More Kyoto

We spent the day in Kyoto again. The crowds there are so overwhelming you just can't see everything in a day that you want to. This morning we visited Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. It was incredible! We ate lunch at the same Okonomiyaki restaurant we ate at yesterday. True to my word, I have eaten okonomiyakis every day since coming to Osaka. After lunch we headed toward Heianjingu, the Peace Shrine. What should have been a 20-30 minute bus ride took over 2 hours because of the crowds, and we got there just as the place was closing. Don't let the pictures fool you there were mobs of people around us. Even so, it was beautiful.
Love,
Dan

Here's to My New BFFs (that's Best Friends Forever in American Teen Language)

Something that has impressed me about many of the Japanese people we've met this month has been their genuine hospitality and sincere interest in life-long friendships. This past week in Tokyo I've been able to catch up with old friends that I haven't seen or talked to in ten years. Seeing them again was as if no time had passed at all in our hearts. So, for those of you Niigata friends still reading this blog, know that our teary farewells will eventually lead to happy reunions... in less than a decade, I promise.

Especially you, Mari-chan!
(This three-year-old, Mariko, is at the top of my BFF list, right now. Her mom, Taeko, is super-fantastic, too. I can't wait to them again.)

Every girl loves to be princess for a day (or at least long enough to take a pretty picture)

I was feeling jealous of Dan's kimono photo, so I had to post some of my favorites. I think this is the most expensive item of clothing I've ever worn (well over $10k) and I have to admit that I really enjoyed it! Now the biggest challenge of the whole deal was getting up off the floor after this picture. Whatever poise I look like I have here was fleeting.

Kyoto

Rose and I had a fantastic time in Kyoto today. We had a list of 5 places we wanted to visit, but only made two of them, so we're going to head back there again tomorrow. It was more beautiful then I remembered. But, be warned, between now and December 8, several of the temples are doing special lighting ceremonies. They're very inexpensive to attend, and they're beautiful as they light up the temples and the red and gold trees, but the crowds are absolutely unbelieveable. I've never seen so many people in one place as there was on the road to Kiyomizudera this evening. For a half a mile bodies were crammed together as many tried to get up to the shrine and many tried to get down. A policeman yelled at the crowd to move to the left side because a tour group was trying to walk up the right side. The bodies were so packed together that there was no moving to the left or right. So, to my surprise the crowd just started laughing. It wasn't meant to embarass the police officer. There just wasn't any 'left' to move to. Here are a couple pictures from today's beautiful adventure:




Rose in front of the tallest Pagoda in Japan, "Toji" in Kyoto. The Fall colors are perfect right now.


Kiyomizudera was crowded, but spectacular. And all the Japanese trinkets, dolls, fans, etc. you could ever hope for line both sides of the street you have to walk up to get to the temple. If you're looking for any kind of a Japanese gift you will find it here.

From Kiyomizudera you look out over Kyoto and the glowing Kyoto tower. It's indescribable to view the ancient shrines that define Kyoto, and the modern city below in the same view. Beautiful. Spectacular. Breathtaking.

We're going back to Kyoto for more. We just couldn't get enough of it in one day.
Love to all,
Dan

Presentation

Our presentation at the District Conference went very smoothly. We were supposed to use 20 minutes, and we actually went 25, but everyone was so happy with our presentation that it was OK. I was sporting a traditional Japanese Kimono complete with ceremonial Hakama. There's something so traditional and time honored about kimonos that I felt special wearing it.

First we introduced ourselves. I had been singing "Tourianse", a childrens folk song, at most of our club introductions, and was under orders from Tachikawa San to sing it at my introduction here. I sang it at the beginning of my introduction, then the team introduced themselves.

Next we played our Arizona slide show while David played his guitar and sang a Western song. He does a wonderful job of it, and everyone loved it.

Then we each took a turn and answered the question: What's been your biggest impression of Japan? We get asked that a lot as we travel around the country. We each had a picture or two of our time here in Niigata, so we put something in our PowerPoint presentation to go along with our thoughts.

I spoke about religeous differences, or, I should really say similarities. Kenja spoke about the way the Japanese provide almost all of their own food, and the genuine hospitality of the people here. Michael talked about the Niigata Albirex Soccer game and the obvious pride Niigata takes in their team. He then led the 1,500attendees is the Albirex cheer. The crowd loved it. Claudia spoke about everday things, and the similarities between the Japanese culture and her Latin culture, expecially as regards to the importance they place on family. David spoke on the Rotary foreign exchange programs, and the emphasis that seems to be here in Japan on educating their children.

Next, I presented Tachikawa San with a gift from us, and Governor Watanabe with the gift that District 5510 Governor Tom Burns sent for him--a beautiful hand made Kachina Doll.

Lastly I offered words of gratitude to the District, the clubs that hosted us, and the families that opened their homes to us. We ended with the song, "Itsu Made Mo". Several of the members of the audience sang along with us. Claudia cried through most of the 2nd and 3rd verses, but the rest of us got through it ok.

I cannot imagine a District that could do more for their GSE Team than Niigata District 2560 has done for us! They have treated us like royalty, and been sensitive to our every need. Thank you Niigata! We will try to live up to your hospitality when your team visits us next year.

Dan Hill

With Love: Japan in Photos

My home stay mother Eriko, myself, and Eriko's sweet friend Natsuki.

I bought each of us flower rings and had Eriko's husband Rey take a "girl power" picture.

Sorry for the delayed posting. As usual, I'm posting pictures of various activities that we did. Sometimes I can account for the places where the photos were taken and others, I can't. We moved around so much and met so many people that I'm not quite sure which picture belongs to what activity with a specific rotary club. So please forgive me. While my memory may be bad, I will never forget the wonderful people we've met and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we were given to get a glimpse into your lives. Here are a few more standouts.

During a night of karaoke, Dave-san took this picture of Daniel-san. Doesn't he just look like a poster boy for rotary?

This night his repertoire included a few Japanese selections, most sung the way Daniel-san likes best, opera-style.






These are costumes that children use every year at a matsuri (festival). This museum rotates the costumes used for the festival twice a year.

I wish I could remember the name. This was taken during a week where we changed clubs every day for what felt like 7 days in a row.




This activity was quite fun and took us all back to our arts and crafts days. We each got to make a rice paper postcard, a coaster and a book mark.

You lined your little rectangle with brown rice goo and began a process of dunking and swishing. You dunked it into the water, kept a little on top of the rectangle and then swished the water forward and backward, then side to side, and then dumped the water out. You did this three or four times.

Then you moved on to a station where you removed your wet postcard from its wooden frame and placed it onto a handkerchief. You lightly used a roller on it to get the last bit of water off and to smooth it out, before moving on to the ironing phase. Then your ironed it over and over again until dry.



This picture doesn't do this guy justice. He is HUGE and stands guard outside the gates of a ginormous Buddhist temple that we visited in Sado island.

We learned that he looks mean because is meant to keep you on the path to enlightenment.






This was taken at the temple. I left this temple--which had gigantic trees at least hundreds of feet tall and that would need 10 people to wrap their arms around their trunks-- very inspired by nature. I've been a desert-dweller for so long, I've forgotten about the color green and the peace plants can bring.




This was my host-father on Sado island, Di-san. He does all of the cooking at home, which was quite surprising to me considering that it's still traditionally considered a woman's role.

He and his wife Mi-san are a very fun-loving couple. Di-san could not pronounce our names, so I became Kura-san and Kenja became Ken-san (a nickname she informed him wouldn't fly with anyone else).



This is a picture of Princess, one of Mi-san and Di-san's children. She is laying on a wooden floor that has a heating system built into it. It feels wonderful to walk on without socks in winter.

Di-san builds and renovates houses and sells fireplaces. He has his hands in a few things since 1,000 people leave Sado island a year and the island has many abandoned, decaying homes.



Now this guy, whose photo I took at the aquarium in Niigata, looks like he has human lips.

Maybe he's smiling? Or maybe he sees something he'd like to eat for dinner?






I had to put this picture of Nozawa- san and I together because I teased him incessantly. He is such a sharp dresser and has his initials engraved on the cuffs of his dress-shirts that I referred to him as Japan's version of 007.

Here I am trying to assume a Bond Girl pose. We're both trying not to laugh.




Maruko-san, I miss you. This darling girl is the daughter of my last home-stay parents Nori-san and Momo-san. They are the hippest young couple I've ever met. They have a cozy apartment in Niigata filled with cool stuff and books everywhere.

Maruko made me breakfast one morning. She makes the best eggs! Everyday she would write a message for me on her white board. Then her mom, Momo-san would translate.

On this night, she drew Manga-style pictures of her family and I. I'm the bottom character with the nice hair and red lips :-)

On my last day, she and her brother Kinta collected yellow and red leaves for me and Maruko made me a beautiful fall bouquet.

District Conference

We are here! It's District Conference time.
Here's a couple of interesting tidbits we've learned so far:
1. This district has a little over 2,000 Rotarians in it.
2. 1,500 of them come to District Conference. That's a little over 60 percent. We're told that's normal in the Districts throughout Japan.
3. Most of the attendees do not stay the night in hotels. They ride the trains in the morning to get here, and home again at night when the activities are over.
4. I spoke with the Niigata District Foundation Chair, Kannari San, this morning. I've been talking to a few Rotarians about the possibility of our District doing a matching grant with their District to provide some help in the area where the earthquake hit three months ago. It was nice to talk to the main guy who could help with that. I learned that the Districts and clubs throughout Japan, and their sister clubs around the world had already raised over $100,000 for relief aid. Kannari San is visiting the area again next month and is taking our offer of help with him. He will contact us if there is a project we can help with.