This episode is about cranes, which are associated with happiness and good fortune. We look at some stunning images of red-crested cranes captured by a cameraman who specializes in this endangered bird, which was made a protected species in Japan 70 years ago. Cranes have fascinated numerous artists, among them the painter Tawaraya Sotatsu (c. 1570 – c. 1640). The episode delves into the auspicious shapes and designs associated with these creatures. Cranes are also featured in kimono. The idea is that the birds were a link between heaven and earth. The metal craver Katsura Morihito, who is designated Living National Treasure, is recreating some gold crane figures for the Kasuga-taisha Shrine in Nara Prefecture, which every 20 years carries out major repairs and ceremonies in an event known as Shiki-nen Zotai. The figures depict a crane in gold perching on a tree fashioned from silver.
