In our room at the Ryokan

Nara and Kyoto

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February 12th 2007
We went to Kyoto and were staying at a Ryokan - a traditional Japanese guesthouse - called Heianbo. We were a bit freaked out that it might be a bit too traditional (squat toilet, small uncomfortable futon etc) but it turned out to be really nice. We found Kyoto a bit weird though - the public transport system revolved around buses and the places that we wanted to visit were quite far away. Als ... read more

Asia » Japan » Kyoto

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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