3020 - Annaka, Gunma, Japan

Yoshimi sends a great card of Kōshibyō 孔子廟 found in Nagasaki. Kōshibyō is the oldest Confucian school in Japan. The word means "Temple of Confucius."

Confucianism was introduced from Korea during the Japanese invasions of Korea from 1592-1598. It developed into an elite religion, and had a profound effect on the fabric of Japanese society during the Edo period. Confucian philosophy believes the universe could be understood through human reason, corresponding with universal reason, and thus it is up to man to create a harmonious relationship between the universe and the individual.

Confucianism also created a social system that previously had not existed. Japanese society was divided up into four social classes: samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Samurai were avid readers and teachers of Confucian thought and established many Confucian academies.

Japanese Neo-Confucianism introduced elements of ethnocentrism into Japan. Chinese and Korean Neo-Confucians regarded their own cultures as the centre of the world. Japanese Neo-Confucinisms also developed a similar national pride.

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3227 - Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mölln is a small city of about 20 000 located in northern Germany. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal flows through the town, and there are eight small lakes that surround the city. It was founded in the 12th century and was a part of the Old Salt Route. Salt that was produced in the salt mines of Lower-Saxony was shipped to the Baltic Sea. Till Eulenspiegel, a legendary trickster known for exposing vices and provoking thought, is said to have lived in Mölln the last year of his life. He apparently died of the plague in 1350, but his existence has never been proven. Mölln has several monuments dedicated to him.

3322 - Hamburg, Germany

Happy birthday to me! What a lovely handmade card from the sender. Beautiful penmanship. Am Rothenbaum is the site of the main court of the German Open Tennis Championships. The International German Open has been played at the Rothernbaum since 1892, making it Germany's longest running tennis tournament. The current stadium was built in 1999 and can hold 13 200 people.

3232 - Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light was built in 1882. There were nine keepers of the light until 1897. It was redesigned in 1903 and is 12 meters high. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was started in 1872 and wasn't opened for large-scale watercraft until 1890. The canal is 2.1 kilometers long that goes from Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan to Green Bay. There are no locks on this canal. The canal was sold to the United States government in 1893 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal.

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