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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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So after we left Kyoto we headed back to Yachimata for a night at my grandma's. The next day we were headed to an onsen/kabuki theatre/dinner club kind of place. It was my grandma's choice so I should've known that it was going to be like a time machine trip back to the 1970's. There was a crazy lounge singer kind of guy there and since we were the only foreigners in the whole place (probably the only foreigners in decades) so he came over and asked us where we were from and then he shook hands with my grandma and [View Full Entry]

Amanda and Robert - Amanda Grummon & Robert Hill | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
288 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 25th 2008 | 159 Views | [diary=304164]

Eating dinner in yukatas
My aunt and mom enjoying dinner
kabuki

By Amanda and Robert
July 15th 2008
Day 1 - Yachimata Asia » Japan » Chiba
We're here! So here goes our first entry...we've finally got internet in our hostel in Asakusa, so I'm going to have backtrack to yesterday and our time in Yachimata-machi. The plane ride was actually not that bad. Aside from the crazy crackling lady behind us and her husband who sounded like he was trying to cough up a lung...eww. since we were flying Korean Airlines, we got to try some interesting Korean food - "bim bim bop" I believe is actually the proper name for it. Not bad for plane food! and I think we drank more juice than we ever [View Full Entry]

Amanda and Robert - Amanda Grummon & Robert Hill | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
414 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 35 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 16th 2008 | 86 Views | [diary=300424]

Thanks for taking us to the airport daddy - see you in a week!
Things getting crazy on the plane
The infamous bim bim bop

I am such a total wimp. I mean it, I truly am a creature who lacks in bravery or any form of courage. I'd always suspected that I was a wimp, there were slight indications (jumping at my own shadow, checking under the bed before going to sleep etc) along my 25 years on Earth to make me suspect that wimpiness may be a distinct part of my personality but after spending a single day at Disneysea I know in my heart of hearts that wimpiness is not just a part of my personality, but quite possibly, the core essence of [View Full Entry]

ladyleah - Leah Michelle | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
822 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 1 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 15th 2008 | 88 Views | [diary=299960]


I was dancing wildly; gyrating my hips, flicking my hair out of my eyes and swaying my head to the fast hypnotic beat. My entire body was covered in a thick layer of moisture, some from the rain but mostly from the sweat that was pouring out of every pore of my body as I jumped, shouted and bounced along to the remixed Janet Jackson track blaring from the speaker behind me. A pair of arms encircled me and a shirtless torso started bumping and grinding up behind me, I took a deep sip of my cocktail and whirled around to [View Full Entry]

ladyleah - Leah Michelle | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
804 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 1 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 25th 2008 | 111 Views | [diary=290567]


By NihonNoTim
June 17th 2008
Off to Narita! Asia » Japan » Chiba » Narita
So for the beginning of this journey there was plenty of comradery to go around. It started as soon as I walked into O'Hare. The "nerdar" (nerd radar) went off as I made the acquaintence of a great guy named Tony. For those outside the field, any time you go off to something like this, you can spot the people sharing your fate by the big poster tubes they're carrying, if not by some other strange sixth sense for your fellow geeks and nerds. By the time we were boarding the plane there were more to the gathering. But more on [View Full Entry]

NihonNoTim - Timothy Maxwell | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
603 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 29th 2008 | 46 Views | [diary=293036]

Say Cheeze!
NSFers.
More NSFers.

By Krampy
May 29th 2008
Buddharama Asia » Japan » Chiba
So not much is new, work is going well and I've been having a blast with my friends. Yesterday was my day off and I decided to get out of the city for the day and went to the south of Chiba to Nihhon-Ji, a temple established 725 a.d.. It is located on the top of the "Saw Mountains", named because they look like the teeth of a saw blade. In the 1700's Jingoro Eirei Ono and his 27 apprentices spent 20 years carving 1500 disciples and the largest Daibutsu buddha in Japan. It was a beautiful day and I was [View Full Entry]

Krampy - Lauren | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
155 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 86 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 29th 2008 | 43 Views | [diary=281362]

Mt. Nokogiri
Mt. Nokogiri
Mt. Nokogiri

So I realize I've been awful at updating this blog, I have no excuses! Life has been good and hectic. I began teaching several weeks ago and have encountered all the joys and horrifics of teaching english. Some of my students have been amazing and a lot of fun to teach. Some are so shy speaking is difficult. My kids classes are full of the cutest kids ever. Except for one class; it is full of devil children that basically reduce me to tears every week. The past week was Golden Week which means paid vacation, YEAH!!!!! My friend Katherine and [View Full Entry]

Krampy - Lauren | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
251 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 106 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 7th 2008 | 64 Views | [diary=273706]

Funabashihoten
Shimoda
Shimoda

By Krampy
April 6th 2008
Week 2 Asia » Japan » Chiba
So its been awhile since I've updated this but I've been busy, busy, busy!!!! Training has been hectic, but yesterday was our final day which is nice. ANYWAY, last weekend was Hanami time, AKA cherry blossom viewing. All over the city there were festivals and parties. I went to Ueno park on Saturday night for a little evening viewing and it was so cool. Red lanterns were strung up all over the park and the trees were magnificent. There were tons of people have feasts and drinking under the trees. We saw a bunch of musicians and some crazy Kabuki actors [View Full Entry]

Krampy - Lauren | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
437 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 22 Photo(s) | 1 Video(s)
Published: April 6th 2008 | 44 Views | [diary=263411]

Jackie at work
Koganei park cherry blossoms
Cherry blossoms

By teecha_nikky
April 6th 2008
Training...and trains! Asia » Japan » Chiba » Narita
Training…..and Trains! The events from 29th March-5th April OK…. I arrived in Japan on March 29th, had a day to myself to meet the other gaikokujin (outside country people), chill-out and explore, and then on March 30th (a Sunday mind you) we started training. It basically consisted of group work, note-taking, presentations, many anecdotes about living and working in Japan, and went from 9am to 6pm for 6 days. By the end, we were all totally shattered, and of course, that’s when we had to give our demonstration evaluation lessons. We were graded on our attitude, helpf [View Full Entry]

teecha_nikky - Literary Gypsy | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1288 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 12th 2008 | 66 Views | [diary=265638]

Hard at work-colouring in...
Ausmericajamland!
Love the props!

Hello! Sorry for being lazy and not writing... We have been training all week from 9am to 6pm and then samling the delights of Narita in the evenings. Training finished yesterday, and after going over policy, teaching techniques, lesson planning, demonstration lessons, Japanese etiquette, expectations for and by schools and company...... I can safely say i'm knackered. There has been an overload of information, and now all 43 of us in this training group are moving out to our respective placements, and feeling nervous as anything about meeting the Boards of Education and teaching sta [View Full Entry]

teecha_nikky - Literary Gypsy | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
315 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 5th 2008 | 70 Views | [diary=263118]