I returned from my Georgetown 45th reunion at 1:00 on 10/27 and picked up a rental car at SMF. \240I drove home, repacked my bag, and by 3:15 were on the road to Atherton where we stayed with Barbara and Arnie. \240Dinner was at Sharon Hills where we were joined by Mark and Joan. \240 We were up at 7 on 10/28 for the 30’ drive to San Jose airport.

We made it to Japan, finally. \240Our flight to Tokyo Narita was on an ANA 787. \240Excellent service on a plane which was about 1/3 full. \240After 10.5 hours we arrived in Tokyo (1/2 hour early) where we met Jerry and Gayle who arrived about 5’ after us on a UA flight from SFO. \240 After a 2.5 hour layover we took an ANA commuter flight; 1 1/4 hours to Hiroshima. \240 We were met at the airport by our driver and guide for the 40’ trip into the city to the Sheraton Grand Hotel. \240 We had a light dinner and are now ready to collapse in bed.

We had aVERY full day, starting at 9 when we were met by our guide, Nao, and driver. \240We drove about 40’ south through the city to the ferry port where we boarded a ferry for the 10’ trip across the placid Inland Sea to the island of Miyajima, one of the major tourist attractions of Hiroshima. \240The small entirely is mostly devoted to tourism. \240 After disembarking we walked along the seashore to the Itsukushima Shrine (rebuilt in 1168), a shrine of the Shinto religion. \240 Unfortunately, one of the iconic photo sites in all of Japan, the O-Torii (Grand Gate), which sits in the water just off the shrine, was completely covered with scaffolding as it is being renovated for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. \240The walk through the shrine was well worth it as it is beautifully constructed and decorated. \240 We then walked uphill to the Buddhist Daisho-in Temple. \240It some ways it was reminiscent of Tibetan Buddhist temples and in others it was differently Japanese, representing the Shingon sect. \240After these visits it was time for lunch. \240Evie had recommended Okonomiyaki, a cuisine unique to Hiroshima. \240Nao guided us to her favorite small restaurant for this cuisine. \240It consists of a pancake filled with vegetables, pork, egg, and a sweet sauce; as advertised, it was really good. \240

After lunch we took the ferry back to Hiroshima and traveled to the Hiroshima Botanical Garden. \240 As we expected for Japan, the garden was beautifully laid out and maintained. \240The highlight, at least for me, was the central pond which wove it’s way through the gardens and was stocked with beautiful koi. \240

Our last stop was the site of the atomic bomb detonation on August 6, 1945. \240Needless to say, it was a somber experience. \240There is a plaque which marks the Hypocenter, over which the bomb detonated at 1800’ at 0815. \240In 1945, and again today, a hospital sits on the site. \240 A short distance from the Hypocenter is the Atomic Bomb Dome which was a government building in 1945. \240Remarkably, it wasn’t completely destroyed as were most buildings within a 2 mile radius of the detonation. \240It has been restored to what it looked like just after the bombing and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site to mark the event. \240 Across the adjacent Motayasu-gawa River is the Peace Memorial Park which contains the 62 monuments to remember the bombing. Our final stop for the day was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum with an extensive collection historical artifacts and recreated displays of the horror of the bombing and its aftermath which lasted for decades due to the often long-delayed complications of radiation exposure. \240All told, about 150,000 people died in the bombing and the next few days due to blast exposure, burns, and a aucute radiation poisoning. \240 To date, there have been over 350,000 deaths attributed to the blast and it’s aftermath. \240

By the end of the day, my right heel was getting pretty sore. \240Apparently the orthotic supports in my shoes are not adequate. \240I hope it doesn’t limit my ability to walk for the next 2 weeks.

We were back at the hotel by 6, barely enough time to shower and get a taxi to Guttsuri-an, a seafood restaurant located at the port. \240The dinner was quite good with a prawn and vegetable tempura, fried chicken, and a snapper which was grilled in the counter in front of where we sat. \240 Our server, a young Japanese-African woman spoke excellent American English after having spent 4 years in high school as an exchange student in Dallas, OR. \240Total bill was $75, remarkable for Japan which is usually very expensive for dining. \240

When I got up this morning my right foot was much worse leading to thoughts of it’s ruining the trip. \240But I found a drug store close to the hotel and was able to purchase a pair of Dr. Scholl’s gell insoles. \240This made an immediate difference but walking was still painful and slow. \240 I also took a dose of Lodine in the morning. \240 We left the hotel at 11:45 for the 3’ walk along an elevated platform to the train station. \240 Not too much later we were on the 12:18 bullet train to Okayama, only a 40’ trip.

We were met there by our driver and car for the 45’ drive to the port city of Tamano. \240A 15’ ferry ride across the Inland Sea brought us to Naoshima Island. \240Our van rolled off the ferry and we completed our trip to Benesse House, arriving shortly before 3:00. \240The hotel is quite unique. \240It’s architecture and art are a part of the overal theme of modern art on Naoshima, really the only reason to visit here. \240 The rest of the island is occupied by a Mitsubishi copper smelter and other heavy industry. \240The hotel, itself, is somewhat of an art gallery. \240 It’s architecture, consisting mainly of large, unadorned concrete walls is quite unique. \240Everywhere in the hotel art is on the walls. \240As we got our bearings, it became clear that the short time we have here (less than 24 hours) is clearly not enough to see all the art on display. \240By way of contrast, Barbara was here earlier this year on a Stan**** art tour and they spent 3 days here. \240Just outside the hotel is a small park with large sculptures of animals by Niki de Saint Phalle whose similar work we have seen in Stockholm. \240 Also in the sculpture park is the iconic “Pumpkin” by Yayoi Kusama.

We barely had a chance to drop our bags in our beachfront room with a perfect view of the surrounding bay before we took a shuttle up a hill to the Chichu Art Museum. \240To put it mildly, it’s an unusual museum. \240Much of what makes it worth seeing is the concrete construction, dug into a hillside, designed by the same architect who designed Benesse House. \240Just walking through the concrete corridors of the museum is an interesting process. \240There are only 3 galleries in the museum. \240One is devoted a series of large works by Monet. \240The second is a large room with a black ball in the middle and a series of gold pinted vertical spires by Walter De Maria. \240Most unique is a gallery by James Terrell which is a large 6-sided box with a UV light at the entrance. \240The visitors are encouraged to walk into the box via it’s one open wall. \240While inside the box the UV light changes colors and the interior walls of the box do the same. \240 Fascinating!

After a short visit we took the shuttle back to the hotel. \240A short rest and then we stayed inside the hotel for a 6-course tasting menu featuring French themed cooking. \240It was quite good. \240 Now ready for more touring on the island tomorrow. \240Fortunately my heel is significantly better this evening and hopefully won’t hinder our trip.

Our brief trip to Naoshima Island ended today. \240We got out early, before breakfast, to photograph the art work on the lawn behind the hotel. \240Following breakfast we caught the shuttle bus up to the Benesse House Museum. \240There were a few nice exhibits but what caught my eye was a Twombley, of Vienna fame. \240 Like what we saw in Vienna, this wasn’t art, at least in my view of a series of scribbles in chalk on a slate board. \240 Then it was on to the Art House Project in which 6 houses in the Honmura district have been taken over by the Benesse Foundation and transformed into works of art. \240With the exception of Haisha house, the art was minimalist and underwhelming. \240 In Haisha we were surprised to turn a corner and find a replica of the Statue of Liberty in a 2-story room.

From Honmura we retraced our steps of yesterday, back to the ferry, across to the mainland, and back to Okayama train station. \240We caught the bullet train to Osaka. \240The train traveled at 160-190 mph without any rocking, loud noise, or other suggestion of the speed at which we traveled.

We were met at the Osaka train station and transported to the Osaka Miyako Marriott, a 5-year old hotel which occupies the 19th through 57th stories of the tallest skyscraper in Japan. \240The lobby is stunningly beautiful and the rooms, although small, are very nicely appointed.

We then tried to go to dinner at a highly recommended sukiyaki restaurant, armed with a map and address written in Japanese for the taxi driver. \240However, shortly before reaching our destination, we encountered a pedestrian-only street, at which point the driver put us out of the taxi and pointed in the direction he thought would get us to the restaurant (I presume, since he spoke no English). \240Unfortunately I forgot to bring my portable router and so could not pull up a digital map to guide us. \240 We wandered for about 10 minutes in an incredibly crowded district but there were no street names, addresses, or names on the various establishments. \240Asking friendly people on the street produced shrugs. \240 I tried calling the restaurant but whoever answered the phone was no help due to lack of English. \240We finally got in another taxi and he stopped at a non-descript building. \240 Donna looked in and found only a stairway to a basement which didn’t look promising so we stayed in the cab and returned to the Marriott where we had a light dinner in the lobby lounge. \240Hopefully we won’t have similar problems with other restaurant navigation in Osaka and Tokyo.

It’s now 11:00 and there are 2 very small Japanese boys (maybe 2 or 3) in the hallway outside our door crying and screaming. \240We opened the door to comfort them while I called the front desk to come help. \240Just as someone was coming the parents showed up, coming from the elevator. \240We suppose the parents went out leaving them alone and then the boys opened their door to look for them, got locked out of their room, and became understandably very frightened. \240 Bizarre!

We met our guide, Akiko Watanabe in the hotel at 8:00 and set off for a full day of touring Osaka. \240Like the previous 3 days, the weather is again perfect. \240Even a little warmer with bright sunshine and a high in the mid-70’s. \240Our first stop was the Osaka Castle. It was originally built in the 16th century, rebuilt in 1931 after a major fire, and survived WWII without damage. \240It was the seat of the Shogun who ruled all of Japan. \240The castle is surrounded by thick walls and a double moat. \240The main building has now been converted to a museum featuring the castle.

Next stop was the Umeda Sky Building, a remarkable skyscraper completed in 1993. \240It’s twin towers are connected by a unique Floating Garden Observatory which is reached by an outside elevator and an escalator inside a tube which connects the two towers. \240

For lunch we walked through an area of street markets and small grocery stores. \240At one we bought salmon sashimi and garlic shrimp. \240 The seafood (e.g. sashimi) was less expensive (about $ for a serving) than the produce like a small bunch of grapes for about $10. \240We then walked through several other pedestrian-only shopping streets and, remarkably, wound up on the exact street where we got lost last night. \240In an area of kitchen accessories we bought a carbon steel 8” kitchen knife for $143; Gail said it would be about $300 at William Sonoma. \240Our last street was Dotonbori which had many restaurants, clubs and other entertainment. \240Being Saturday afternoon, the streets were absolutely mobbed.

After shower and nap at the hotel we took a taxi to Steak House Kozai. \240Armed with specific instructions from the hotel, the taxi driver had no difficulty finding the place. \240 Dinner consisted of Kobe beef steaks, corn soup, salad, fried rice, ice cream, and a glass of wine for $150/person. \240 All of it was prepared in front of us Teppanyaki style. \240The beef was truly excellent but not sure if it was worth the price.

We awoke to another warm and sunny day. \240However, as the day progressed it became overcast and we had a little sprinkle as we arrived in Kyoto at 2:30. \240 We left Osaka after breakfast for the 1 hour drive to Nara. \240 Because today (Sunday) is a national holiday celebrating the culture and sports of Fall and the middle of a 3-day weekend, Nara was mobbed with traffic and pedestrians. \240 We visited the Katsura Taisha Shinto Shrine. \240Because of the holiday, the priests were performing a traditional music ceremony and dance. \240Even more special, and unexpected was parents bring their young children to the shrine to be blessed on the holiday. The children, especially the little girls, were dressed up in beautiful kimonos for the occasion. \240This was a totally unexpected and spectacular experience. \240

We then traveled the short distance to Nara Park which is populated by about 2000 very tame and hungry deer. \240Adjacent to the park is the Todai-Ji Buddhist temple, the largest wooden structure in the world. \240It houses a huge bronze Buddha statue. Unfortunately we had to share these experiences with massive numbers of Japanese and foreign tourists. \240

We had lunch in a local restaurant before continuing on to Kyoto. \240Here again we were met with crowds and traffic jams. \240 We walked through the Fushimi-Ku Inari Grand Shrine, notable for its 1000 orange torii (gates) which wind their way up and down a mountainside. \240Our last stop was a brief tour of the Gekkeikan Oukura Sake Museum with its displays of old and now long abandoned sake producing hardware. \240

We checked in to the Cross Hotel, a 2-year old boutique hotel. \240It’s quite hip with an active vibe. \240The rooms are nice, albeit rather small. \240After a quick shower we left for an “Eat With” adventure with our host Patrick, a German who has lived in Japan for 15 years and has a Japanese wife and 6 year-old boy. \240 The dinner was, to be generous, weird. \240 The micro-sized tasting menu was made of, by Patrick’s acknowledgement, dishes which typical Japanese don’t eat. \240Some of the dishes included green pepper with misto, fermented squid, and mackerel sashimi. \240I ate most of the dishes while the others barely tasted theirs. \240We did have a nice conversation with Patrick. \240After returning to the Cross we had desert in the hotel dining room. \240 Jerry and Gayle could not stop complaining about the dinner. \240Donna, on the other hand, while eating very little, was able to write it off as a unique experience, even if she didn’t like the food. \240 While I didn’t enjoy the food, I did enjoy the experience and am willing to accept we had a bad dinner and move on. \240

After a light breakfast at Starbuck’s (which, strangely, didn’t open until 8 am) we met Aki at 9 and headed first for Sanjusanangen-do Buddhist temple, home to 1001 statues of Buddha and other decorations. \240 The statues, made of cypress, date to the 12th and 13th centuries.

We then drove to the Katsura Imperial Villa which was completed in 1615. \240 It was never used as a residence for the emperor but was a guest house and served as a site for the imperial family to entertain and serve tea to important guests. \240 It is now a tourist site with admission restricted to visitors who obtain entrance passes in advance. \240It is remarkable for beautiful gardens which surround a lake which meanders through the site. \240Surprisingly, the lake has only a few black koi. \240 There are 4 tea houses, one for each season. \240 Unlike most old wooden structures, it has never had a major fire and thus remains virtually in its original form.

For lunch Aki took us to a very nice and also very good soba noodle restaurant. \240 Following lunch we visited another Buddhist temple which is now devoted to tourist activities. \240We had a 1-hour session in Zen meditation, led by a priest who studied full-time for 10 years. \240 As a first time effort at meditation, I wasn’t able to clear my mind but it was still an interesting experience. \240At the same site we were instructed in the very old rite of a formal tea ceremony. \240Again a very interesting look at a traditional aspect of Japanese culture. \240 (I’m not sure the 2 activities were worth the $1000+ we paid for them but it’s done.). Donna and I were dropped off at the largest camera store I’ve ever been in so that I could try to replace my Sony 18-250mm lens which has a faulty barrel lock and is becoming increasingly problematic. \240 Unfortunately they didn’t have the right lens in stock. \240They do have it in their Tokyo store but, at $425, I may wait until I get home and look for a Vivitar or Tamron alternative (which they also didn’t have in stock).

Dinner was at Moritaya Kiyamachi, just a 3 minute walk from the hotel where we filled up on a Shabu Shabu dinner featuring Waygu beef. \240It was excellent and great fun.

We started out the morning at Kinkaku (The Golden Pavilion) which is a part of the Rokuon-ji Buddhist Temple. \240 It is remarkable for a thin gold foil which covers the upper 2 floors of the Pavilion and a phoenix which stands on the roof. \240Even more stunning is the perfect reflection of the building in the surrounding pond. \240As has been the case during much of the past few days, the crowds of visitors and tourists were massive.

The next stop was the Arashiyama Monkey Park, home to a troop of about 140 Japanese Monkeys, AKA “snow monkeys”. \240 They live in a semi-wild state atop a 400’ high hill. \240 The hike up took about 30’. \240They are quite adapted to the hordes of tourists and their cameras. \240 There were quite a few young babies, some still nursing.

Aki took us to lunch at Saganoyu; previously an onsen public bath, it has been converted to a modern and very hip restaurant featuring curry and spaghetti. \240 It was very good.

After lunch we walked through the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. \240 Unlike most of what we have seen in Japan, this isn’t ancient. \240 \240It was planted only 10 years ago but the bamboo has already grown to about 60’. \240Like the rest of Japan, the crowds were prodigious.

We continued on to the Niro-jo Castle which dates to 1603. \240It was the site of the Shogun who ruled all of Japan from 1600 until 1867 when rule of Japan was returned to the emperor.

Our last stop was a brief walk through the Gion district, home to the Geishas of Kyoto. \240 Since they only work in the evenings and spend the daytime inside their residences, they were not to be seen.

Dinner tonight was at Endo Tempura, recommended by Aki. \240It was excellent. \240Multiple courses of seafood and vegetable tempura, finished off with a spectacular grapefruit sorbet. \240 At $493 for the 4 of us, it was less than we expected. \240

We had a leisurely morning as we weren’t being picked up from our hotel until 11:30 for a 12:30 train departure. \240We had a 2-hour train ride north to Odawara, passing just south of Mt. Fuji, and arriving at 3:30. \240A 15’ transfer brought us to Yama No Chaya, a traditional Japanese ryokan set on a river outside of Odawara. \240Our room is set on 2 levels. \240On the main level is the living/dining/bedroom. \240 During the day it has a low table for dining. \240 At night, the table is moved to the corner and sleeping arrangements are made up. \240 There is a mattress directly on the floor, covered by a thick quilt. \240A big part of the ryokan experience is the onsen, a private or communal bath. \240 Since our room has its own private soaking tub, fed directly from a nearby hot spring, we passed on the hotel’s public onsen. \240 We took advantage of plenty to time this afternoon to enjoy the tub.

We met Jerry and Gayle for a drink in the lobby bar and then moved to our room for dinner. \240The dinner is known as kaiseki, an 8-course traditional Japanese meal. \240The menu included hors d’œuvres of various vegetables, sashimi, 2 soup courses, Waygu beef, fish, and desert. \240It was a true dining experience.

This was a travel day. \240After a fancy, but totally Japanese-style, breakfast, we left the ryokan at 9:30 for the short trip back to Odawara Station. \240We had a 35’ trip to Tokyo Station where we transferred to another train for the 3-hour trip to Kanazawa. \240 The train had a special Gran Classe car with reclining seats and served a Japanese-style lunch. \240 The train passed through Nagano, site of a previous winter Olympic Games. \240We arrived Kanazawa at 2:20 and rushed to the parking lot to catch the Hotel Sainoniwa free shuttle bus at 2:25 but just missed it. \240We waited for the next shuttle at 2:55 for the 5’ ride to the hotel. \240 Our room here, actually a mini-suite is quite nice.

After breakfast in the hotel we met our guide, Keiko , and driver and left the hotel at 9:00. \240The rain we had last evening at dinner had stopped and it was sunny this morning although quite cold. \240Our first stop was Kenrokuen Garden, regarded as one of the top 3 gardens in all of Japan. \240 The accolade is well deserved. \240 It has been built and rebuilt since the 17th century. \240The current design was completed in 1874. \240It is remarkable for beautifully trimmed black and red pine trees, several ponds and waterways, a teahouse, and a path which meanders through the garden, crossing the waterway on several bridges. \240 Unlike Kyoto, it wasn’t massively crowded with visitors. \240 We spent about 1 hours strolling through the well-maintained grounds.

Our next stop was the 21st Century Museum of Modern Art. \240 It is housed in a structure which, itself, is a work of architectural art. \240The museum houses many very innovative and creative installations, both indoors and outdoors. \240 The pieces incorporate both visual and auditory sensations. \240One of the most unusual pieces is a “swimming pool”. \240At least it looks like a pool from the top. \240However the water is contained in a layer only 8” deep, below which is a chamber into which visitors can walk and be seen from above, seemingly underwater.

Lunch was at a very nice soba noodle house. \240 We then drove to one of the 3 geisha streets in Kanazawa where a very entrepreneurial geisha house owner has dual purposed her Kaikaro geisha house into a tourist attraction which is open to visitors during the daytime. \240We took a tour of the house which ended with matcha tea and a gift shop. \240 At night it serves traditional geisha clients as well as opening to groups of tourists 3 nights/week.

The next visit was to Omicho Market, the “Kitchen of Kanazawa”. \240The food displayed in the numerous stalls was beautiful. \240 The displays were orderly, impeccably clean, and very inviting. \240 Seafood from the nearby Sea of Japan was the feature, especially large crabs which were selling for as much as $240 for a very large specimen. \240 It was nothing like markets we have visited in other Asian countries.

Our last stop was at a restored Samurai house which had relics including a Samurai armor suit. \240The inner garden was really quite nice. \240For dinner we walked 10’ to a yakitori restaurant. \240As opposed to last night, when all the patrons of the restaurant were Westerners, tonight we were the only non-Asians. \240Dinner was very good and cheap, about $56 for the 4 of us.

We had a very full day. \240Gayle didn’t join us today. \240She was up all night with pain which began in the R flank and gradually migrated down to the RLQ. \240It was similar to what she had 20 years ago when she had kidney stones (which ultimately resulted in lithotripsy). \240Although her pain resolved when it reached the SP region, she was too worn out to join us. \240 Again it was clear and warmer than yesterday. \240We met our guide Kyoko at 9:00 and set off for the mountains in the center of Honshu. \240OUr destination was Takayama, a town of 95,000, at an elevation on 1900’, but surrounded by high mountains. \240 The route there took us through a series of tunnels, the longest 7 miles. \240 Through the mountains, we were almost constantly in tunnels, emerging only for a few hundred yards when the road traversed a river valley. \240 The hillsides surrounding the road were showing their Autumn colors of yellow, gold, brown, and a little red. \240

After almost 2 hours on the road we reached the town of Takayama. \240Although a small town, it was crowded with tourists. \240 We walked through the morning market which was set up along the river which ran through town. \240 The temporary stands sold fruits, crafts, sweets, etc. \240 I surprised to see in the river a population on gold and also black koi which seemed to be living wild in the river alongside a few ducks. \240

After walking through the market and an old section of town we reached the Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall. \240 Twice year the town has a festival celebrating either Spring or Fall. \240During the celebration there is a parade featuring elaborate floats, many of which date to the 17th century. \240 During the rest of the year the floats are stored in a pair of exhibition halls; we visited the hall which displays the Fall festival floats. \240 The floats are beautifully decorated. \240

Next stop was \240Takayama Jinya which was the center of local government during the Edo Shogun era. \240The building, well restored and preserved from the 17th century was surprisingly large with room after room dedicated to various municipal functions and officials. \240 Although it was fairly warm outside (about 60 degrees) the inside of the building was quite cold and, in its time, had very little heating. \240 We imagined that it’s residents and workers had to work hard to stay warm during their work day. \240

We had a quick lunch at a small ramen restaurant and then made the 45’ drive to Shirawaka-go. \240 This small village is a throwback to the 17th century. \240 Currently it is home to about 600 residents, many of whom still live in homes which were built over 300 years ago. \240 The traditional homes are built of timber with thatch roofs. \240They are quite large and upper floors merely rest on the floors of lower floors; they are not attached in any way. \240 During the feudal era, the town was a center of silk spinning. \240Now it is almost entirely a tourist attraction. \240 We spent 1.5 hours walking through the village and visited the Wanda House which looks much like it did 400 years ago. \240

After the drive back to Kanazawa we were pleased to learn that Gayle had passed her kidney stone while we were gone and was feeling much better. \240For dinner we went to Rokkakudo, a Teppanyaki restaurant. \240The dinner was excellent. \240At $328, including a bottle of Italian Sangiovese, it was better than the Kobe beef dinner we had in Osaka at $600. \240 The non-classified filet beef was great. \240

We had another travel day. \240After breakfast we hung out at the hotel until 10:40 when we took the shuttle to the train station where we waited for our 11:56 departure for Tokyo. \2403 hours later we were in Tokyo and were met by our driver for the 5 minute transfer to the Tokyo Palace Hotel. \240It is a beautiful, modern hotel with a very high degree of service. \240 Our balcony room on the 11th floor looks out over the Imperial Palace. \240 Because of our late arrival we just missed the parade commerating the coronation of the new emperor. \240

For dinner we took a short taxi ride to Bistro Fukumimi located just off Ginza. \240 \240We had a very nice chicken dinner for $92, really cheap for Tokyo. \240 After dinner we walked for a little while along Ginza. \240There are many high end boutique shops including Van Cleef and Arpels, Fendi, Gucci, etc. \240 Ginza is also a site for Tokyo high end cruising; cars included a Lamborghini, 911, BMW and Mercedes convertibles, etc. \240

After an excellent breakfast in the hotel we were met by our guide for the next 2 days, Tomoko Hiragi. \240Our great luck with weather continued. \240After a heavy overnight rainfall, the morning was dry and gradually clearing to warm sunshine. \240After a brief stop at Tokyo’s version of the Statue of Liberty (surprise!), we were at teamLab Borderless at the Moro Digital Arts Museum by 9:45 in anticipation of its opening at 10. \240 Tomoko was spot on to have us there early. \240 Even arriving 15’ before opening, we had to wait in line for a few minutes. \240By the time we exited at 1045 the line stretched around the block; at least a 1 hour wait to get in. \240 The display was one of the absolute highlights of the trip. \240 The art is entirely digital, dynamic, and constantly changing. \240Visitors are actually encouraged to touch some of the exhibits and take actions to affect the displays. \240 Some of the displays are made up of small colored LED’s, others are digital projections on the walls. \240 Using mirrors generously, the displays are also visible on floors and ceilings.

We then went to the World Trade Center Building where the 40th and top floor is a 360 degree panorama of Tokyo. \240The view included the Tokyo Tower which I remember well from 1959. \240Next stop was the Happo-en Bonsai Garden, another highlight of the trip. \240The garden is located in the heart of the city, surrounded by high rise apartment buildings. \240 There is an open air display of about 12 bonsai trees, the oldest dating back over 500 years. \240 Even more remarkable was the koi pond. \240The fish are, without doubt, the most spectacular koi I have ever seen anywhere in the world. \240 To my eye, almost all were show quality fish with vivid and exceedingly sharp colors. \240 I was in koi heaven. Adjacent to the garden is an event center where we had a nice Western-style lunch. \240The weather had warmed up so that we were comfortable eating on the outside deck.

After lunch we drove to the Ometesando District, home to many high end boutiques and some excitedly innovative architecture. \240 The tree and shop lined Ometesando Street runs through the heart of the district and is often referred to as the Champs Elysées of Tokyo. \240We continued walking to the adjacent Harajuku district, home to cafés and shops which appeal to a decidedly younger crowd than Ometesando. \240Our last stop was Shibuya Crossing, a five-way scramble pedestrian crossing and one of the iconic sights of Tokyo. \240By the time we were back in the van returning to the hotel a light rain began to fall; it didn’t bother us in the least way.

We drove by the new 60,000 seat stadium which is already completed in anticipation of the Summer Olympics next year. \240Speaking of infrastructure, the streets and freeways of this city of 13 million have remarkably manageable traffic, even when we were returning to the hotel at 5:00. \240This is because almost all Tokyo residents use the extensive system of trains and subways to get about the city. \240While most families have private cars, they use them mostly on weekends and holidays to get out of the city.

Dinner was at Trattoria Creatta, next door to the hotel. \240Gayle and Jerry are done with Japanese food (not to mention Japan) so were happy to have Italian food for dinner. \240(We didn’t mind either.)

Our last full day in Japan began, as usual, after breakfast when we met Tomoko and left the Palace Hotel at 9:00. \240Again we had bright sunshine and the temp warmed to about 70. \240 We began at the Tsukiji Fish Market. \240While the wholesale section of the market, which is world famous, moved to a new location 1 year ago, what remains is still a busy market for family shoppers. \240 We found all kinds of fish and other seafood.

Since the weather was so fine we decided to go to the Tokyo Sky Tree. \240At 2080’, its the tallest tower in the world. \240We took the elevator to the observation platform at 1476’, from where the panoroma of Tokyo spread out below us. \240 In the very clear air, Mt. Fuji (12,388’) was easily visible about 60 miles away.

From there we drove to 2K540, a small area of local artisan shops where I found a nice leather shoulder bag. \240Adjacent was the Akihabara district which featured stores selling just about any electronic gadget imaginable (and some which almost defied imagination). \240 Tomoko took us through a large store and pointed out appliances and gadgets which have yet to make their way to the U.S. but are probably on the way in the near future. \240 We had a great sushi lunch nearby.

A short walk through a geisha and restaurant district brought us to the Isetan Department Store which housed an amazing food court. \240 All the merchants were selling very high end food items including incredible pastries, beef, and absolutely amazing produce. \240 All the produce looked absolutely perfect with prices to reflect the perfection. \240 A single melon was over $100, huge apples at $12, a basket of incredible strawberries for $35, and 2 small bunches of grapes for $90. \240

That marked the end of our day and return to the Palace Hotel for our last dinner and night in Japan.

We had the morning to spend while waiting for our 1:30 transfer to Haneda. \240We walked across the street to the Imperial Palace and strolled around the gardens. \240A pond held a small population of long-fin Koi, a hybrid of traditional Japanese Nishigoi Koi and an Indonesian koi. \240The rest of the garden was in between summer flowers and full Fall colors so was not exciting.

We had lunch at the Palace Hotel prior to leaving for Haneda for our flight home. \240As opposed to over an hour to Narita, Haneda was only 25’ from the hotel. \240We were overnight on Delta to LAX and then on to Sacramento. \240It was a pretty easy end to our trip. \240