History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese archipelago fostered human development. The earliest-known pottery found in Japan belongs to the Jōmon period. The first permanent capital was founded in 710 at Nara, which became a center of Buddhist art, religion and culture. In the 1860s, the Meiji period began, and the new national leadership systematically ended feudalism and transformed an isolated, underdeveloped island country, into a world power that closely followed Western models. The U.S. occupied Japan until 1952. Japanese prehistory[edit] Paleolithic Age[edit] The Japanese Paleolithic age covers a lengthy period starting as early as 50,000 BC, and ending sometime around 12,000 BC, at the end of the last ice age. Jōmon period[edit] Yayoi period[edit]
Character Bentos | yonasu.com
Published on October 4th, 2011. A Bento or lunch box as we know it in the west are home-packed meals, typical filled with rice, fish, meat or cooked vegetables. Leave it to the Japanese to make them cute and fun with “Kyaraben” or “Character Bentos”. Over the past few years the “Kyaraben” craze has brought about contest such as Sanrio’s Annual Kyaraben Contest and turned what children have for lunch into a hobby and form of art. After a little bit of searching, I came across some excellent looking ones.
How to eat politely in Japan (and other etiquette tips)
If you're visiting Japan soon - and the end of August is a great time, with autumn leaves starting to change colour - there are some things you should know first. In this extract from Lonely Planet Magazine (Aug 2010), we give you some starting tips for impressing the locals with your cultural know-how. Eating: Chopsticks in rice. Do not stick your hashi (chopsticks) upright in a bowl of rice. Shoes: Take your shoes off when entering a private home or anywhere with a tatami floor. Making a payment: In a shop, instead of handing cash to the assistant, place your money on the small tray they keep next to the till. Visiting a shrine: Entering a shrine can be a bewildering experience. Public baths: Bathing at an onsen (hot spring) or sento (public bath) is a quintessentially Japanese experience. Once you're clean, rinse completely before going anywhere near the baths. Onsen or sento may have a variety of baths with varying temperatures, cold pools, saunas or even an electric bath.
10 Weird and Mysterious Places on Earth
digg 1. Mystery Spot Mystery Sport is a tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California, famous because of its disrespect to the laws of physics and gravity. 2. The question about the triangle that swallows ships, planes and all the people with them still waits for its answer. 3. Socotra is archipelago the Horn of Africa and Arabic Peninsula, but the main island of Socotra is 95% of the whole landmass, while the rest is just small islands. 4. Mount Roraima is located on the triple border point between Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. 5. Rio Tinto is located in south-western Spainand originates from Sierra Morena mountains of Andalusia. 6. The Fly Geyser, near Gerlach, Nevada, is strange because it somehow grows up. 7. McMurdo Dry Valleys are located on Antarctica but, believe it or not, they lack snow. 8. The well known statues on the Easter Island, the moai, still remain mystery for the researchers. 9. 10. Racetrack Playa in California is well known due to its sailing stones.
