Visit South Asia

What strikes you most about the centre of Obuse is what's missing. There are no bland concrete box buildings, no criss-cross of overhead electric wires, no harsh neon lights. Instead, the view from my lunch table is a perfect balance of ancient pine trees and earthen roof tiles. Walkways made of chocolate-brown chestnut wood wind between the mottled buildings, and along them people stroll in the snow, holding brightly coloured paper umbrellas high to protect them from the falling flakes.

Chuuk Lagoon is a long way away. From anywhere. Which makes it all the more extraordinary that it should have been the setting for one of the most comprehensive defeats of the Second World War. In February 1944, the Americans launched Operation Hailstone, a two-day mission to wipe out the Japanese naval fleet, which was hidden in this distant Pacific atoll. It was a success; so much so that many historians see it as the turning point of the war in the Pacific. It also means that beneath the waters of Chuuk Lagoon are the wrecks of more than 70 ships and planes, making it a must-visit place for divers – and the ideal starting point for a new BBC expedition.