Well then, you must not be a Twitter user or pay attention to the new media circles that continue to absorb a larger piece of the pop culture pie.

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Former capital Kyoto, in particular, is known worldwide as one of the most beautiful places in Japan, and it's the place to absorb the maximum amount of architectural beauty, culture and history in the shortest amount of time.

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So if an intelligent, sociable individual now needs to absorb a lot more inputs from the popular culture, what gives?

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Watch "Big Wednesday, " absorb surf culture: This coming-of age story is the coolest surfing movie ever made.

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Rich in history yet obsessed with the modern and the new, it's key to absorb equal amounts of both to fully experience Japanese culture.

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