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By Marc Atchison
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 KYOTO, JAPAN - The young rickshaw driver doesn't wince when the supersized Canadian approaches and asks to be taken for a ride in Japan's traditional two-wheel hand-pulled cab. "I can pull over 300 kilograms without sweating," boasts the muscular Nori, who quickly steadies the awkward-looking mini carriage with the gleaming spoked wheels and helps the stranger and his petite partner aboard.
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By Adam Waxman
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 Despite the tragic events that have shaken Japan, Adam Waxman finds the country’s spirit to be as enduring as the sacred sakura
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By P.J. West
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 NAHA CITY, OKINAWA - We open our umbrellas in the sunniest place in Japan - for protection against a torrential downpour.
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By Marc Atchison
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 IBUSUKI CITY, JAPAN - It appeared a gang of headhunters had arrived in this ancient Japanese city before we did. Heads were strewn all over the public beach - not a body in sight.
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By P.J. West
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 OSAKA, JAPAN - I was just steps away from the exit of Osaka's main railway station when my legs became trapped in the steel jaws of a turnstile that suddenly snapped shut as I tried to move forward.
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By Irene Matsumoto
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 TOKYO, JAPAN - In a country renowned for its high-speed trains, it was two slow moving versions - one known as the “Romance Car” - that made us fall in love with rail service here.
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By P.J. West
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 KAGOSHIMA CITY, JAPAN - It rains pink petals in this southern Japanese city. Each year, when the cherry trees shed their pink coats and a gentle wind blows off the surrounding sea, the pedals flutter about like snow flakes and the people of this charming city celebrate the event by gathering in parks to picnic.
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By Marc Atchison
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 KYOTO, JAPAN - I was led to believe Japan is a male-dominated world. So why is the tiny woman wrapped in silk wrappings, complete with a bow at the back, ordering me to take my shoes off before entering a hotel in this ancient city.
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By P.J. West
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 TOKYO, JAPAN - There's something fishy going on here and tourists are falling for it hook, line and sinker. "Follow your nose," was what we were told when I and a small group of friends headed out to find the world-famous Tsukiji fish market, located in the central area of this bustling city of 12.7 million people who are obviously hooked on fish dishes.
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By P.J. West
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 TOKYO, JAPAN - Why can’t all cabs be as clean as those found in Japan’s capital? My late grandmother would have been impressed with the snow-white doilies that covered the seat of the immaculate cab we rode in while en route to the Meiji Shrine.
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TOKYO, JAPAN - From a vantage point 50 stories above Tokyo in the lounge of the Park Hyatt Hotel, it becomes clear that this is a city that sprawls endlessly in every direction.
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