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Background: In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the United States in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1933 Japan occupied Manchuria and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.




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By Langus
December 10th 2009
Pigs on Parade Asia » Japan » Akita
This past weekend was an adventure and a half. I visited the bf for my 25th birthday in Akita, which is a 40 minute train ride, 30 minute bus ride, 1.5 plane ride, 40 minute bus ride, and 1.5 train ride away. So basically it takes me 6-8 hours to get from my door to his which is a long ass time but it's definitely worth it. :) The night I got there we decided to go to a favourite spot of mine - Futen. It's this awesome izakaya (only sits maybe 10 people tops) and the owner is fantastic. Ordered [View Full Entry]

Langus - J-Langs | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
977 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 15 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 10th 2009 | 40 Views | [diary=459534]

Fish
Herro!
Fish Eggs...

Tazawako, in the north of Honshu, was one of our favourite stops. We stayed in the superb youth hostel by Lake Tazawako where we ate the most incredible traditional Japanese food and found some great company. It was a very peaceful and tranquil place, with the most beautiful onsens you'll ever find. We'd love to come back and experience this in winter! [View Full Entry]

sima and duncan - duncan lowery | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
64 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 32 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 26th 2008 | 198 Views | [diary=348411]

02 Tsurunoyu onsen (womens section)
03 Tsurunoyu onsen accomodation buildings
04 Kitchens drying chillis

When one thinks of Japan what do we think about? Ninjas, anime, comic books, and samurai of course. In modern Japan there isn't much in the way of Samurai anymore. Sure there are the splash of them in pop-culture and video games but they aren't much of anywhere else in my wonderings. Up in Tohoku you find a lot of history along with some pop-culture thrown into the mix. Kakunodate is the samurai spot in Tohoku. This old castle town has the most well preserved samurai houses that are lined behind beautiful black painted wooden fences. They are mostly free attractions [View Full Entry]

Lebdawho - Kathryn Lebda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
574 Words | 6 Comment(s) | 28 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 7th 2008 | 657 Views | [diary=296455]

samurai house
samurai house
samurai house

By SaRaHinJAPAN
June 10th 2008
Lake Tazawako Asia » Japan » Akita » Tazawako
We all hoped into the car and off we headed for a day at Lake Tazawako. It was about an hour drive across the boarder into the Akita Prefecture. The lake is one of the largest in Japan and is still an active volcano. Okasan and Otasan (mother & father) are like my adopted family and love to take Megs and me anywhere tourist to show us around. The drive there was beautiful with luscious scenery of mountains still some with snow was breath taking. We passed lots of farms along our way also, it really felt like we were going [View Full Entry]

SaRaHinJAPAN - Sarah Jackson | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
479 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 25 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 10th 2008 | 242 Views | [diary=285848]

Lake Tazawako
Lake Tazawako
Lake Tazawako

The Naniwa hotel was a comfy nights rest, and the hosts as helpful as ever, despite their limited english and yesterdays misunderstanding! I am certainly glad I speak some lingo - several people I have met have had no or limited ability, and even in the major cities like Tokyo, have struggled to get their needs met or point across. A bit of charades always comes in handy, but anything slightly complicated can get mixed up, even if you do speak Japanese!! A gorgeous, clear warm mornning dawned, and I decided after my early waking habit to get the earlier train [View Full Entry]

pn76 - pauline newton | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1306 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 13 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 9th 2008 | 105 Views | [diary=285397]

dorothy, dorothy...
en route to the jinja
Gozano ishi jinja (shrine)

By pn76
June 8th 2008
From Ishikawa to Akita ken Asia » Japan » Akita
My night in the smokey business hotel was fairly good and the reception staff tolerant of my internet use, requests for ice for my failing Achilles, and where to find a chemist! Like clockwork I woke at 4 or 5am, to a very bright morning, no rain, and calm weather. The early sunrise has been the case ever since my arrival and time spent in Kyuushuu farther south. I cannot, however, get my head around how a country similar in latitude to New Zealand can have such an early dawn. Kanazawa has several districts that provide evidence of it's once fame [View Full Entry]

pn76 - pauline newton | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
992 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 8 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 8th 2008 | 260 Views | [diary=285016]

higashi chaya district
ishikawa coastline
next train due??

By hoshisato
March 17th 2008
Nyuto Onsen, Japan Asia » Japan » Akita
Located in Akita Prefecture and no train station really close by, Nyuto Onsen is not the obvious choice for the tourist in Japan. However, if you developed a taste for onsen and want more, Nyuto Onsen is the place for you. Listed in Robert Neff's book Japan's hidden hotsprings, Nyuto Onsen might be different from what you would expect: No glossy swimming pool type baths and fancy ryokans, but ramshackle wooden buildings and perfect rotemburo (outside baths) instead. Ever wondered what onsen looked like in the time of the samurai? My bet is that it looks a lot like the baths [View Full Entry]

hoshisato - Hoshisato | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
440 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 8 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: March 17th 2008 | 1099 Views | [diary=257015]

Magoroku onsen
Magoroku onsen
Choice of the baths at Magoroku onsen

By Lebdawho
December 4th 2007
The Deepest Lake, Tazawako Asia » Japan » Akita » Tazawako
My weekend started bright and early on Sunday; which really means before the sun was up. My co had gotten the earliest tickets to Tazawako, so we were out of Sendai by 6:37am. Lake Tawazako is the deepest lake in Japan. Legend goes that Princess Tatsuko and a dragon god fell in love and their passionate love making is what keeps the lake from freezing over in the coldest of temperatures. The tourist information center had nothing but good things to say about this and were very helpful in getting the bus schedule and everything to us. My co and I [View Full Entry]

Lebdawho - Kathryn Lebda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1215 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 28 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 5th 2007 | 416 Views | [diary=225070]

Tazawako
Obonai park
the view

By tika
October 31st 2006
Akita onsen tour Asia » Japan » Akita
Naruko is one among many places to claim to have originated the kokeshi, a cylindrical wooden doll emblematic of Tohoku. Naruko is accessible by train on the JR East Rikū-Tōsen Line, some 40 minutes from Furukawa, an interchange station with the Tohoku Shinkansen line. [View Full Entry]

tika - My Travel | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
45 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: March 15th 2007 | 93 Views | [diary=138549]

Naruko dam
Onikoube onsen
Oyasukyo onsen

By Iminimelanimo
March 22nd 2006
I hate Odenkun Asia » Japan » Akita » Yokote
Kyo wa march 21st It’s spring! Happy spring to everybody! I think that springs deserve that we say happy spring to each other… it’s a day that announces reborn… renew, freshness and warm sun. Today was my before last last day in Akita… it went sooo fast… well two weeks is always passing fast but I really feel I didn’t spend enough time here to bath myself in it… don’t know if I’m clear but oh well… Since last time, what did I do? We had this big party on Friday, it was a really nice evening. Diana invited all her [View Full Entry]

Iminimelanimo - Melanie Johnson Gervais | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1374 Words | 3 Comment(s) | 9 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: March 22nd 2006 | 285 Views | [diary=48079]

Toyo and his bear jacket
Me and Yoko
Diana in a crazy moment!


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