Michelle and Barin had planned a fabulous Friday for me. In the morning we took the train back to Fukuma and then walked to Miyajidake Shrine. The shrine was absolutely beautiful as some of the cherry trees in the inner courtyard were blooming. We were also there to witness the annual tea ceremony. Unfortunately because it was such a cold day, the only people who showed up to watch besides us were about 50 news and magazine photographers. We did get to participate though and we all had a lovely time drinking the tea in the traditional manner. I took lots of pictures (since it did not appear to be a faux pas with the rest of the press there).

After the tea ceremony, Barin headed off to work and Michelle and I went to the Royal Genki Hotel to experience bathing in hot springs - also called an onsen. We got their a little early so we ate lunch in the Chinese restaurant in the hotel and had a great meal. The onsen was a great experience. There was a group of middle aged women in at the same time as us and they were laughing and seemingly having a ball. We later learned that they are all on a volleyball team together. Some of them had been to America and were excited to talk to us. In the onsen you have to wash before you enter the hot pools. The genders have separate areas and everyone goes in naked. The hot pools (one inside and one outside) were wonderful. Afterwards we primped ourselves with the complimentary lotions and hair products much like a spa in the US.

In the afternoon we walked over to the ranch of Yoshiko, the women who had given us the passes. She and her husband own over 30 horses and people from all over come there to ride. There is a strangely large cowboy culture in Japan. Our cowboy boot wearing host showed us a video of one of their horses giving birth while John Denver crooned softly in the background. We visited for a while and had some tea. The husband and wife are very friendly and have been to Michelle and Barin's for dinner before. Yoshiko politely offered to drive us home. Michelle and I got dinner ready and that night we had a nice Shabbat dinner at home.

On Saturday I went back to Fukuoka on my own and did a little shopping. That night we met up with Michelle and Barin's friend, Andy, and went to a karaoke bar. The bar was small by American standards but large by Japanese. There was no one there under 40, but the parent's of Michelle and Barin's boss are regulars so they had a table waiting for us. Michelle and Barin are also friendly with the "master" or owner/bartender so he was very happy to see us. We drank sake, beer and whiskey and were a major source of entertainment for all the locals. We even sang a few songs and got rave reviews. The best songs we did were in Spanish - we just made up hilarious lyrics and no one had any clue as to why the foreigners were laughing so hard. What made the night even better is the fact that Andy speaks Japanese. For the first time we were able to have fairly good conversations - or at least answer questions.

On Sunday I did some last minute gift shopping. In the late afternoon we went over to Andy's house. He and his wife have a 6 week old baby and they live with his wife's parents. Andy is from Australia and his wife, Junko, is Japanese. We had a great time barbecuing and hanging out. Junko's parents do not speak much English, but they were able to communicate via Andy and Junko. When we left, Junko's mother gave me a gift of chopstick rests. I was very touched by both the gift and the hospitality.

So, those are my tales of Japan as I head home tomorrow morning. I would highly recommend visiting this unique and interesting country if you ever get the chance. I hope you are all well.

Take Care,
Drea