James May: Our Man In Japan

James' journey begins on the sunny shores of Sicily, a fascinating island that's been fought over for millennia; James explores the simple pleasures that have sustained people for generations.

In the beautiful, rural south of the mainland, James is forced to confront a vision of hell courtesy of Dante's Inferno, and a goat that urgently needs milking.

All roads lead to Rome, so it was inevitable James would end up in Italy's magnificent capital; however, it's not just Romans and ruins, James is schooled in how best to drive his Panda through the city.

James tests his Renaissance man credentials with a spot of art, science, and modern-day alchemy in Florence; Emilia-Romagna sees the world of fast-moving cars and slow-aging cheese, before James ends up in a town that feels strangely familiar.

Size matters, as James visits the marble quarries of Carrara and the massive container port at Genoa; then it's to the elusive, as James searches for truffles, learns the noble art of falconry, and faces off with a few killer robots.

In Milan, James submits to a wardrobe update, tries his hand at some exquisite craftsmanship and bids goodbye to an old friend; next stop: Venice, by land, air, and lagoon, while in the snowy Dolomites James investigates the darker side of Christmas.