This episode focuses on irori, or the traditional Japanese sunken hearth used for cooking and heating the home. It takes a look at a 160-year-old example in a farmhouse in part of Gifu Prefecture, as well as the fish-shaped counterbalances that can adjust the height of the pot-hook above a hearth without the need for any latches or pins. The program features the stylish hearth at the home of rakugo storytelling artist Hayashiya Taihei, and the transformation of a home in Tokyo. It also looks at how one family uses a traditional-style hearth in the course of a day, starting with a western-style breakfast!
