Opening slate (in German) reads: "Pilgrims and believers come from far away to honor their gods." Camera pans across rugged hills with a building on a peak in the background. It continues to pan to the left, revealing a bridge. Closeup of the bridge and then of people walking across it. Change of scene shows a wooden shelter at side of a mountain, looking down upon the sea. Inside, people walk along a wooden walkway in a grotto. View from inside of people silhouetted against the light at the opening. View of a miniature shelter containing models of persons. Complete change of scene to the Great Buddha of Kamakura found in the Kōtoku-in Buddhist Temple (4 Chome-2-28 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0016, Japan). Several persons stand nearby. Closeup of the statue framed by Cherry blossoms. Another view of the Buddha statue with evergreens in the background. Closeup of an incense burner beneath the Buddha statue, with 8 candles burning in it. View of ocean from overlooking hill. Momentary glimpse of Mount Fuji as the film ends.
People celebrate the Shichi-Go-San (lit. "Seven-Five-Three") Festival for young children at a Shinto shrine in Japan. Parents take their children, mostly girls, to a Shinto shrine for a Shichi-Go-San ritual. Two Japanese little girls wearing kimono visit the Shinto shrine for the Shichi-Go-San Festival. A Japanese boy wearing a hakama holding his sister wearing a kimono. Japanese mother accompanies her young daughters to the shrine. Little girl takes off her Zōri sandals while her mother removes her geta sandals as they enter the shrine. Japanese Shinto priest bestows blessings to the children in attendance. Scene changes to a traditional Japanese Shinto wedding. A wedding takes place inside a Shinto shrine hall. Two Miko (Shinto shrine maidens) bowing. A Shinto priest reads from a scroll to call on Shinto spirits in front of a wedding altar. Food items in boxes are left at a ceremonial wedding altar. A Shinto priest pours sake into cups held by the two Miko. Shinto priest performs the san-san-ku-do ceremony with the couple during the wedding. Miko pours sake for the groom. Groom drinks sake during the wedding. Japanese bride receives sake from a Miko. Bride bows after drinking her sake. Japanese bride and groom sit together behind the Shinto priest.
A huge dam collapses in Hanawa, Japan. Men stand on flooded roads. A view of the wreckage in the village. People stand near damaged homes. Several people stand on stones in water. A boat in water. A bridge in the background. Refugees stand in a group.
Boats docked on the coast of Miyajima Island in Japan. The torii of Itsukushima Shrine. The peaks of Mount Misen in the background. A Japanese woman runs to feed sacred deer in a Itsukushima Shrine (1-1 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-0588, Japan) grounds. Japanese woman wearing a kimono feed sacred deer with the iconic torii in the background. Sacred deer crowd around the Japanese woman.
Geologic formation and the geographic placing of the Japanese islands. View of bamboo forests and snow-capped mountains. Animated map describes the effect of the Japanese current and monsoons on the islands' climate.
View of Japanese seacoast showing broken and mountainous coastline. Beaches and mountains in the background. Steamers at sea. Sailboat at sea. Snow covered mountains in the background. Sailboats at sea. Harbor waterfront area.