At the castle I snuck up behind a professional photographer and stole a shot. What can I say? It was a good photo opportunity.

Japan's Hawaii (April 30 - May 7, 2006)

---

April 30th 2006
The island of Okinawa is by far very, very, very different from the rest of Japan. It seems like a completely different country. The weather there is gorgous. The average temperature year round is 23 degrees celcius. How perfect is that? There is so much room there, unlike Tokyo. The streets and houses aren't crowded and not everyone is in a rush to get some place. It's very relaxed and lai ... read more

Asia » Japan » Okinawa

---

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