Mother Lake

September 15, 2007 9:42 AM

Lake Biwa: David Attenborough's Satoyama on YouTube, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

The word satoyama can mean home in Japanese, and this television program explores the place of beloved Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, in its surrounding community of Shiga Prefecture, or Omi. It is said Lake Biwa got it its because its shape resembles a biwa or Japanese lute. More on the lake at Wikipedia.

posted by KokuRyu (16 comments total)

Sir David narrated, I believe

Amazing family though, and great documentary.
posted by rider at 10:16 AM on September 15, 2007

doh
posted by KokuRyu at 10:19 AM on September 15, 2007

"...funazushi is the result of fermenting the female Nigoro Buna (crucian carp) for 4 years in salt, rice and select bacteria till it takes on the qualities of blue cheese"

posted by MtDewd at 10:23 AM on September 15, 2007

Why don't people post longer video elsewhere so it's in one part?
posted by Pronoiac at 12:18 PM on September 15, 2007

The whole film was on flv, but now it is gone.
posted by hortense at 12:28 PM on September 15, 2007

That was great, thank you.

"...the water sustains them, and they use it sustainingly."
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:41 PM on September 15, 2007

Awesome. Thanks for posting this. I think I might go out and buy it now...
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 1:09 PM on September 15, 2007

Beautiful, thanks.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 2:33 PM on September 15, 2007

Apparently I won't be buying it because I can't find it anywhere on the internet. Anyone care to help me look?
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 2:39 PM on September 15, 2007

Available on VHS here.
posted by CKmtl at 4:09 PM on September 15, 2007

Or that could be something else entirely.
posted by CKmtl at 4:14 PM on September 15, 2007

CDJapan has it (the actual one in question, this time), if you want to order it straight from there.
posted by CKmtl at 4:32 PM on September 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

This is easily one of the best nature/culture programs I've ever seen. Of course not everyone can live like that, but it certainly would be nice if more people would aspire to that level of integration with the natural world.

high quality video torrent here:

http://www.mininova.org/get/524380
posted by Brewer at 10:49 AM on September 16, 2007

Thanks a ton, CKmtl! You too, Brewer!

I read on a site while searching for a place to buy them that the BBC acquired two documentaries and turned them into one program...

The BBC has decided to acquire NHK's Satoyama series of documentaries. It will acquire Satoyama: Japan's Secret Garden (1999) and Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden (2004) and combine them into one program for broadcast, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

So is the program that the BBC made the same one that is on youtube and the same one on CDJapan? If so I will gladly throw my money at them at some point in time (40 bucks is quite a bit to spend on a one hour program at the moment for me...).
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 11:04 AM on September 16, 2007

As far as I can tell, the 1999 one is the one I mistakenly linked to the first time around, which seems to be more about the ecology of rice paddies. The 2004 one is the one on YouTube and CDJapan.

So, yeah, if you can get it from the BBC you'll get both. Hopefully not editted down too much, as that would be a shame.
posted by CKmtl at 11:33 AM on September 16, 2007

Hrm. Unable to find it on BBC. Bookmarked the CDJapan site. Thanks again for saving me from making an AskMe about it.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 11:52 AM on September 16, 2007