Trying to quell the consumer in me... June 14th 2007 Yesterday I had a bit of an internal consumer crisis. You see I live about 10 minutes walking distance from the main shopping street in downtown Shizuoka and while that is a nice convenience at times, it is also really bad for the consumer in me. Every time I walk down the street (which is quite often because it is on my way to work and it is the center of life really in Shizuoka) I am forced to ... read more
Asia » Japan » Shizuoka 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