Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden(2004)

Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden Synopsis

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.

Satoyama: Japan's Secret Watergarden (2004) is a documentary film directed by Masumi Mizunuma, released on July 1, 2004 with a runtime of 52m. It stars David Attenborough. Viewers rate it 8.0 out of 10 across 5 ratings.