Underwater View

Tropical Paradise, Japanese Style!

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May 20th 2006
Japan: a land of contrasts. A blending of the old and new, the serene and the chaotic, the quiet and the brash, the arctic and the tropical....eeeeeeh? (This is the sound Japanese people make when they are really surprised about something. I love it when a whole classful of students will do this in unison! Just say "eh" and draw it out for a long time, making your intonation rise at the end.. ... read more

Asia » Japan » Okinawa

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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