San-In Coastal Scenery

Capital City on the Cheap

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June 17th 2006
To celebrate Denise's 23rd birthday, we headed up north to Izumo and Matsue for the weekend. Matsue is the prefectural capital and largest city of Shimane. Izumo is home to two noteworthy sights, the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan and a giant onion that acts as the local sporting center. Always the budget travelers, we ha ... read more

Asia » Japan » Shimane » Matsue

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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