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Homestay, Karaoke, and Japanese

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August 29th 2004
Friday, there was the opening ceremony and a luncheon afterwards.  I've include Mike's pictures of the event. Saturday, I moved in with my homestay family. This was probably the part of the process that caused me the most anxiety. Fortunately, however, they are extremely nice. Japanese houses are small by American standards. They are very narrow, but tall. The stairs leading up to my ro ... read more

Asia » Japan

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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