Kitchen in our hotel room

Skiing in Hakkaido

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December 30th 2008
We couldn't make it home for Christmas, so we did the next best thing; we headed north to Hokkaido. Hokkaido is an island that trains don't run to, so we had to take a flight. While the flight was uneventful, we still had a 2.5 hour bus ride to get to Niseko. Mo and I arranged a bus ride a couple of months in advance. What we didn't arrange was a private bus, but that's exactly what we ... read more

Asia » Japan » Hokkaido

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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