National Geographic September 1994

Inner Japan
Serenity lingers in the villages and lush valleys of Japan’s western slope, where rice farmers and artisans honor the nation’s ideals of family, tradition, simplicity.
Ireland on Fast- Forward
On emerald pastures, livestock grazes in the shadow of factories. Manufacturing now surpasses farming in the island nation, where hopes for the future crowd out dreams of a romantic past.
The Sonoran Desert: Anything But Empty
This parched realm of cactuses and pronghorns that straddles California, Arizona, and Mexico, faces increasing development. A double map supplement highlights Mexico’s cultural heritage.
Fantasy Coffins of Ghana: To Heaven by Land, Sea, or Air
With a new funerary tradition – – brightly painted coffins shaped like animals, airplanes, and luxury autos – – Ghanaians honor the dead and celebrate their lives.
Crimea: Pearl of a Fallen Empire
Resort for tsars and commissars and headquarters of the Soviet’s Black Sea Fleet, the historic peninsula is the prize in today’s tug- of- war between Russia and Ukraine.