1-2: More pics of the Da-Ichi main hotel. 3: Family pic with Kentaro's friend, Tristan 4: Me, looking disheveled at the Udon restaurant in Tokyo prior to going to Dr. Emoto's office.
March 29: Yes, I really am going to talk about each day of my trip. Thanks to Kentaro and his family, every day was filled with something different. They knew what interested me, they thought of places I didn't even know about that would probably interest me, and reserved it all for me. At left is a picture of the lobby at the Da-Ichi Hotel. Kentaro and I had talked via email about going to the big electronics store in Tokyo to buy a digital camera when I arrived. After we did, however, I decided not to get it as the instructions would all be in Japanese. I have enough trouble trying to decipher instructions on electronic doodads in English, so I thought it best to leave well enough alone.
Instead, Kentaro loaned me one of their spare digitals, and with it I took a few pics. The 29th in Tokyo dawned cold and rainy, changing at one point to sleet as Kentaro and I roamed the city looking for a likely place to have lunch. We found a tiny Udon (noodle) restaurant, and slipped inside to escape a small hailstorm which had suddenly taken the cold up a notch. I discovered in my soup a species of tiny mushrooms which grew in a bunch, and seemed to lodge themselves between my teeth. A bit disconcerting.
At 3 p.m., Ken had made an appointment for us to visit the main office of Dr. Masuro Emoto, a scientist and author of The Hidden Messages in Water. His work was featured in the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know? and I had been interested in it ever since. Since Dr. Emoto is Japanese, I asked Ken via email prior to my visit if he had ever heard of him. He hadn't, but looked him up and found out his main office was in Tokyo. Ken arranged for us to visit and we rode the trains that day to his neck of the city.
Ken gave me a card that I could use in the scanners, to ride subways or trains in the city. Both are a pretty amazing experience for someone who is used to riding alone in her Lexus. Packed with far more people than seats, the sardine experience was a new one for me-but not for Ken! While I clung to the poles or the straps to stay upright, he stood perfectly balanced in the middle of the aisle without holding onto anything, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Apparently he rides them every day to work, so it's nothing new for him. (Later, I even noticed people standing up with their heads resting on their chest, asleep!) Although Kentaro said I could use the card to ride the subways or trains on my own, I doubted my ability to figure out the directions in the bustling, crowded stations and decided instead to stick with cabs. I didn't want to end up in a distant city without a working cell phone or knowledge of the language.
Dr. Emoto was in Italy when we visited his office, but his assistant showed us around the laboratory and offered to answer any questions I had. Kentaro patiently translated for me, and I got the chance to ask some questions I had about Dr. Emoto's research. It was interesting, though not the highlight of the trip. I really enjoyed Dr. Emoto's book, however, and I believe respect for water is something greatly needed in this world.
After our visit, Kentaro said his mother had planned for us all to have dinner together at their home. I was feeling a bit under the weather and asked Ken if he'd mind my taking a nap before going to his home. I was concerned that he would have nothing to do for an hour while I slept (since it was a 40 minute multi-train ride to his house, it would have been silly for him to go home for just one hour and return). I needn't have worried though! Ken found plenty to do to keep busy while I slept, and one hour later he returned to my hotel with two envelopes full of information and my itinerary for the next day.
That night, I got to see Ken's parents, Fumi and Yoshimasa Chiba, again. They had visited Kentaro when he was living at my home, so we knew each other. His Mom had even performed a classical Japanese tea ceremony for me, since she knew I was interested in such things. Fumi-san has a sparkling and cheerful personality, coupled with kindness and good humor. In addition, she is very outgoing and just plain fun to be around. Yoshimasa-san is more reserved but equally kind, with a wonderful smile that lets you know his feelings. It was so good to see them both, and to enjoy the delicious feast that Fumi-san had prepared!
Kentaro's friend Tristan from the Phillipines also came to join the fun, and after dinner they had a big surprise: Ken's father had filmed the tea ceremony at my house in 2000, and suddenly there we all were on the screen! It was pretty cool to see us all from 'way back then, and it brought back lots of good memories. Yoshimasa-san also gave me a copy of the DVD to take home and share.
It may sound funny, but I want to digress for a moment here and talk about something that is usually "taboo" and that is...toilets. In Japan, people are very clean and neat. And efficient. Their toilets are nothing short of amazing. Not only are the seats heated, but they have an "arm" alongside the seat with buttons, that give you a variety of options. One is the bidet option. Another is the option shown by a button with a simple cartoon of a "butt" with water squirting on it. (You get the idea.) Then, of course, there is a "stop" button, so that you can end the washing actions. Some have a "super deodorizer" button, to keep life smelling beautiful. And last but not least, for those of us who value our privacy in the restroom, there is a button with an artificial flushing sound to cover up "other" noises.
I'll admit, when I first checked into my hotel room I couldn't even figure out how to flush this toilet! I had to remember my son Alex's constant admonition to me, to try and figure things out for myself instead of immediately calling for help. And, once I did get the hang of it, I was amazed that we primitive Americans could settle for a simple, cold-seated toilet on a daily basis. Think of the cleanliness we are missing out on! I am hopeful that someone will come along and revolutionize the American toilet industry by introducing these wonderful seats in the good old U.S. of A.
Wow, did I just wax enthusiastic about a toilet?? I'd better "end" here.
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