This show is broadcast by the Taiwanese Gala TV station and is so popular that, when asked about "World-Class", any Taiwanese will say "Oh yea, that show that introduces countries from around the world".

The show does not simply introduce sightseeing spots from around the world but rather delves in-depth on the particular eating habits and lifestyle habits of each region introduced with wit and humour by the reporter, Xiao-Ma. This time around a full five days of coverage was given to Satsuma-cho, Kirishima, Sakurajima, Ibusuki, and Kagoshima.

On April 5 (Sun), hands-on Akumaki-making and bamboo-digging activities along with a glass craft-making activity were covered in Satsuma-cho. Everyone was able to enjoy the simple and abundant nature of Satsuma-cho while mingling with the locals and learning about the local history and climate.

On April 6 (Mon), coverage was given to the relatively rare mud bath experience, the local Kagoshima delicacy that is Berkshire Pork, and a specialty item that is very highly regarded by health-conscious Taiwanese, Fukuyama Kurozu (black vinegar). The information was diffused to Taiwanese viewers in an easy-to-understand interview format that doubled as PR for the items covered.

On April 7 (Tue), extensive coverage over a wide-range of content was carried out on Sakurajima. To begin, helmeted elementary school children on their way to school first thing in the morning were interviewed. The children did not appear to be afraid of an eruption but rather seemed to be full of life just like Sakurajima. Viewers were also introduced to Sakurajima's natural hot spring footbaths, volcanic stone plate processing, evacuation shelter, Japanese Biwa (loquat) farm, and building methods for residential housing. The TV crew were ecstatic to see volcanic fumes rising up before their very eyes as they spun their cameras around.

On April 8 (Wed), the crew went to Ibusuki to experience the famous natural hot spring sand baths and also tried their hand at shovelling sand under the guidance of a worker. They also went to Yamagawa Fishing Harbor and a bonito processing plant where they did a report on the mechanism behind dried bonito processing and were able to sample "Cha-bushi", tea flavored with dried bonito and miso. This was followed by a bait-making activity for the giant eels in Lake Ikeda (the nocturnal eels did not eat the bait so one of the staff, Mr. Kokichi, together with Xiao-ma, displayed a sense of humour by saying "Grandpa's not eating, eh..." to the unappreciative eel. The crew were able to cover and film a wide variety of eel that included eel cultivated in hot spring water in a hot spring eel farm, salt and wasabi flavoured eel, and rare eel sashimi.

On April 9 (Thu), the crew took off in the morning to report on "Unagi Onsen" hot spring and "Sume" cuisine in Ibusuki. "Sume" was recently introduced on an NHK station travel show as a luxury steam kiln that utilizes geothermal heating thanks to hot spring water found in idyllic natural surroundings. In the afternoon the crew made their way to Kagoshima City to report on Shochu retail outlets. The crew marvelled at the sheer variety of Shochu available and, sampling some of the wares, discovered that Shochu was easier to drink than they had imagined. Lastly, the crew went to film two areas - Reimeikan Museum of Culture and Senganen - that are connected to the story of "Atsuhime", a Taiga drama that is broadcast even in Taiwan. At Senganen, the entire staff experienced "baptism by ash" thanks to major ash fall due to a large-scale eruption on Sakurajima - the first in 9 years - that led them to remark wryly that "it was a tremendous gift from Sakurajima".

The Taiwanese seemed to be greatly interested in the unique gastronomy and customs of Kagoshima that often tends to be overlooked by locals most of the time. "Every dish we've tried in Kagoshima is delicious, and people have been really kind and helpful to us during our interviews and visits. What a great place" were some of the words that the crew used to express their admiration.

The feature report on Kagoshima will be aired on Taiwanese TV during June. I hope that the admiration felt by the TV crew for Kagoshima is conveyed to all the viewers in Taiwan.