Today we visited  JETRO, the Japanese external trade organization. It was every informative and we learned a lot about adapting business for the Japanese markets. It is a governmental organization, and it was interesting to hear their perspectives and strategies for business in Japan. We also had a tour of the imperial palace and gardens. It was very historical and I learned a lot about the Edo period of Tokyo history. For example, a guard tower was moved from the original imperial palace in Kyoto to Tokyo in the 1600s. We could not go inside the palace because it is the official residence of the Emperor and Empress. Although this was disappointing, it is completely understandable. After this excursion, we had some free time in the ginza district, which is similar to the times square area in New York City. There are a lot of expensive shops, including all of the designers: Chanel, Dior, Coach, and my favorite Tiffany & Co. We spent a significant amount of time in the Sony store checking out all of the cool technology including lots of 3D tvs, cameras and games. 

For dinner, we ate at a Korean restaurant where we met several Japanese friends of Professor Myer and Keiko. We had all we could eat for 2 hours. It was fun because we cooked our own food and learned some more Japanese table manners. The food was delicious and the company was excellent! Everyone I have met in Japan is so friendly and helpful. There are many cultures in the world where foreigners would be mocked for not knowing appropriate table manners, but in Japan they are helpful and just want to make sure you are enjoying your meal and your entire time in Japan.