Film

Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden

2004 · 52m · Documentary

IMDb

8.1

Each home has a built in pool or water tank that lies partly inside, partly outside its’ walls… A continuous stream of spring water is piped right into a basin, so freshwater is always available. People rinse out pots in the tank and clean their freshly picked vegetables. If they simply pour the food scraps back in the water, they risk polluting the whole village supply. However, carp can scour out even the greasy or burnt pans. They do the washing up in Satoyama villages. This traditional arrangement is called the riverside method. It’s used all over Japan. Cleaned up by the carp, the tank water eventually rejoins the channel.

David Attenborough

Narrator

• Masumi MizunumaDirector
• Masayuki ShimoyamadaEditor

Release date

July 1, 2004

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

52m

Genres

Documentary