Garden at Nijo

Kyoto!

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January 7th 2008
I've arrived in Kyoto. The train ride was very comfortable and relaxing, plus I got a surprise sighting of Mount Fuji, which I didn't expect to see on this trip. My lodging for tonight (Watazen Ryokan, a ryokan is a tradtional Japanese inn) doesn't have check-in until 4 (and I arrived earlier than expected), so I went to Nijo Castle, a beautiful Kyoto palace and garden from the 1600s. Today was a ... read more

Asia » Japan » Kyoto » Kyoto

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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. Fol... ... read more