Winter in Japan's Snow Country  (03:39)
Thanks to Japan's complex geography and climate, the winter season here offers many sights found nowhere else. This video introduces three highlights of the Japanese winter: Niseko, famous among skiers for the world's finest powder snow and its superb hot springs; Mount Zao, where the ski slopes are topped by a forest that's frozen by ice-laden winds and coated by snow into a myriad of wonderful shapes; and Jigokudani Onsen, a mountain hot spring resort where the bathers are monkeys and humans may only watch. 

Tree Surgeons at Work  (03:53)
Japan has one of the world's strongest traditions of communities caring for their surrounding nature. This is especially true for old trees, partly due to an ancient belief that nature gods reside in certain vigorous long-lived trees. As a result, everywhere you go in Japan you can find magnificent specimens, many over 1,000 years old. Today, these traditions are being given a modern technological boost by tree surgeons, who complement their human skills with the latest equipment for diagnosing and treating elderly or diseased trees.