So Dokdo, occupied by South Korea, is claimed by Japan, which calls it Takeshima. (Koreans denigrate the claim, pointing out that the island has no take, or bamboo, at all.) Island disputes with China and Russia also fester.

ECONOMIST: A look at how Japan views the sea��and itself

Dive boats stop on the island, and travellers can spend the time drifting in the lagoon on a makeshift bamboo raft, lounging on the perfect beaches and exploring the mangroves.

BBC: The undiscovered jewel of the Philippines

The line is based on antioxidant-rich green tea, bamboo sap, and red ginseng, which the company cultivates at its own farms on Jeju Island off the coast of Korea.

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