River Bend

Visit Yaeyama Islands

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January 14th 2015
Beautiful, isolated, remote Iriomote. If Okinawa is the poorest prefecture in Japan, then surely the far-flung islands are the most disadvantaged parts. About 2000 people live scattered along a 48 kilometre road that hugs half of the coast of Iriomote, and the remaining 80 percent of the island is untouched tropical forest and mangrove wetlands. Tourism, breeding beef cattle to be raised in other ... read more

Asia » Japan » Okinawa » Iriomote Island

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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