Toji Temple, Kyoto

Tokyo and Kyoto

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July 17th 2008
The minute we started to explore Tokyo, I finally understood why Japanese tourists in the US always seem so lost! All of the street signs are in Japanese characters which are nothing like trying to figure out what something says in Spanish or Portuguese, but is more like trying to identify characters that look more like a combination of random boxes and slash marks... Needless to say, we were imm ... read more

Asia » Japan

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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