Uda in Nara Prefecture.

From time immemorial, this vast fertile land has been known for its abundance in medicinal plants.

It's said that it was in this very region that 1,400 years ago,

Empress Suiko led the first gathering of medicinal ingredients in Japan.

As for me, I first sprouted from the soil a tiny sapling about a millennium ago.

Ever since, I've been watching over the daily activities of all manner of living things, including humans.

Uda is home to the oldest privately-owned medicinal herb garden in Japan.

Around three hundred years ago, a man set up the garden in the woods behind his house,

and, like me, his plants remain well-rooted in the soil today.

It's a sort of botanical time capsule.

Let me tell you the story of this land's medicinal plants that stood the test of time, and the people who grow them.

Hanashizume is a "medicine festival" held
for the past 2,000 years at Ohmiwa Shrine.

The shrine was built
before the common era.

Ritual offerings include medicine by
pharmaceutical firms from all over Japan...

as well as medicinal plants
harvested in Uda City.

In charge of managing the Morino Medicinal Herb Garden are Harano Etsuro and his wife Hideko.

For sixteen years, they've been tending the place through the passing of seasons.

I look at the view every morning.

I check what the weather will be like.

Asian fawn lilies herald the arrival of spring.

It took them seven years to grow mature enough for their flowers to bloom.

Like spring fairies, the lilies invite the garden's blossoms to join in and open their petals.

Spring is the busiest season for Etsuro and Hideko.

To make matters worse, at the end of winter, the two of them injured themselves.

I slipped and stopped my fall
with my hand. It really hurt.

I broke my wrist.

"Your husband, too?"

He hurt his knee.
How careless.

But we love this garden.

So, we're here.

In this 10,000㎡ garden, more than
250 varieties of medicinal plants grow.

They're grown almost naturally,
using no agrochemicals.

Though none of the plants are currently
used to make medicine...

these rare varieties
are grown and preserved.

It grows naturally, but it too
is a medicinal plant.

Ground ivy is used for diabetes.

I dry it whole and drink it as a tea.
It helps keep me healthy.

My mind, eyes and ears may not be
as sharp as they were...

but I've got plenty of energy.

This is quality soil,
so we planted Korean mint here.

We create the best conditions...

for the plants, look for the best spot
for each, and so on.

I plow a bit to check
if the soil is well drained.

I consider the best water retention
for each type of plant.

We don't have time to rest our bodies,
no time to rest our minds.

But the air here is pure.

So, at least we can enjoy breathing
pure, clean air as we work.

The Morino family founded and have managed the garden for generations.

Ever since she lost her husband twenty years ago, Morino Teruko has been preserving this family tradition.

In this period between
winter and spring...

eating seasonal food is said
to ward off negative energy.

It's a long-standing tradition
in the Morino family...

to offer special dishes
to their forebears.

We do this to show respect
and honor our ancestors.

We've been doing this for centuries.

It's a way to express our gratitude
to our ancestors.

For around four hundred years, the Morino family have been producing starch from kudzu, or Japanese arrowroot.

Made from the root of the plant, it's widely used in traditional Japanese cuisine and confectionery.

Produced using a time-honored method, the Morino family's top-quality kudzu starch is sold all over the country.

The newly-made kudzu starch, prepared through winter, is presented as an offering to very special forefathers.

Among them is Morino Saikaku - the creator of the medicinal herb garden.

His founding of the garden was prompted by the arrival of a certain individual in Uda.

18th-century Japan was plagued by infectious diseases.

In order to research the various medicinal plants that grew throughout the country,

and to eventually spread the knowledge of their potential use,

the Tokugawa Shogun secretly dispatched herbalists from the capital of Edo.

And in 1729, one of them made his way to Uda.

Saikaku was chosen to be a guide to the Shogun's envoy due to his extensive knowledge of the local flora.

And so, the herbalist, Saikaku and the rest of their party left Uda to venture far and deep into the wilderness -

a journey that would prove most trying.

"April fourth, the sky is clear."

"Today, we began gathering medicinal herbs."

"We came upon fine specimens of ginseng."

"May 13th, cloudy."

"We trudge on dangerous terrain."

"A single misstep means a fall to one's death."

"It's safe to say no one will wish to revisit this spot."

Over the course of four months, Saikaku found a plethora of medicinal plants,

among which were some Asian fawn lilies he planted in the woods behind his house.

Little by little he added new kinds of medicinal plants and built an immensely diverse garden.

Eventually, medicine wholesalers began to set up shop in Uda.

The shogunate gave Saikaku the name and title of Tosuke.

Through generations, the heads of the Morino family bore that title.

For three hundred years, the Morino family has watched over the garden.

When her husband passed away, Teruko entrusted its management to Etsuro and Hideko.

The plants are living things.

Taking care of them every day,
every year, is important work.

It's something truly invaluable.

I have so much gratitude for
Mr. and Mrs. Harano.

In the summer heat and winter cold,
they breathe...

the same air Saikaku used to breathe.

I think they have come to share
the same philosophy as Saikaku.

Japanese angelica has a peculiar smell.

It grows here with outstanding quality.

Its roots have long been used as medicine.

In spring, they plant thin shoots
that don't flower...

to better promote their roots' growth.

They also plant seeds to grow
next spring's shoots.

It's demanding work, but it's
a valuable medicinal root.

This method has been passed on
since the time of Saikaku.

We feel this great responsibility
to preserve the garden.

We do it in our own modest way.

This work has its share of worries.
But it's very rewarding.

Doing this brings us joy.

Every year the garden welcomes many visitors from all over Japan.

It's because here, they get to see rare medicinal plants that can't be found anywhere else.

The dahurian angelica is two meters tall.

It takes three years of growth for it to produce flowers.

Japanese ginseng has almost completely disappeared.

But here, it found a place to call home.

By order of the shogunate, Saikaku was entrusted with the cultivation of saposhnikovia,

the Japanese name of which includes the word "Tosuke."

It's yet another very rare herb.

These are silver vine fruit.

Insects called aphids
lay their eggs inside.

It creates this weird shape.

It's used as medicine.

I'd heard of silver vine,
but I'd never actually seen any.

I'm glad I finally got to see some.

It's like a miracle.

The garden remains very close to
what it was 300 years ago.

Sadly, we humans aren't very good
at noticing things that have been lost.

This place lets us realize that so
many invaluable plants still remain.

People working with medicine...

can come see the plants here.

This isn't a modern, fabricated garden.

It's a garden that people have tended
and preserved throughout history.

It's an invaluable new model
for the role of botanical gardens...

and our connection to plants.

May. Every day, the garden presents a variety of expressions.

Chinese peonies only bloom for a brief time.

This season, the medicinal plants are in top shape, flowers and leaves alike.

It's been here a long time.
Maybe Saikaku brought it.

They bloomed so beautifully this year.

It took ten years.
They only grew scarcely at first.

We took great care of them.

Finally, the results have shown.

- Here.
- Oh! A centipede.

It's an ointment.

I found the insect here.

It took a long time to find one.

I don't care if it works or not.
I don't want it.

It's so disgusting.

Keep those creepy-crawlies away!

Fish mint has a whole list
of beneficial effects.

"There's so much of it.
It bothers other plants?"

Yes, it does.

It's a kind of harmful
and invasive weed.

But having some keeps moles away.

So, looking at it that way,
it's a loveable ally.

The couple live very close to the garden.

At their residence, Etsuro grows and researches plants of the same varieties as those found in the Morino Garden.

Boxthorn leaves.

And persimmon leaves.

I'll mix them with fish mint.

The secret to their good health - homemade herbal tea.

It's a mild flavor.

We love growing plants.

Sometimes, we fail but we try
and try again.

And we eventually succeed.
It's so rewarding.

As a young man, he researched
and wrote about plants.

When he looked into something,
he'd stop only when he found an answer.

Mr. and Mrs. Harano used
to run a printing business.

Etsuro also researched
local history and medicinal plants.

About ten years ago, Etsuro suffered
from a cerebral hemorrhage.

They closed up shop and began
working at the Morino Garden.

More than fifty years ago, they printed a book that they later adopted as their own go-to reference in their daily life.

"Thirty-three Little-known Cures," is a compendium of medicinal herbs found in Uda,

listing their effects and household uses.

Fish mint was used to treat skin irritation.

And yes, centipede oil too used to be among the local home remedies.

The book's author was the manager of an inn some five minutes on foot from the Morino Garden.

His grandson Masakatsu now runs the family business,

where he serves guests authentic medicinal herb cuisine, just like his grandfather did.

It's delicious.

It's this book.

Brings back memories.

- Centipede oil?
- I still have some I made at home.

My grandpa often rubbed some on me.

I have a weak constitution.

I dug up dandelion roots.

I tried different things.

I don't remember when I got better,
or what it is exactly that I did...

that helped me recover.

But I began to be interested
in medicinal plants.

I planted and grew some herbs I found.

I enjoyed watching them grow.

Since I was a boy, I was taught
my grandfather's values and philosophy.

I learned to value the things around me…

like medicinal plants,
and to make use of them.

Recently, people tell me
I've become like my grandfather.

From days of old, Uda has been known for its abundance of medicinal herbs.

Throughout my life, I've watched the creatures that dwell here strive and thrive.

Time for another peek at the garden.

This season paints vegetation with deeper greens.

In the latter years of his life, Morino Saikaku, the founder of the garden,

spent his days in a small lodge at the center of his greenery, working on his magnum opus.

"Matsuyama Honzo," the closely guarded illustrated botanical guide of the Morino family.

"Matsuyama" is the region's old name, and "Honzo" refers to plants, animals and minerals with medicinal properties.

Colored renderings were a rarity at the time.

The tomes present detailed depictions of the medicinal plants and animals

that were part of the natural ecosystem some three hundred years ago.

The compilation is a testimony to the fact that the plants that currently grow in the Morino Garden

are the same as those Saikaku observed.

The illustrations are so beautiful.

Even after 300 years, their colors
haven't faded.

It's truly amazing.

Saikaku took plants he grew in the garden
and drew pictures of them.

He wanted to leave the books
as a compilation of his achievements.

I believe that was one of his goals.

Saikaku devoted his life to medicinal plants.

Three centuries later, his dedication lives on.

I pick some of the flowers...

and try to preserve their features,
like their leaves and so on.

I could say this is my life's work.

For twenty years, Etsuro has been keeping a record of the plants he finds in Uda, as well as those he grows himself.

I understand how Saikaku felt.

I too want to preserve them.

He loves doing that.
He's always going at it.

I tell him, ‘Leave it! Time to eat!'

Someone drops in.

Good morning!

I came to pick up weeding
where I left off yesterday.

Good morning!

I was thinking of making compost.

Once a week, these two neighbors come to give Etsuro and Hideko a hand.

Picking some ground ivy?

There's so much of it.
Might as well use it.

I'll take it.

Thank you.

Let's take a break.

Redroot lithospermum is hard to grow.

The leaves often go bad in summer.

The leaves get damaged by the rain
and then wither.

We're careful not to let them get sick.

They're in bloom.

In bloom already?

They're doing fine.

Redroot lithospermum is on the verge of extinction.

Its flowers are a very rare sight.

But its Japanese name, murasaki, simply means "purple."

Considering its flowers are white, it's a confusing name for Japanese people.

A quick look at Saikaku's treatise makes it all clear.

The name refers to the color of its root.

The Amur cork tree's Japanese name - kihada - means "yellow bark."

Here too, Saikaku accurately rendered the color of its inner bark, used to make stomach medicine.

People found medicinal properties even in hidden parts of various plants.

This wholesaler in a neighboring town...

has been preserving the region's
herbal medicine culture for 300 years.

On clear days during the rainy season,
they perform a yearly task.

Ah! That familiar citrus aroma.

Regular rainfall has dampened the trees, making their outer bark easier to remove...

...and thus reveal the golden lining.

Only the Amur cork tree
has double-layered bark.

It tastes quite bitter.

Bitter yellow stomach medicine is common.

It's amazing people back then
discovered it.

The locals volunteer to help with
the cutting down of Amur cork trees.

Here is Chizuyo, who also helps at the Morino Garden.

As her hobby of growing medicinal plants continued to develop,

she became fascinated with fabric dyeing, which she now teaches.

According to ancient belief, people used to pray as they dyed fabric with medicinal herbs,

hoping to imbue the plants' effects into the garment.

It gradually changes color.

Dyeing the fabric is satisfying.

It's thanks to the plants' effects.

The effects don't stay in the fabric,
but I still feel protected.

The color is changing!

It turned blue!

It's going to be a beautiful color.

It's like magic!

It's like the plant's lifeforce
seeps into the fabric.

We have to be thankful for it
to continue to grow in nature.

Thank you, redroot lithospermum.

What lovely colors!

Here it is.

The Japanese angelica is poking its nose out.

We have to clear all the weeds around it,
otherwise it won't grow.

I come to check
and tend to it regularly.

Early summer, shoots from the angelica they planted have started to grow, and even sprouted some leaves.

In here, they're in bloom.

We pick the pure strains here.

We take their seeds.

It's to prevent the mixing of strains,
and to protect them from insects.

To protect the purity of the varieties - such is the secret to preserving the garden.

There's so much I want to do,
varieties to grow.

That's good.

What worries me is how the angelica
is losing its purple color.

Plants of the Apiaceae family crossbreed
easily with other Apiaceae species nearby.

I was worried about that too
in the beginning.

The Japanese angelica so carefully grown at the Morino Garden is now invigorating the city of Uda.

Its roots are used for medicine, and its leaves are edible.

In order to grow high-quality angelica, Masanori experiments every day.

Right from the selection
of pure strains for seeds...

I want to make use of the knowhow
Mr. Harano inherited from history.

I want to use it in my own production,
and contribute to preserving it as well.

The angelica Masanori grows is used at this hot spring inn.

The owners are proud of their bathwater additive made with angelica leaves.

In the history of Uda is a legend that centers on the plant.

In the 8th century, a Buddhist nun studied medicinal herbs at this temple.

One day, the nun - named Chujo-hime - met a woman in Uda who was ill,

and prescribed the right herbal cure for her condition.

It was a blend that included Japanese angelica.

The recipe was passed on through generations in the woman's family.

Her descendants developed a herbal medicine they called "Chujoto."

Story has it that, when using the leftovers of the medicine in a bath, they found it kept the body warm...

which gave birth to the famous bath additive.

Japanese angelica has helped people stay warm.

And recently, a delicious new use for it was born.

What a nice smell.

Yoneda Yoshinori is a brewer that uses local herbs to craft beer.

It has a light and satisfying taste.

I think beer would be a great way
to promote Uda-grown Japanese angelica...

throughout the country.

Obon is a day when Japanese people welcome the spirits of their forebears.

The Morinos make an offering to their ancestors

in the form of a special meal - a tradition that's spanned generations.

The menu and ceramics too have been passed on through the ages.

We do this to thank our ancestors
for letting us preserve...

the medicinal herb garden they created.

In the future, we want to continue
to protect this legacy.

We want future generations to take over...

so, my mother-in-law
and I do this every year.

It's so hot!

We compete with the plants
to see who's gonna go down first.

Even the wild plants some call weeds
are medicinal herbs.

Mr. Harano taught me that.

So, every plant has come to look
like medicine to me.

We must preserve the plants,
or they'll disappear.

Plants that were here one day
are gone the next.

If we notice they're gone, it's too late.

Mr. and Mrs. Harano grow the plants
to keep the seeds going.

I have so much respect for their work.

You're exaggerating!

I really mean it!

Through his excursions around Uda, Etsuro has already collected some 150 species of medicinal plants.

When I look back
on the road I've traveled...

I can see how much I could
achieve in my time so far.

The most important is to protect
the medicinal herb garden.

When we first started working here,
we were worried.

As we came to understand
the value of the medicinal plants...

we felt a sense of responsibility.

It's irreplaceable.

To keep it going is my only wish.

A storm is brewing.

I've got to prevent the plants
from falling over.

If they fall, we lose the Job's tear seeds
that've been grown for generations.

I don't feel the heat.

I must protect the plants.

That's all I can think of.

In the herbal sanctuary created by Saikaku and carefully kept alive today by the Morino Family,

as well as Etsuro and Hideko, just as the seasons continue their cycle, the medicinal plants too follow theirs.