First Graders

Easy Countryside Living

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November 13th 2008
Hello Faithful Readers, Remember when I told you last week how exciting, dynamic, youthful, and crazy a big city like Osaka can be? Well, I’m here to shed some light on the flip side of the coin, the side of Japan that gaijin living in Osaka would never see—welcome to MY ‘hood. As I’ve told you before, Kotohira (the town I live in, pop. 10,000) is quite small with not a whole lot going on ... read more

Asia » Japan » Kagawa » Kotohira

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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