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70|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATURENAGANOWHENKATYANDIFIRSTMETWEWENTTHROUGHOURFAVOURITEMOVIESTOGETHER,ASNEWCOUPLESTENDTODO.THEREWASPLENTYOFCROSSOVER.KATY:“HAVEYOUSEENAMELIE?”IHADSEENAMELIE.“HAVEYOUSEENGARDENSTATE?”IHAD,EVENTHOUGHICOULDN’TREMEMBERMUCHABOUTIT.“HAVEYOUSEENBARAKA?”IHADNOT,SOWEPUTITON.FORTHOSEWHOHAVEN’TSEENIT,BARAKAISASTRANGE,BEAUTIFULSTORYABOUT,WELL,EVERYTHING.IT’SLIKEANENORMOUSLYLONGBBCDOCUMENTARY,MINUSTHECUDDLYNARRATION–MINUSALLNARRATION,ACTUALLY.OCCASIONALLYTROUBLING,ALWAYSINTERESTING,IT’SWELLWORTHTRACKINGDOWN,ESPECIALLYIF,LIKEUS,YOUENJOYTRAVEL.IT’SALMOST20YEARSOLDNOW,BUTTHEMESSAGESANDTHEIMAGERYREMAINPOWERFUL.WHENWEWATCHEDITTHATNIGHTINDUBAI,WETOOKHURRIEDNOTESABOUTTHINGSWE’DLIKETOTRACKDOWNIFANDWHENWEFINALLYWENTTRAVELLINGTOGETHER.WE’VEDONEAPRETTYGOODJOBATTICKINGOFFOURLIST,BUTONETHINGHADBEENELUDINGUS.SPECIFICALLY,THELITTLEGUYTHATPOPSUPJUSTTWOMINUTESINTOTHEMOVIE.ISAY“HADBEENELUDINGUS”BECAUSE–WITHPLENTYOFHELPFROMTHETRAVELVOLUNTEERTEAM–WEMANAGEDTOTRACKDOWNTHEFAMOUSSNOWMONKEYS(JAPANESEMACAQUES)INNORTHERNNAGANO.SINCEBARAKACAMEOUTIN1992,THESEGUYSHAVEGONEONTOBECOMEPRETTYFAMOUS,REGULARLYAPPEARINGINTHELIKESOFNATIONALGEOGRAPHIC ANDALLKINDSOFADVERTISINGCAMPAIGNS.THEREAREMANYREASONSWHYTHEY’RESOFAMOUS,BUTUNDOUBTEDLYIT’STHEIRLOOKOFRELAXATIONASTHEYHIDEFROMTHEELEMENTSINWARMONSENWATERTHATMAKETHEMSUCHADRAW.THISISN’TASBARAKASOMEHOWIMPLIES(ATLEASTTOME)ANAEON-OLDPRACTISETHAT’SGONEONSINCETHEDAWNOFTIME.HUMANSDIDNOTFOLLOWTHEIRANCESTORSINTOTHEFAMOUSVOLCANICWATER–INFACTTHEOPPOSITEISTRUE,ANDITONLYSTARTEDHAPPENINGINTHE1960S.FROMTHETREESTHEMONKEYSWATCHEDPEOPLERELAXING,LIKEDTHELOOKOFTHEHOTWATERANDDECIDEDTOCHANGETHEIRNORMALBEHAVIOURTOHAVEADIP.EVENTUALLY,THEHUMANSDECIDEDTHATTHEYDIDN’TLIKESHARINGTHEIRONSENWITHOTHERPRIMATES(WE’RENOTSURETHESNOWMONKEYSWOULDHAVEBEENOVERJOYEDABOUTITEITHER)SOAMONKEYBUSINESS
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