Shinsaibashi

Gaijin Smash

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July 19th 2012
First of all, I figured I'd do an overview of the trip and then break it down by certain trips/pictures. I left JFK for a five and a half hour plane ride to Seattle, then 12 hours from Seattle to Kansai International Airport. I've never experienced the amount of anxiety or culture shock more than when I first arrived in Japan. I had to clear customs (people in the Kansai area don't spe ... read more

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Hirakata

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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