xmas eve in the pub

Christmas in Japan

---

December 26th 2007
For weeks Christmas lights have been up, carols and jingles have been playing in shops and pubs, and department stores have been decked out with Christmas trees, bells and holly. But Japan has been teasing me. Yesterday there was no Christmas! You see Japan embraces all things Christmas (in its own, sometimes odd way), apart from Christmas day itself! So I spent yesterday sat at my desk in my ... read more

Asia » Japan » Tokyo

---

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