Our reporter travels western Honshu, which has a high annual rainfall. She wonders at how the printing on Sekishu washi does not dissolve in water and treks a gorge for wasabi, "the green diamond" that thrives on delicious water. She also hunts for a valuable creature that inhabits pristine waters, the Japanese giant salamander! And, our correspondent climbs a harsh pilgrimage route through a temple in Tottori Pref. that covers an entire mountain. His goal? A mystic hall built on a cliff face.