camp ground with our friend Andy

Autumn colors in Tokyo (Nov. 2008)

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January 7th 2009
We arrived in Tokyo just in time for kojo - autumn colors. Japan is famous for its yellow gingko and red maple trees. So one of the first things we did was going on an autumn hike in the mountains close the Tokyo. It takes about 90 minutes from Shinjuku station to reach Okutama and then another 30minutes to the artificial Okutama lake. We arranged to meet my friend Andy at the campground for a coo ... read more

Asia » Japan » Tokyo

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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