mito swan

Full Circle

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May 23rd 2011
And so to Martin's final few days in Japan and the end of my first month. Our trip sees us paying a visit to the garden city of Mito and it's much celebrated landscape garden- Kairaku-en. The gardens are most popular for 3000 plum blossom trees that bloom in February/march, unfortunately having arrived out of season we were unable to enjoy this undoubtedly fantastic spectacle. The gardens ... read more

Asia » Japan » Tokyo

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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