Mini Geisha

Great Blessings in Kobe

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January 1st 2012
January 1st we left Osaka and headed for the port city of Kobe, only 25 minutes away from Osaka. We were slightly concerned that nothing would be open, it being both a Sunday and New Year's Day, but when we arrived mid-morning, Kobe was buzzing with people celebrating Hatsumōde - the first visit to a temple or shrine of the year (which is ... read more

Asia » Japan » Hyogo » Kobe

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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