12/1 Tokyo/Nagoya

After another lovely breakfast at the top of the Grand Prince Akasaka Hotel with another spectacular view of Mt. Fuji, Deb and I walked to a local Buddhist shrine not far from the hotel.  Quite a few people were inside (attested to by the line of shoes at the bottom of the stairs) or at the steps.  There was chanting along with drums and bells in the air coming from inside.  

Several folks stayed at the bottom of the steps, tossed a few coins in the box and bowed, clapped twice, bowed and prayed with hands clasped, clapped twice more, bowed and went on their way.  People will come when time permits (this was about 10:30 in the morning on a Monday) and spend whatever time they need.  During the ten minutes or so we were there, perhaps two dozen different people came and left.  

As we were leaving the area (which included the shrine, some small shops where you could buy gifts to leave there, a memorial/burial area and a large incense-burning container) a few people were arriving with trays of some beverage and small food offerings for the monks at the shrine.  This is the only noticeable religious activity I’ve seen since arriving a week ago.  Quite a difference from the U.S., although I’m not sure I know what to look for here.

We did a quick Skype phone home with the kids and Merrilee (they seem to be surviving, if a little ragged around the edges). Deb and Pat had an 11:30 lobby call for their departure (Deb was now loaded down with all the Yomeishu and the Yomeishu wine in her bag).  After some heart-felt good-byes with the crew and Fumiko and Noguchi, they departed for the airport.  

The four of us remaining and crew left not ten minutes later in our van to the train station and one more Nozomi bullet train--this time back to Nagoya.  As the traffic was light and Noguchi liked to run early if possible, we caught an early train. Had an enjoyable trip chatting with Mark and reading, but this time able to see sights out the window (sometimes blurry from the speed!).  Nagoya is a somewhat familiar city (from last week) and we’re in the same hotel.  Off to dinner with Noguchi-san.

Mike and Mark went out for their yearly Monday-after-Thanksgiving dinner tonight, Bob was out of his room, so Noguchi and I went out to a favorite of his--a chicken wing place behind the hotel.  The sort of small place we might not venture into without help, but lo and behold, when we got in, there were Pearson and McCoy!  (Lots of smokers--so may have hotel do laundry tomorrow.)

They left early, and Noguchi and I had a fine time.  We talked about Japan, US, me, him, travels, politics, etc.  And he bought everyone's meal.  I gave him a CD when we returned to the hotel--he came into the room and tried to help with the internet, but ended up placing the second call to the hotel tech staff.

Here in Nagoya, my internet connection has been intermittent at best.  Three different visits by the hotel tech folks and a long call to the intertouch phokes in the Philippines and it has worked twice, and not worked about 6 times.  So I may be out of luck until Hong Kong!

11/30 Tokyo concert/full circle

Another nice room at the Akasaka--sometimes hard to leave and head out to breakfast, but we did. Up to the 40th and swinging around the corner toward the restaurant, there she is again...Mt. Fuji, for all to see. A little obscured by some haze today, but prominent, nonetheless.

A morning off, then to the hall for sound check and rehearsal. There was a little at-the-hall promo TV shooting in the green room today, but Bob did all the talking. (I made sure to head out of the room when they started asking questions about the others in the group--never know when the camera might point my way again! They had shot around the room before Bob had come in and caught me eating lunch and talking with some other folks...I hope Bob is more interesting than that!)

It was a wonderful hall in Tokyo and probably the largest audience of the trip so far. Great sound again and enthusiastic audience response.

Noguchi-san made sure all was right and managed every detail. It was an afternoon show, so had plenty of time after the autographs for dinner and seeing the town again (that was after I and the other guys got our bags down to the lobby by 7:30 for shipment to Nagoya the next day.

Last night with all of us there, so we walked across the street in search of dinner for us all. For the first night I could remember (except in the mountains) the weather was decidedly cold in the night breeze. Looking for something that would be workable for my diet and interesting enough for the rest, a vision from the past appeared--and we ate dinner at Trader Vic’s! Bob’s treat! Hilarity and good memories abounding.

11/29 Bullet to Tokyo

A very different rhythm to this day, as our bags were down in the lobby by 9:00, then a little wandering around the city and an 12:00 departure. The 3:00 show at Geijutsu Hall was successful and nearly full. Another fine set up by Ota-san, our traveling sound expert. The guitars and banjos were packed into a truck while we left the venue for the Shin-Osaka Station for our trip to Tokyo.

The 7:00 Nozomi train was on time and we boarded in the reservation car--several of those and several for last minute purchases, of which there were many. By 7:00 there was no outside light left, so we watched as signs and lights of the city and countryside flew by. As we met trains bound for Osaka, these long, 20-car trains would pass each other in less than three seconds. Something on the order of 160 miles per hour. Fast.

Our trip took just over 2 1/2 hours, just barely longer than predicted as there was something on the track we needed to stop for for awhile--a highly unusual event, we were later told.

Another mini bus to the hotel and we settled in for the night--back at the Akasaka Prince Hotel--where we stayed our first night in Tokyo. Kimonos provided. Sort of full circle for this part of the trip with Pat and Deb. A nice touch--intended or not.

11/28 Fukuoka to Osaka

The next day we made sure we were up and back from breakfast in time to Skype with the family at Vern and Martha's house. 8:00 AM Friday would make it 3:00 Thanksgiving afternoon there, and everyone would be back from the Coupeville Community Thanksgiving dinner--a first for our family. It sounds like it was a fine event and the kids all had a great time getting lots of desserts! Good thing the crabby parents weren't there!! (We might have eaten their share!)

This technology thing is amazing. Writing this blog and sending the travels home instantly is one thing, but Skyping--it’s like Dick Tracy come to life. Not much bigger than a wrist phone and we can see and talk to people on the other side of the world with a few clicks on the computer. What a change from the $20 or $30 phone calls we used to make from overseas.

We had an 11:00 check out and a 12:20 flight to Osaka--the other side of this island, and some ways north of Fukuoka. 1:30 arrival, 40 minutes to the ANA Crown Plaza Hotel, bags to the rooms and Mark said “we’ve got a lot of Osaka to see before bed tonight” so we needed to get going. 30 minutes after checking in we were back in the lobby ready to venture forth.

We took subways and feet to Osaka Jo (Jo being the designation for castles in Japan). As we approached, we saw the castle take shape beyond the moat and walls and behind a large row of trees. A long path and stairs led over the moat and up to the castle gate.

A few side trips on the way put us too late to get us in to the castle (Mike says you’ve seen one castle, you’ve seen...oh well). So we looked up and took pictures from outside and then the lights came on. A wide variety of illuminations and a little music. Quite a show.

We left and headed for the hotel in the now darkness and headed back by some night time food vendors. Many and varied menus--lots of fried foods among them. Didn’t buy anything, but headed back praying that the long-threatening rain would continue to just go for the sprinkle, rather than total immersion. It worked like a charm!

We had dinner in the shops beneath the train station, and everyone was pretty pooped when we returned from out 3-hour walk, so all retired to rooms and are in the process of slowing down for the night.

Bags need to be in the lobby to be loaded on a truck tomorrow by 9:00 AM, hang around until the show at 3:00, then take a Nozumi (bullet train) to Tokyo at 7:00. Afternoon show in Tokyo, then bags down in the lobby for another truck by 7:30 that night. Leave mid-day Monday for Nagoya (Deb and Pat to airport and home). So, busy.

Not much luck with Osamu Sakarai (Vic’s pen pal from post WWII) yet, but Noguchi (our host here) said he'd give it a try if I had an address or phone number. After all these years...but we'll try. It would be very cool.

Tomorrow, Tokyo.

11/27 Fukuoka Thanksgiving

On the return trip to the hotel..."now where is that next subway entrance?"

After returning to the hotel, we left for the radio station and a live interview promoting that night’s concert. Luckily Bob did most of the talking with some by Mark. Mike and I took up our seats in the rear, pretty much hoping we’d be forgotten, but no luck. We all got to talk about what was special or memorable to us about Fukuoka or Japan and we survived without saying anything embarrassing. I was thankful for that! I did mention that I was very thankful for the warm welcome we'd received by all the people we'd met in Japan so far.

A return to the hotel and lunch and preparing for our first full show of the trip. Deb came along in time for the sound check in order to meet Jason Rome and parents Geena and Tom. Now-10-year-old Jason emailed Deb a couple of years ago about using Dinosailors in a movie he was making. They were driving up from Sasebo City, close to the Naval Base where Tom is serving.

The two-hour trip took three with bad weather and a few missed turns and Deb hung out in the lobby waiting for them. We all got to meet them and Mike took a special interest in Jason--any 10-year-old who’s willing to put himself out and meet an author and create drawings for his potential show was worth spending some time with. Great fun meeting them all and finally get to put faces with the names. They've been helpful getting Deb started on her next year return journey to Japan to do school visits.

Not a full house for the concert, but he show was enjoyable and the first chance to do the full two-hour show. Jason and his folks were there for pictures and autographs after. A fine evening of friends, new and old and the first appearance of the Brothers Four Friends Club, a devoted and enthusiastic group of supporters, some of whom have been following the group since their first concert in Japan in 1961. What fun!

11/27 Fukuoka, part 1

The morning in Fukuoka was as different from the night before as, well, day from night!  The Christmas party was in progress the night before with Santas (not a nativity scene in sight) and a whole range of Christmas carols.  The day broke and sun shone again, so what to do on  the U.S. Thanksgiving Day in Japan??  We headed for the beach! We knew we had a radio promotion spot to do about 11:30 that morning, so a subway ride took us part way to our destination.  

The subways in Japan are clean, safe, close by and almost always on time.  

The maze feeling you have as the escalators, stairways and tunnels go off

 in six different directions is not unlike any subway system in which the information is almost always in another language.  You look at the map, look at the schedule and the signs on the wall, put the money you think you need in the ticket machine, head for the gate, wait for the train and get

 on.  Then you watch the display and hope you’re heading toward rather than away from your intended destination.  With Mike, Mark and Pat leading the way, us newcomers to Japan fared very well.

We headed out into the sun again and walked down a road by a little canal or inlet and eventually crossed over a bridge with wonderful railing designs.  Pat said the designs were filled with athletes--swimmers, runners and others.  

It took some of us a little longer to catch on, 

but look we did and there they were.  (By the way, since I can't download our pictures until I get home, thanks to Pat Pearson for all these photos--our tour photographer!)

Turning right at the end of the bridge took us past the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome, and down to the beach.  Many things are well-defined and organized in Japan, including the shoreline when viewed from above, so it was good to see at least a little bit of unmanaged water and beach.  It was lovely, warm sand and pretty warm water too.  Yes, kids, I touched another ocean for you!

Down the beach a ways, talking and picking up shells, we headed inland once again, now on the other side of the domed stadium, home of the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks baseball team.  Some interesting art displays with gloves and hands and a new “monster” friend for Deb, our own monster mama.

The dome was closed today, so on into the atrium of the JAL hotel where the group has stayed on some previous visit.  Great atrium facing out on the water and beautiful plants--so much attention to natural, growing things here, even if they are kept just so, never out of control.  

Once outside it was on a bus--then off (seemed like too much money just to ride to the subway station when we could walk) and off we trekked--and trekked.  The subway process repeated in reverse, a walk back to the hotel, and another memory was successfully created.  Just in time for our interview.  Every day, new adventures of many kinds.  

More to come.

11/26 Nagoya/Fukuoka

Morning time came and we searched the local area for a meal and then the ever-adventurous Mr. Pearson led us on a trek to the Nagoya castle.  

Nagoya Castle was built in the beginning of the Edo Period for one of the three Tokugawa family branches. Nagoya developed into an important castle town and is now Japan's fourth largest city.

The castle was bombed to its foundation in the air raids of 1945. The reconstruction dates from 1959. The interior of the castle is now a museum displaying the castle's history.  

An amazing story, building and vision of re-birth for the castle.  It is well worth the visit.  

We topped off the visit with ice cream--chocolate, caramel (Pat's favorite), strawberry, and green tea ice cream for Deb and me.  Ice cream, sun tan and Japan in late November.  They tell me it's seldom seen!

A return to the hotel and check-out brought us to airport time and we took an hour-and-a-half flight to our next concert destination--Fukuoka.  Then dinner, and a little town walking in the warm evening air (well, warm for late November).

We walked a ways from the hotel to a quaint little place called Canal City. 

 Just joking about quaint and little.  So many shops (mostly high-end) and lights and things to see.  It didn’t hurt that the Christmas (shopping) season in Japan begins in early November and runs through to Christmas Day, and the place was decked out in fine fashion!

Canal City is a large shopping and entertainment complex, calling itself a "city within the city". Attractions include numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, two hotels and a canal, which runs through the complex. 

 At this time of year, it was especially amazing.  We arrived for the on-the-hour light, music and water show--all electronically choreographed and timed to perfection.

We crossed the canal to Happy Town, the nightclub and night life district that appears in every large city in Japan.  Night time was its time and the lights were on and people were out visiting, partying, playing, eating--you name it, it probably was happening there.  

Reminiscent of Seoul, the clubs were stacked, one above another, in buildings four to eight stories high.  A club or two on each floor and many such buildings meant a lot of night life.  Into the not-so-wee hours they went.  Long past the time we all headed back to the hotel for sleep.  The daytime is slower there, but night time always comes again.