So finally...
This is a flower off a giant shrub on one of my walks. Above is a park sign to keep people's pet out so they don't kill the wild life - sympathetic appeal rather than direct orders!
Been learning quite a bit about the Japanese perspective this trip. Some from client sessions and work meetings, but also Japanese friends who are more comfortable sharing with me, as well as those involved in the volunteer efforts to the tsunami areas. Many people are looking at big changes, having to let go of 'how it has always been' especially those who now need to find a different home. The government has stopped supplying aid and with no plan to reestablish schools or government offices in tsunami areas it deems a bad idea to rebuild. There is some wisdom in this, but the people are averse to leaving, even though the flooded areas are buried under toxic mud. It is hard for Americans to imagine living on the same land as ancestors back hundreds of years. I was told that for them, leaving that spot would be like leaving a child. The land is part of the family. Also, since WWII, the cost of homes was so out of reach, that most have mortgages that will last for several generations, and they do not want to leave that which their grandparents and parents worked so hard for.
This cute little snack was left on my desk by a student at the seminar! Filled with chocolate.
The shot above right is my friend Stacey with me at a historic home turned restaurant in the Tokyo suburb of Saitama. We had an amazing 10 course, 2 hour meal, served by ladies in kimono, sitting in the elegant setting which looked out on this garden. The tree is a 100 year old Pomegranate. Quite a treat which would not have been possible without Stacey's command of the language and customs. She has been teaching English in Tokyo for 21 years.
Here's more beautiful food. They pride themselves in the feast for the eyes as much as the stomach! Everything was delicious, except the green frothy tea stuff served with desert, which was too bitter for my taste. It's what is served in the traditional tea ceremony. Below is the first course, and Stacey displaying the 2nd course. The place mat is the written history of the family.