula, is well-known for its cultivation of damask roses. The roses are used to make attar, or oil, for perfume. Celebrity guest Morikawa Yukari examines Bulgaria's unique culture and tries her hand at perfume-making. Sample question: Besides for fragrance, why is rose oil added to perfume?
Episode 7 - The Karens of Thailand
Thailand's Karen tribe live in the northern highlands near the Myanmar border. They are particularly adept at training wild elephants to use them as forklifts and trucks. The celebrity guest has a rare opportunity to train these 3-4 ton monsters and to experience the Karen lifestyle. Sample question: Why do wild elephants keep returning to the village?
Episode 8 - Malaysia's Orangutans
Actress Tanaka Minako travels to eastern Malaysia to have a hand at rehabilitating orangutans and returning them to the wild. Orangutans, who have an unusually keen sense of smell and dislike any perfume or manmade fragrance, are very strong and can severely injure a human. How will Ms. Tanaka handle these unpredictable creatures?
Episode 9 - The Moroccans
Made famous by the movie Casablanca, Morocco is a small Islamic nation in northwestern Africa. Actress and "Golden Kids" co-star Nagasaku Hiromi is sent to experience all aspectsof the Moroccan lifestyle, and the experience turns out to be more than she bargained for...!
Episode 10 - Provence, France
Actress Natori Yuko homestays in Provence, France to learn some of the cooking secrets of a 25-year-old "prodigy chef" of herbal cuisine. Please join us for this remarkable journey to southern France.
Episode 13 - Reckingen, Switzerland
Actress Shibuya Kotono realizes her "Heidi fantasy" at a dairy farm in the beautiful Swiss Alps and discovers that Switzerland is a country with many surprises in store. This is definitely a must-see episode.
Episode 11 - Mongolia, Part 1 of 2
On this two-part episode, rock singer and actor Harada Yuji homestays with a nomadic family in Outer Mongolia. The resourcefulness with which the Mongols have adapted to their harsh environment is quite amazing and is the basic for most of the questions.
Episode 12 - Mongolia, Part 2 of 2
Part 2 continues Harada's remarkable experience in Mongolia.
