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.

finally made it!

The plane ride to Japan was horrendously long. There are no words to describe the ordeal, it was boring, exhausting and terrible. I couldn't really sleep and the movies weren't that good. Fortunately, I had some good company and we played cards. I was in the middle seat of the side aisle and was sitting next to a Japanese business man. As the flight was boarding, a woman across the aisle was having trouble fitting her suitcase into the overhead bin. Without being asked, the man assisted her with the suitcase for a full five minutes until he could successfully fit it into the bin. After he took his seat, a woman walked by with a baby and paused at the end of our row, due to space constraints. The baby's shoe was almost off and the man gently pushed the shoe back onto the baby's foot, without thanks. He also engaged in pleasant conversation with Russ and I, asking about our trip and providing suggestions of places in Tokyo we should go to shop, eat and see sights. His English was near perfect, as he worked for the Embassy and was returning from a meeting with a Brazilian firm. It was really great to chat with him and have such a wonderful first experience.

After we landed, we smoothly moved through customs and passport control, where I learned that you should not fill out forms in Pink Pen when you are in Japan. After that we used the extremely high tech airport bathrooms which included a bidet and an automated door for each small bathroom. We changed some money and loaded the van to continue to our hotel. In Japan, their steering wheel is on the opposite side of the vehicle and it was strange to get used to. There were a lot of Hondas and Toyotas on the road, and we passed Tokyo Disney and many rice fields on the way into the city.

After we settled in the hotel, we went out to have some dinner. Since the plane food was abysmal, I was starving. I went with Keiko and her family to a traditional Japanese noodle restaurant. We were given hot towels at the beginning of the meal, and those were used to wash our hands and  also as napkins. I had a delicious meal of soba noodles and tempura. I was encouraged to slurp my noodles, as it is a sign of deliciousness. Back at the hotel the beds were surprisingly hard and the bathroom is very small, but I still slept well!

waiting to leave

The flight from Bangor to LaGuardia was rainy and the landing was rough. I was almost sick :( After that, we hopped a quick van to JFK. We drove through some traffic and a lot of construction. For the last several hours we have been chilling in the airport planning our free time and playing cards. Can't wait to get on the plane and fly to Japan! The flight will be long but I am hoping to get some sleep because I couldn't sleep last night!