Matagi: Yamagata’s Spiritual Hunter-Gatherers

Journeys in Japan – Season 16

Japan is known for its fisheries and agriculture. But deep in the mountains, people called Matagi still maintain a hunter-gatherer lifestyle that has been passed down since long before farming took root. In this episode, American actor Michael Keida explores a remote mountain village in Oguni, Yamagata Prefecture, to experience Matagi culture.