By accident, found this fascinating little warren of alleyways underneath the North end of Shinjuku station, crammed full of tiny food stalls (one bar could take just 5 people).
Tokyo November 27th 2008
Politeness and the culture clash
I've been a sucker for all things Japanese since I was at school. The TV broadcast James Clavell's Shogun and Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha in rapid succession and I was rather taken with the place. So I am a little disappointed in myself that it took so long to come here. I think I know why this is though. To a large extent, writing a ... 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