Sakura in the moonlight

Hope Springs Eternal

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April 11th 2009
The spring has come, and once again The sun shines in the sky; So gently smile the heavens, that It almost makes me cry, When blossoms droop and die. --Kino Tomonori, c. 905 In 1995, the Japanese city of Kobe was completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake. Almost 4600 people died and a cosmopolitan port city was reduced to rubble in a matter of minutes. No mor ... 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