Back in Tokyo

I'm back in Tokyo (which also means back to having internet access). My time in Fukutsu was wonderful. I visited three schools, got to experience indigo dyeing (which is a local craft), and had my homestay. The family I stayed with exceeded all of my wildest expectations! They were so kind and incredibly generous, sending me on my way with many gifts. It was a very unique experience getting to have an inside look at how a typical Japanese family lives.

I have too many stories from the past week for one post, so most of them will have to wait until I return State-side. The trip is winding down now with just one more full day before heading to the airport for my retuen voyage. Although I am exited to get back to school and see my friends and family, I am sad to leave as I have made so many wonderful friends. I have learned a ton from this entire three week journey, and am confident that it will have a significant impact on my personal and professional life.

I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween; I'll be back at school next Monday!!

More updates soon

I don^t have easy acess to internet at the moment so I have not been posting. I will again around the beginning of next week. Sorry about grammar mistakes, I^m using a Japanese keyboard and it^s a little challenging! Kepp the comments coming, I get a quick moment to read them ever few days. I will respond to questions as soon as I have a moment!

Peace.

A-Bomb Survivor & Kabuki

Wow. This morning I had the honor of going to a seminar with a gentleman who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, and the daughter of a survivor. It was such a privilege t0 hear him share his memories of August 6, 1945, his thoughts on Japan/American relationships and peace education. The actions the United States took in dropping the bomb caused him more physical and emotional pain than I will likely ever experience, yet he (and most other Japanese) harbor no ill will towards America. He said, "Hostility to the A-bomb will never end, but hostility to American people faded quickly. We are all part of the human race; we are the same, people to people." If people simply take the time to understand and know one another, we will find there is no reason for violence. The foundation of this trip I am on is to spread understanding between cultures, which will, I hope, contribute to a more peaceful world for us all. There was not a dry eye in the room, and being a participant in this seminar will be one very special and vivid memory of this entire trip for years to come.

The rest of the day was a bit of a let down after such an emotional morning (although it was an eventful afternoon) I got a first-hand look at Kabuki! Many of you at school have been curious about it, so let me share a few things I learned today... Kabuki is a type of Japanese theatre, but it is more of a dance that tells a story. It does not actually play much of a role in modern Japanese culture even though it has been around for over 400 years. Most people in Japan apparently don't know much about it themselves since it is not taught in schools.

In the evening I went to the Hokkaido district of Tokyo for some shopping and dinner with Peter from Maine, and Suzie from Pennsylvania. We went to a fantastic store called Chicago that had all sorts of second-hand items, mostly from the U.S. It was kind of like a thrift store, but much more expensive! I didn't purchase anything there, but found a few items to bring home for the family though. :) We also had dinner at a fantastic Japanese restaurant where we had to take our shoes off before going in. Our waiter didn't speak any English but we managed to get some very yummy food. A rice dish, some shrimp, a salad, and some mysterious appetizer that we didn't order but was REALLY good! (I think it was some kind of pickled root vegetable)... Tomorrow is my one free day; I'll be exploring Tokyo some more and try to check in with another entry. Peace and enjoy the weekend!

Tsujiki Fish Market & Presentations

I'm going to keep it brief today since I've been up for about 20 hours after only sleeping for about 4! Today I visited Tokyo's world famous seafood market, and I'm so glad I did. It was organized chaos with people and fish moving in all directions simultaneously. There was such a variety of sea creatures at the beginning of their journey from the sea to dinner plates all over Japan; from tuna and clams to blue fish and eels! After the market I had a nice breakfast on the 40th floor of my hotel, which offered spectacular views of the city. Most of the rest of the day was spent listening to presentations on Japan's educational system, economy, and government. The education one was by far the most interesting. We were on our own for dinner, so three of my fellow travelers and I took to the subway and headed to Shibuya, which is one of Tokyo's busiest districts.

Sayonara.

Sightseeing & Royal Treatment

A few notes about my day today... We visited The Diet which has nothing to do with food, but is the Japanese version of our Congress. We had a tour of the facilities and all of its magnificent architecture. From there we went to the Asakusa district for lunch and some sightseeing, and on the way saw the Imperial Palace. Although, I couldn't really get any good pictures of it. For lunch we were treated to tempura, which is simply a variety of fried foods such as vegetables and fish. (Which included the LARGEST shrimp I have ever seen!) After lunch we were free to wonder on our own a bit around the district. I visited a Shinto shrine, and took in the sights around it, including a large shopping area that seemed to be geared towards tourists like me. I didn't buy much, but I did get a wonderful shrine book that I will have to share more about in a later post. I also seemed to be quite popular with some of the locals; an older gentleman came up to me and wanted to take my picture, and a large group of young girls was very facinated with my red beard. They were very funny about it! When it was time to go back to the hotel, one of our group members did not get back to the bus on time, so we left without her! It's an example of how important being punctual is to the Japanese! (She was fine, and actually got to the hotel before we did after taking a taxi).

Now about the royal treatment... We are being put up in a five star hotel in the heart of Tokyo. All of the staff greet us as though we are kings and queens. I have never stayed in such a magnificent hotel! There are hundreds of acres of gardens on the grounds, it is actually three buildings, and has over a hundred shops and restaurants! Check out the video clip to see the view from my room! (sorry about the glare, and shakiness!) The room came with a bathrobe and slippers too!

Tokyo!

I'm finally in Japan! My, what a long plane ride! I was on the plane for over ten hours, with a window seat... needless to say, my legs were quite sore! The flight was made more enjoyable by the gentleman sitting next to me, Greg from Chicago. He is a photography teacher at a school with about 2700 students! For comparisons sake, two of his schools would be larger than the entire population of Brookline!

After some more orientation meetings & introductions, we met Fulbright Scholars, and went to nearby restaurants with one of them. I and two other JFMF participants had the pleasure of dining with Satomi Iwasaki, who studyied at Columbia University 10 years ago as a Fulbright Scholar. We had shabu-shabu, which is a style of cusine where raw food is brought to your table and you cook it for only a few seconds by swiching it around in a pot of boiling water which is right on the table. It was mighty tastey!

San Francisco & sad news

Whew! It was a long day of travel, but I've made it to my first stop, San Francisco. I woke up Sunday morning at about 3:30AM (after about 3 hours of sleep) to make it to the airport for my flight. Once we arrived in SF, we were met at the airport by JFMF representatives, and I finally was able to meet many of my fellow travelers.

At orientation in the afternoon we were given an overview of what to expect in Japan, and heard from some past participants in the program. We were also informed that we are the last group being supported by this program; the Japanese government who have so generously funded it for the past 12 years, can no longer afford to do so. The program was supposed to last only 5 years, and this will be its 12th. Knowing that I will be part of the last group saddens me, as I know so many who would gain from an experience like this, and now will not be able to.

At the conclusion of orientation, we boarded buses for the Consul General's house for a reception and dinner. Oh my, the food was amazing, and the house was absolutely breathtaking! Marble floors, patio looking our over the bay towards Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge... Wow!

Time to get packed up and head to the airport. Next stop Tokyo!

Packed!

I'm finally packed and ready to go! It has been a very busy week, running on little sleep, but now I've got the rest of my day to relax and enjoy with family and friends before leaving the house at about 4:30 tomorrow morning. Now that all of the stressful planning and preparations are over, I am so excited and eager to get on the plane to begin this long awaited adventure! Alright folks, I'm off to enjoy some Pumpkin Fest activities on this beautiful fall day!

Sayonara!