Our Journey to Japan

Royal Send-off in Nagoya (by Julie)

2009-12-02T17:08:00.005-06:00

We know the old saying "all good things must come to an end" is absolutely true and Evonne and I experienced it firsthand on Tuesday when we returned from Magome. We had planned to spend our last night in Nagoya with maybe one or two Rotarians and GSE members but much to our suprise many others came out (Mr. Fukaya, Fumi, Alex, Takanori Suzuki (past Foundation Chair), Kash, Teddy Bear and Summer). We started the evening with dinner at a small restaurant where we were presented with beautiful watches from Mr. Fukaya. We also saw some magic tricks peformed by Takanori Suzuki and were challenged to some brainbusters (e.g. building a pyramid with two tiny blocks and calculating a math equation...thank goodness we all failed miserably...not just me).

The night ended with yet another karoke session (yes, we are completely hooked). Once again, the night was great fun.

In the morning our hosts and chaueffeur extraordinares took us to the airport for our royal sendoff. For both Evonne and I, it was a bit of an emotional send off. To help us through the flight to Tokyo, we began our official countdown to Winnipeg (the district conference), where we know we will see many of our Japanese friends.

A big THANK YOU to all for making our last night in Nagoya a memorable one.

Magome (By Evonne)

2009-12-02T16:31:00.008-06:00

Julie and I were brought to the Nagoya Train Station by Kash and Fumi while the rest of the team headed for the airport on Sunday, November 29. Kash and Fumi had downloaded train and bus schedules for us and we made it there and back with no problem thanks to them. The area is absolutely beautiful. We stayed in a traditional Japanese Guest House where there were only two other guests. It was very fascinating and the food prepared for us was exceptional. Had we not experienced lots of traditional Japanese food prior to this visit, we would have been quite unprepared for what was served.

The day we got there we walked to Magome to Tsumago post road (7.7 km) through some very interesting terrain. The first half of the hike was straight up on old cobblestones until we reached the peak at 801 km and then we headed down into the town of Tsumago. These two post towns (from the Edo Period) have retained most of their historical authenticity. The trail between the two towns was full of historical shrines, morgues, temples, and other ruins.

After one night, we returned to Nagoya.

Safe Travels (by Rosie)

2009-11-30T01:09:00.003-06:00

Sunday was the big day. It was a bitter sweet day as we had to say our final goodbyes to the many friends we'd made while in Japan but it was also a day where 3 of us would be seeing our families again. Ben, Rebecca and Rosie traveled back to the United States and were welcomed home by our loved ones. Julie and Evonne continued their travels in Japan for a few more days traveling to Magome and Tokyo and will finally fly home to their families on Thursday.

Thanks again to everyone that was involved with our memorable trip to Japan! "Domo Arigato Gozaimashita...da da da da...ting"!

My (Rosie) whole family met me at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport in Minnesota...

Farewell Party (by all of us) :-)

2009-11-28T00:05:00.019-06:00

It’s hard to summarize a month of memories.

We made a total of 14 presentations and visited 16 Rotary Clubs. We also went to the District Conference in Toyohashi. It was always interesting to see what kind of wonderful food we would be served at these meetings. The Rotary Clubs were all very friendly and welcomed us. We even got some laughs at our presentation.

We would like to share some of our favorite memories about our time with the GSE Committee:

Kanai and Harano: We spent a whole week with you shopping and sightseeing and then we finally got to see you sing and have fun with us at karaoke. You also showed us how high you could jump. Pretty impressive.

Teddy Bear: The best shopper ever. He was too tired to sing with us the first night but then showed us his singing skills on karaoke night #2.

Hide: Oh, Hide. You are hilarious. Remember the lines, “Listen to me, please tell me what you want to drink.” We laughed so hard we almost cried. And you were the only one with the drink menu.

Nishi: How will we ever survive without our own personal camera man? And we are sure we saw your lips moving to “Hey Jude.”

Kashi: We had a lot of "lost in translation" moments with you when we'd talk to you and you would just stare straight ahead and smile. We knew you didn't understand a word we said. We were treated to your singing of a Japanese song that we did not understand but had fun listening to anyway.

Alex: The most funny man ever. We will always get a good laugh every time we see a red Panasonic hairdryer and whenever we hear "Hotel California"... we will think of you.

Fumi: You’re coming home with us, right? Move over John Denver. Fumi’s version of "Take Me Home Country Road" is way better. You are the best and we love you.

Thanks to everyone who made this trip one of the best experiences we have had in our lives.
And thanks to our GSE team members who also made this trip wonderful. We will all stay friends forever.

We just can't get enough...

2009-11-28T00:05:00.018-06:00

After our wonderful farewell party, we didn’t want the night to end (nor do we want our journey to end), so our team convinced about 15 others to head off to Karaoke…again. It was another night filled with great music, great friends and great memories

The Last Vocational Visit (by Rosie)

2009-11-27T23:49:00.003-06:00

Our last vocational visit was to the Aichi Konan College where about 400 students are enrolled. Their courses range from Interior Design to Nutritional Sciences to Business to Early Childhood Education. They also have an overseas Academic Exchange program with Selkirk College in BC Canada. We enjoyed their comprehensive presentation and tour of the facilities. We met a visiting professor from Canada who has been teaching English for about 1 1/2 years here and we were also able to visit an IT classroom, kitchen and watch the Elementary Education students teach kids about nutrition.

Sugihara Memorial Hall (by Rosie)

2009-11-27T23:37:00.004-06:00

After our last presentation (given to the Konan Rotary Club) we visited the Chiune Sugihara Humanity Center in the beautiful hills of Yaotsu in the Gifu Prefecture. Sugihara was a Japanese Diplomat who issued visas and saved the lives of about 6000 Jews during WW2. The memorial is dedicated for sending a message of “Peace and Love” to the whole world. We arrived just in time to enjoy a unique musical ceremony as well.

Last Host Family (by Evonne)

2009-11-27T22:31:00.004-06:00

Only one night was spent with my last host family but it was an awesome night. I stayed at Haruo Kumazawa and his family of wife and son. Their son is 36 years old and an artist. We stayed up talking for a long time and the son was able to practice his English skills. He is using a CD called "Speedy English." He assured me it was not speedy. I was given a traditional tatami room to sleep in and treated to a delicious breakfast sandwich made by the son. In the morning I realized I had forgotten my computer power cord at the Seto Park Hotel. He was very kind to drive all the way there (an hour away) and get my cord and bring it to the restaurant where I was having lunch. He stopped at the shrine next to the hotel and bought me a good luck token. He must have thought I needed it after forgetting my power cord.

Last Host Family (by Julie)

2009-11-27T19:20:00.005-06:00

I had the pleasure of staying with the Ozeki's for one night before the official conclusion of our exchange. After meeting the Ozeki's at a party at a fabulous and ultra modern restaurant (La Casa), they welcomed me into their home. I couldn't believe my eyes when I got home to find a box of doughnuts waiting for me. I guess the Canadian love of doughnuts is recognized worldwide. While only there for one night the Ozeki's made me feel very comfortable and cooked a delcious breakfast. They also attended our farewell party which I found very touching. Thank you to the Ozekis.

Last Host Family (by Rosie)

2009-11-27T16:36:00.004-06:00

It was a short trip to our host families this week. In fact we spent less than 24 hours with them. The Sugiura’s…Kenji, Sachiko and their daughter Tsugumi, her husband Kazuyuki and their daughters Miyu (3yrs) and Kanami (2mos) were a delightful treat. Miyu is learning the English language and would speak some to me. However she would also speak Japanese to me and when I wouldn’t know what to say back to her, she would just give me a big smile. Since it was such a short trip, I was glad to see Kenji & Sachiko some more at our farewell party.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T17:34:00.004-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family from Japan! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night at the Cafe de la Casa in Konan city with many members of the Konan Rotary Club and their spouses. Too much to our surprise, they had a whole chicken cooked just for us. Ben carved his first chicken and we enjoyed every bite of it as it was delicious. Evonne and Ben also had the honor of opening the champagne bottles to celebrate and we even ended the night with a pie... a delicious chocolate pie. Thank you so much for remembering our holiday and celebrating with us!

TAM (by Rosie)

2009-11-25T17:58:00.003-06:00

The Toyota Automobile Museum(TAM) had a beautiful display of American and Japanese cars. We took our time admiring the cars. We also toured the Annex while we were there that focused on the history of the motorization of Japan from the perspective of popular culture and lifestyles. We were amazed to see so many items still in working order.

Setogama Gallery (By Evonne)

2009-11-25T17:12:00.006-06:00

After our noon presentation to Seto Rotary Club, the team took a short car ride to the Setogama Gallery, owned by Seto Rotarian Reikichi Kato. Mr. Kato is a renowned ceramics artist who has received several awards and has had his works exhibited at many galleries, including Paris. After viewing his private gallery, Mr. Kato turned several pieces on his wheel for us to watch and then he allowed us to make our own creations. Some found it easier than others. It took Julie three attempts with a lot of help from an apprentice to finally produce a rather lopsided bowl. But proud she was with her creation.

Dinner at Goro Goro in Seto (by Julie)

2009-11-25T16:26:00.010-06:00

After touring a number of museums including the Toyota Museum, the Ceramic Museum and the Setogama Gallery with Mr. Kato (President Seto Rotary), Dr. Kato and Setsuko Hirao (PhD), we were dashed off to a welcome party given to us by two Seto area Rotary Clubs. The welcome party was held at "Goro Goro" which was described to us as a sakae bar. In addition to the delicious food (which included a mix of traditional Japanese food and...pizza) we were all encouraged to sing our respective national anthems. After listening to the Japanese National Anthem and without hesitation, we sang the Canadian and the American Anthems. I was fortunate to have some help singing "Oh Canada" from Evonne, the closet Canadian, and Christie, Seto's Canadian exchange student (from Saskatoon). While at the party, we were also presented with beautiful paintings from a local artist, Hideyuki Oazwa. Thank you to all the Rotarians for such a wonderful party.

Touristy Things (by Rosie)

2009-11-24T07:12:00.006-06:00

I’m not sure how they do it, but the GSE committee snuck in 3 unscheduled touristy destinations today. The first visit was the Inuyama (Hakutei) Castle that sits high on a hill. We climbed up 5 stories (very steep steps) to the top of the castle for an absolutely amazing view.

Then we were off to the beautiful Uraku-en garden for a nice relaxing walk amongst the bamboo forests and rocky paths.

Our last touristy item was a 13km long boat ride down the Kisogawa River. We saw many rare and unusual rock formations as well as took in the scenic fall colors. Did I mention we also survived 8 exhilarating rapids? (It was a bit chilly.)

Nihonshikogyo Co. Ltd (by Julie)

2009-11-24T06:24:00.006-06:00

We were treated to a vocational site visit today at Nihonshikogyo Co. Ltd. the company of "Hide", one of District 2760's GSE Committee members.
The company, considered small in Hide's eyes but large in ours (it employs 300 people and consists of three facilities) produces customized corrugated boards for many different types of products. One of the companies main clients is Panasonic but there are many, many others.

In addition to touring the plant's extremely large machinery that produces, prints and cuts the boards, we visited the R and D office, which designs very unique products (i.e. we sat on cardboard chairs), the recycling area (which bundles scrap materials for sale) and the shipping department. Particularly interesting to us about this successful company is that it has been in Hide's family for four generations (which, we found out is quite common in Japan). Thank you Hide for such a great visit and for the laughs that came with it.

Rotary Meetings (By Evonne)

2009-11-24T06:21:00.006-06:00

It has been awhile since we visited a Rotary Club meeting, the last being at Tokai City Rotary Club on Wednesday, November 18. Today, Tuesday, November 24, we made up for lost time by being guests at two clubs in one day. The first was Inuyama Rotary Club, our friend Hide's club, where Hide actually made a presentation so we just got to enjoy a fabulous lunch.

After a great afternoon walk in the park and a boat ride, we headed for the Aichi Nagakute Rotary meeting. Rush hour traffic made us late so we set up for the fastest preparation of our presentation ever. No fear, it went off without a hitch. The meal was fabulous and the club, with only 20 some members, was very friendly. The meeting ended at 7:40 and we were driven to the Seto Park Hotel for a couple nights stay.

"Livin' It Up At The Hotel California... I mean Hotel Tokyu" (By Rosie)

2009-11-23T07:27:00.005-06:00

Based on the following blogs, we clearly had a weekend to remember. I think I can say for all of us that we’ve never laughed as hard as we did than during our TWO… count them TWO… Karaoke episodes this weekend. We had so much fun with the GSE committee members at our first experience that we just had to do it again. And fortunately for you, no videos will be posted… our singing voices will be staying in Japan (Sorry Japan!). However, I will tell you that EVERYONE (including Ben) got in on the singing…and dancing!

Rockin' Out at the Hard Rock Cafe Nagoya - MJ Style (by Julie)

2009-11-23T06:55:00.006-06:00

From country music to an unexpected Michael Jackson tribute...we just can't seem to tear ourselves away from the GSE committee. On Sunday after the garden party at Mr. Fukaya's house, a group of us decided to dine chez Hard Rock Cafe Nagoya (this came after a full two hours of karaoke). We could not believe our eyes when the table sitting directly across from us (about 20-ish ppl) broke out into dance when Michael Jackson's "Beat it" video came on the television. It was a site to see and some of us (named Rosie), tried to get in on the action and learn the dance. The video we have does not do the dance justice and this photo only provides a small snapshot but the ad hoc peformance by 20 was just spectacular.

Kyoto & Nara continued... (by Rosie)

2009-11-23T06:13:00.009-06:00

We had a very special meeting with the lead Buddhist priest at the Chishaku-In Temple were we received a nice private tour of the grounds spending quite a bit of time enjoying the beautiful garden that was laid out about 400 years ago and was inspired by the landscape around Mt. Rozan in China. We also were able to view the magnificent wall paintings that were originally painted to decorate the living apartments in the 1590’s.

On Sunday we traveled to Nara, Japan to see the Todai-Ji Temple that was built in the 700’s. This Temple serves both as a place of prayer for peace and affluence on earth, as well as a center of Buddhist doctrinal research. Even though the width of the current building is approximately 33% smaller than that of the original structure, it still ranks as the largest wooden structure in the world. Virocana Buddha is massively large… height of body: 48.91ft (14.98m), length of head: 17.75ft (5.41m), length of eye 3.34ft (1.02m) and length of ear: 8.33ft (2.54m).

We headed back to Kyoto for an evening stroll amongst the Gion (Geisha) District. It was an absolutely beautiful area tucked into the hustle and bustle of Kyoto City. We found a great local restaurant and ate some tasty Japanese Cuisine before we headed back to Nagoya.

Party Time: Country Western Style (by Julie)

2009-11-23T00:03:00.004-06:00

On Sunday (November 22), our GSE team attended a wonderfully fun garden party hosted by Mr. Fukaya (Rotary Foundation Chair). The party was similar to a western bbq with everyone gathered in the back yard sharing many laughs and delicious food (cooked by Charlie and many Rotarians). We were all very surprised when Mr. Fukaya pulled out the country western music and a number of cowboy hats (which we all had the chance to wear). Since we were all enjoying the music, we even had the chance to kick up our heels with a tiny bit of line dancing which led to even more dancing in the Fukaya family's house. One of the highlights of the day was hearing a live music concert performed for us on a Japanese flute-like instrument constructed by bamboo. The musician not only played Japanese music, but also American and Canadian music. It was a sincere pleasure to see this very talented artist play. We certainly appreciated his talented especially after we realized that despite many attempts, none of us could play the instrument. He's so talented, he's even played in Nashville. Once again, a big thank you goes out to the Fukaya family for their generosity and for hosting the party in their stunning home. It was an excellent party and I think it's fair to say, fun was had by all. Yee-haw!!!!

Tour by Tokoname City Council Member Inoue Kyoko (by Julie)

2009-11-19T08:34:00.006-06:00

In between our tour of Muraski-Loen Nursing Institution and a fun filled afternoon at Aichi Health Plaza (details coming soon), I had a personal tour of Tokoname's City Hall by Council Member Inoue Kyoko. During our tour we had the chance to swap ideas for revenue generation during a recession and discuss women in politics. I also got a 101 on the structure of goverment in Japan. As you will see, my tour included playing mayor for a few minutes. Interestingly, Tokononame City hosts an annual conference that brings ceramics experts and artists from around the world to the city. All the teapots in this statue like structure are ceramic. (Note: Far North Branch, I wish you were all here when I blurted out "Holy Teapot").

Murasaki-Noen Nursing Institution (by Julie)

2009-11-19T08:24:00.003-06:00

We always feel extra special when we show up for a site visit to find Japanese, American and Canadian flags awaiting us and today was one of those days at the Muraski-Noen Nursing Insitution, a semi-private care home for the aged. The organization is devoted to providing exceptional services to its residents and those who come for day visits. It runs on a "balance score card" philosophy for staff peformance but also ensures that the mental health needs of its staff are met. We learned about management strategies including regular presentations to allow staff to identify "what can be done better" and the pairing of staff and senior managers for professional growth purposes.

Learning about Nagoya City Planning and Environmental Policy (by Julie)

2009-11-19T08:04:00.002-06:00

The Chief of Nagoya City's Planning Section and a Planning Officer, kindly met with me yesterday to discuss planning and environmental policy. On the same day we visited, the City released their newest environmental strategy: "Low Carbon City 2050 Nagoya Strategy". I learned that many initiatives being undertaken by Nagoya (a city of over 2 million) are similar to those being pursued by cities and provinces in Canada. Thank you to the City of Nagoya for another insightful visit and to Rosie for joining the meeting and taking such excellent notes.

"Cho Subarashi" (i.e. excellent, great, fantastic) (by Julie)

2009-11-19T07:40:00.004-06:00

Today concluded our third homestay with our host families. For the last three nights, I had the sincere pleasure of staying with the Tejima family. I knew the Tejimas and I would get along just great when I arrived at their home to find a canister full of chocolate and cookies waiting for me. In the time I was there, I was treated to excellent meals (last night I dined at a real sushi bar) and a tour of the Temple of Kyoko's family. The Tejimas also helped me expand my Japanese vocabulary, which I've decided is most appropriately referred to as Julie's Japenglish. Thank you Tejimas for your hospitality and generosity. I will practice all my new words (ta-dae-ma, go-che-so-summa, and my all time favourite - ei-yo "no problem").

Tokai City Dinner Party

2009-11-18T17:55:00.007-06:00

The evening ended with a dinner party hosted by several members of the Tokai City Rotary Club. Before dinner, we were treated to a ceremony by the father of a Rotarian who performed a purity ritual. Special thanks to Sato-san, Tomomi-san and daughter Ayaka who hosted me this week. They were fun to be with an we managed to communicate quite well.

Onward to Tile Museum

2009-11-18T17:41:00.003-06:00

As we still had some time left in the day, the curator of the Inax Tile Museum gave us a private tour which was very nice being the museum was actually closed. The tile displayed came from many different countries but most from Iran, Netherlands, Turkey, China, and Japan. We viewed a very extensive collection of Japanese toiles.

Another Great Day

2009-11-18T17:19:00.005-06:00

The last day with my host family was filled with lots of fun and adventure. After our team's visit to Nippon Steel, we presented at the Tokai City Rotary Club. The team then split up for the day for special events which our host family planned. I visited a very old home (80 years old) owned by Inoue,who is a City Counciler for the city of Tokoname. Her husband's father owned the building and had his dental office upstairs. Hte building is now used as a neighborhood bar and coffee shop. It is very narrow but extremely long with gardens separating various rooms.

We next went to one of many pottery shops in Tokoname, a very famous town for pottery makers. I received a quick lesson and then was turned loose to make my own bowl. My teacher had to do a little repair but I did get a nice bowl finished. It takes a month to fully finish the bowl so I will have it mailed to me after I get home.

Wonderful Hosts! (by Rosie)

2009-11-18T08:09:00.008-06:00

I've had a wonderful time with my host family this week. Toyoyuki (Yuki), his wife Rieko, their daughter Ruri and dog Bouchet (who loves to chase his tail) have been a blast. They also have an older daughter, Rio that's away at University that I was able to speak with over the phone. They've cooked me everything from squid and ground radish with very small minnow looking creatures on it to a roast beef pickle wrap with spaghetti sauce and delicious scalloped potatoes. I have had a great time with the Sugiura's talking about Jazz, waterskiing and our cultures.

Canadian Raw Materials at Nippon Steel Corp (by Julie)

2009-11-18T08:02:00.008-06:00

Nippon Steel Corp is a massive steel company our GSE team visited today (November 18). The company is 45 years old and produces steel to supply Japan`s auto industry. The plant creates thin and thick sheets of steel for the auto industry, pipes and also tin cans for the storage of food. In two furnances the size of mountains (at least in my opinion), the plant can process 20,000 tons of iron per day. One hundred per cent of the raw materials used by the plant are imported from Canada, Brazil and Australia. It was interesting to note that the company like all the Japanese companies we've visited, are serious when it comes to the environment. Nippon Steel Corp is surrounded by over 300,000 trees, re-uses and recycles any products it can, uses ventilation systems in its furances to control CO2 emissions and continually looks for new ways to improve its processes through technology.

Meeting with Handa City`s Deputy Mayor (by Julie)

2009-11-18T07:45:00.005-06:00

Rosie and I had the chance yesterday to meet with the Deputy Mayor of Handa City (where we`re currently based). This meeting was a great surprise as we thought we were only going to see the city hall. It turns out that Deputy Mayor Norihito Fujimoto has an extensive background in land use planning so I was able to ask a number of questions. From Rosie`s marketing background, it also turns out that the City has adopted an innovative way to market its vision: 'Handa Ship 2010: Friend Ship, Partner Ship, Leader Ship'.

Yet another successful visit and unique learning opportunity provided by Rotarians.

B-E-A-utiful Furniture (by Rosie)

2009-11-18T04:19:00.004-06:00

We visited Karimoku Furniture Company earlier this week. They make all of their own furniture and display it beautifully throughout their large 5 story showroom. The highlights included the chairs that had individual theater style speakers in them (we could have sat there for hours) as well as the intriguing bedroom mattress technology where the mattress is literally 5 inches thick and there isn’t a box spring… it would make for easy moving. Unfortunately they don’t sell their product in the US or Canada but they did said we could order anything from them... the trouble is that there isn't free shipping. Ouch.

The Only Way To Travel: Boston Whaler Style (by Ben)

2009-11-18T02:48:00.003-06:00

After our Rotary meeting and lunch today, I was treated to a trip to downtown Nagoya for an early dinner. By car this is about a 30 minute trip filled with endless stoplights. In a Boston Whaler with a 300 hp motor, we made it there in about 10 minutes. It was a great way to see Nagoya from a different angle. We traveled up the river to a point about 1 km from our home base hotel. On the way back we docked at a riverside restaurant and enjoyed some BBQ.

It's certainly the fastest I've traveled in a narrow canal, but he was a very good driver and traveled the route many times before.

Party for Julie & Rosie (by Rosie)

2009-11-17T16:28:00.004-06:00

After a fun filled day of learning about Japanese history and tasting vinegar and sake, I spent some time at a department store doing what I do best… browsing. I could hardly believe what I found there! I didn’t see any other states’ clothing and my host family had no idea why they would be selling a Minnesota sweatshirt in Japan. Very Odd!

Then much to our surprise, Julie and I were treated to a wonderful party at a great local lounge. We were joined by a few members of the Handa South Rotary Club and our host families. A lot of laughs were had by all as we shared tricks and sometimes the secrets to them. My host, Yuki sometimes plays drums in a Jazz band and we were able to watch one of his performances on DVD and then we were given a special copy to take home with us. Our hosts sure know how to turn it up a notch!

Catch & Release Not...Catch & Eat (by Evonne)

2009-11-16T17:26:00.005-06:00

My new host family Masayuki-san and Tomomi-san and their daughter Ayaka and friend Kaho, took me to the most unusual feast. We entered into a large boat-like structure that had a water channel running around it. They handed you small fishing poles and little bait and you tried to catch a fish. I didn't have too much luck, but Ayaka and Kaho scored big. The first fish Ayaka caught was a flat fish which they took and arranged in a fancy style for eating. The fish was not cooked but the meat was sliced very thin. Next, Ayaka caught a lobster which was taken away and cooked. It was delicious. She then caught a larger fish which was taken to the chef and baked. The meat was very good. Most of the meal, however, was sashimi style. It seemed as if
new dishes brought to the table would never stop.

Host Family - Week 2 (by Ben)

2009-11-16T07:14:00.003-06:00

For week 2 I spent 5 days with Mr. Takashi Itoh. Takashi runs an employment agency near downtown Nagoya. In the evenings, Takashi introduced me to a number great Japanese traditions.

One particular highlights was a light display at a botanical gardens about 20 minutes outside of Nagoya. There were over 4.5 million LED lights on display. It was one of those few instances in life where your brain can't absorb what it is seeing. The display was beyond belief and the team hopes to make it back before the end of November.

Here is a video clip of just one small part of the show:

Note the size of the people in relation to the size of the display. The green smoke in the background changed colors and there were "shooting stars" within the field that didn't show up in the video. Again, these are 100% LED lights:

Later in the week we had the chance to go to the Nagoya Orchid Garden. It was an amazing display of orchids far larger than anything I had ever seen. They even made a 15 ft Christmas tree out of orchids.

Toyota Material Handling (by Ben)

2009-11-16T07:04:00.003-06:00

Today we had the opportunity to visit the largest manufacturing plant of Toyota Material Handling Company. This is a division of Toyota devoted entirely to the production of forklifts and other various material handling machines. A focus of the visit was how they have implemented the Toyota Production System (TPS). Witnessing the process on the floor was amazing. A complete forklift comes off the assembly time every 4 minutes 15 seconds. This pace is called the "Tact Time". While having a tact time for an assembly line may not seem surprising, Toyota has a tact time for every aspect of the company. The QC and shipping department has the same 4:15 timeframe.

Beyond production, even the delivery trucks have a tact time to make sure they are unloading supplies at the correct pace. When they arrive, the trigger a green light indicating they are unloading. If they run behind schedule, the light will turn yellow. If they fall far behind or run late, the light turns red. It was an amazing system.

By having all of these tact times and incredible production systems, they only have about 1 day worth of parts in inventory. There is literally no warehouse to speak of.

Takayama Mountains (by Julie)

2009-11-15T07:53:00.004-06:00

On Sunday, Ben, Rosie, Evonne and Julie spent the entire day in the Takayama mountains with Aichi, Non-no and Kumasawa (i.e. Teddy Bear). Takayama afforded us the opportunity to see beautiful fall like coloured trees, spend the day in the market and tour an old Japanese village. The scenery was stunning. To top off the day, some of us spent time relaxing in the nearby hotsprings.

Host Family - Week 1 (by Ben)

2009-11-15T06:19:00.004-06:00

The first week I had the pleasure of staying with Toshiro Shimoya and his family. "Tosh" and his wife, Yuko, and daughter Mai, share a wonderful home on the site of the family business - a lumberyard and homebuilding supply company. Check it out at www.tomoku-wood.com.

Being my first week in Japan, the family had the opportunity to offer many of my "Japan Firsts" such as a sashimi restaurant featuring a non-stop conveyor of raw fish, shrimp burger at McDonalds, and my first raw egg. One evening even included a trip out for "shabu shabu" which involves cooking pork and vegetables in boiling water. Delicious!

Yuko also offered me a terrific lesson in Japanese handwriting. Considering my lack of talent with English handwriting, I figured it couldn't be any worse. According to the family, it was readable. Thus, I can officially proclaim that my Japanese handwriting is better than my English handwriting.

Panasonic Factory Tour (by Ben)

2009-11-15T06:05:00.005-06:00

On Friday, Julie and Ben had the opportunity to visit a manufacturing plant of Panasonic. This particular division produced fans and air cleaners for the consumer and industrial markets. We started the visit with a discussion with the division president. He highlighted that even in this tough economy, Panasonic has had one particular bright spot - air cleaners. The H1N1 concerns worldwide have greatly increased demand for the air cleaner/purification units. The production floor was running full steam ahead on the units during our visit. Sorry, the units are not available in the United States...

The production floor was formerly composed of large production lines. As the market demanded smaller production lots of any given product, they switched the production floor over to having many small work cells. Each banner hanging from the ceiling is a work cell (in all there were probably about 20 of them):

At the end of each work cell, the completed product is weighed to ensure that all components were enclosed.

This area was an exact replica of the work cells. It is used for training as well as testing new methods of improving the work cell.

Nice day for a stroll in the market (by Julie)

2009-11-14T04:52:00.003-06:00

After saying "good byes" and parting from our second host families, today we had the chance to visit a local market. After meeting up with some Rotarians we had the chance to pick up a few souveniers. It was a beautiful day and now we're off to rest up for a trip to the mountains tomorrow.

Hosts Extraordinare! (by Julie)

2009-11-14T02:50:00.003-06:00

After a week filled with many laughs and gourmet meals, I spent the last night with my second host family (the Osami family) preparing and enjoying a traditional Japanese dinner. They taught me how to peel live prawns (i.e. "epy") and treated me to a grilled dinner of meat and vegetables. We had many laughs when the prawns began to jump out of the box (and I laughed as I think one squirmed in my mouth when I ate it). Many, many, many thank yous go out to the Osami family for being such excellent hosts and to "Sana" for being my Japanese sensei. Cherese Sana - you are "cho subarashi".

My Gracious Hosts (by Rosie)

2009-11-14T02:40:00.008-06:00

I had an absolutely wonderful time with my host families this week. I spent 3 nights with the Ozeki family. Mr. Takahide Ozeki (a lawer), Naoko and her mother, Ikuko Takahashi all live together in an absolutely BEAUTIFUL home. They provided me with wonderful meals including a traditional Japanese meal at a Tempra restaurant. It was suberashi (superb)! Naoko has been taking English lessons so it was a lot of fun conversing with her and helping her with her homework.

I spent the latter half of the week with my host family the Abe’s – Ryushunn & Hidemi, their son, Ryuchi (Tomo) and niece, Tomoka. They took me out to an Italian restaurant (that had a Japanese twist) and we enjoyed a great feast and some wonderful wine. I was also treated to the traditional meal of Shabu-Shabu and Sukiyaki…oishii (delicious)! Tomoka spoke English very well and helped translate for me. I had a great time and some really good laughs. Mr Abe is the Chief Buddist Priest at the Gokokuin Temple and treated me to a “back-stage pass” tour of the temple grounds. REMARKABLE!

Rotary Club Visits During Second Week (By Evonne)

2009-11-14T02:36:00.005-06:00

It was a busy week for the team making presentations to the following Rotary Clubs:

Nagoya Nishiki, Nagoya Meihoku, Nagoya Higashiyami, and Nagoya North. We are very grateful for the hospitality these clubs have shown us. We are treated like royalty and even sometimes make a grand entrance to a standing ovation.

Gone to the Monkeys: Higashiyama Zoo (by Julie)

2009-11-14T02:17:00.007-06:00

After a tour of the Tokai Print Media Company Ltd. on November 12th,Evonne and I visted Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens with "Non-no" (Noriko) and "Pearl man" (Okumura). We were able to see all sorts of animals including those indigenous to our homes such as buffalos, wolves and polar bears. Per my request, we also got to see many, many monkeys and while I'm not a fan of monkeys, I wanted to take them all home with me. After watching a chimpanze solve differential equations (bit of an over-statement but he was counting from 1-7 on a computer) we met up with our fellow teammates who were just "hanging around" as seen in this photo (hahaha - I kid).

As always, fun was had by all.

A Jam-Packed Afternoon (By Rosie)

2009-11-14T02:00:00.007-06:00

On Friday, Non-No (Team Leader for District 2760) assisted me on a vocational visit to D-Kikaku Company, another marketing and advertising company. I had a great discussion on the importance of advertising mediums in Japan with the owner (and Rotarian) Koide Mayumi.

Non-No then took me to visit her company, the Jyoshin School of Foreign language where she teaches English to all ages - kids to adults. After a very quick tour of her classroom, she brought me on an express tour of Nagoya Castle where I enjoyed a beautiful view from the top.

Seijo University, November 13 (By Evonne)

2009-11-14T01:22:00.004-06:00

Rebecca and I visited Seijo University, a private university with two different disciplines: Care & Rehabilitation (occupational therapy and physical therapy) and Business. We had a very informative exchange comparing their system with ours in Minnesota. Our hosts were two professors from the United States.

Sankosha - an Advertising Agency (by Rosie)

2009-11-14T01:14:00.003-06:00

Ben and I had the opportunity to visit Sankosha, a very large advertising agency in Nagoya on Thursday. Sankosha has a high level of creativity and an eye for global advertising communication. We enjoyed a detailed presentation on Sankosha's branding strategy and the ideal ad creation for their clients. Sankosha’s President & COO, Yoriaki Matsunami (a Rotarian) accompanied us during our afternoon visit.

Visit to Tokugawa Art Museum and a Botanical Garden (by Julie)

2009-11-14T00:53:00.004-06:00

On Wednesday, November 11, Ben, Rosie and I visited the Tokugawa Art Museum and the Botanical Gardens located next to it. The museum contained art, furnishings, armor and garments passed down through generations of the Owari Tokugawa family and date back to the period between 1603-1867. The Botanical Gardens next to the museum was beautiful. We had fun feeding the coi fish. While we tried, we were not able to land any food pellets directly in the mouths of the fish. To the Rotarians who were with us...you'll remember our song: "Dooommoooo, arigato, goziamashta buddaddada ting!"

Friday November 13 (by Evonne)

2009-11-14T00:47:00.004-06:00

This was a very important day for us as we had a meeting with Governor Kanda of Aichi Prefecture, followed by a meeting with the Mayor of Nagoya. Short speeches were made followed by many photographs. The Governor is a very gracious man and was very happy to spend time with us. We next met with the Mayor and members of his staff. We all made short speeches followed by many photographs.

Suishi Bar night (by Evonne)

2009-11-13T16:10:00.005-06:00

Kashiwagi (Kash as we call him) invited my host family and me to a traditional sushi bar. He ordered some very tasty Japanese dishes and we all had a great time. After the meal, we went to Kashi's beautiful home that he designed. It was great meeting his wife, Tami, his son, Kashi Jr (not his real name), and his mother-in-law.

Origami Lesson (By Evonne)

2009-11-12T16:00:00.002-06:00

Kaori and Miki (my host family's daughters) gave me a quick origami lesson. My crane actually looked like a crane but my folds were not nearly as good as Kaori's and Miki's. The family took me to a neighborhood bar after dinner. It is very interesting that for anyone who is drinking, they also serve you some food. In this case, a small egg "omelette" and a round ball of salmon. This neighborhood bar closes around 11:30.

Evening Dinner Party (By Evonne)

2009-11-11T16:20:00.005-06:00

I had a dinner party at my host family's. Kashi (GSE Committee), a novelist, a wife of a man who owns one of the largest Shinto Shrines in Aichi Prefecture, and a wife of a building developer who built the two largest buildings in Nagoya. It was quite an entertaining group. The meal lasted for almost three hours. Takeko made a very traditional tofu soup which was very delicious. Of course, that was just a small part of what was served. We had lots of laughs, especially about all our "lost in translation" moments. I think a lot of what I say is not quite understood but we enjoy being together anyway.

CBC... not Canadian Broadcasting Company (by Rosie)

2009-11-11T15:30:00.009-06:00

Our morning started off with a great vocational visit to Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Company (CBC). We enjoyed a short film about their business and a tour of their TV and radio facilities. CBC began radio broadcasting in 1951 as the first private radio broadcasting company. They have become the most reliable radio station for businesses to advertise with and have encouraged people to listen to the radio through their “More Radio in Your Life” campaign and give their listeners many opportunities to meet their radio personalities. We enjoyed a chance to pretend we were on the radio and our personalities really shined through. We even tried to convince CBC to give us a 30 minute talk program.

CBC also is the only private TV station in Nagoya that produces drama. I’ve watched the show a couple of times and I must say it’s very similar to the soaps back home. They pioneered the local TV news chow and seet a better future for children through their kids programming. They also offer digital television but have yet to make the complete switch to digital… this will happen in 2011. We also had an opportunity to be onset of the local news station.

November 11 continued (by Evonne) After another bento box lunch and our presentation at Nagoya Meihoku Rotary Club, Julie, Ben and Rosie went to the Tokugama Museam. Rebecca and I went to Sakura Hearty Care, a private facility for the elderly, owned by Rotarian Matsumae, who is also a dentist. This facility is quite expensive and there is no government support for people who could not afford it. Matsumae is planning on building a second facility right next to this one that is less expensive for residents. It was very bright and cheering and we arrived in time to participate in one of there many activities to keep "minds active." The volunteers were singing an old japanese song and dancing with the elderly people. Some people just come to the facility during the day (Adult Day Care) while others live there in very large single-person rooms. One room has a traditional cypress bath top for the patients to soak in to remind them of the homes they used to live in.

CKD and Toyota (by Rosie)

2009-11-10T02:45:00.013-06:00

Tuesday started off with a trip to CKD Corporation – a global leader providing the best automation solutions for production processes across a wide range of industries. CKD has established many lines of product categories in automated machines including a machine that makes the pill containers found inside a box of over-the-counter medicine (exp. The pill container within a box of Sudafed.) The facility is very clean and has received two ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certificates. They have many sales departments all over the world including Chicago. Fumi's (GSE Chair) daughter gave us an indepth tour of CKD.

We then moved on to make our 5th presentation at the Nagoya Nishiki Rotary Club. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and some good laughs with their members and even sang Happy Birthday to the Rotary members who have birthday's in November and also to Rebecca's daughter Quinn! I would have to say we have our presentation down to a science and are now enjoying seeing the members’ reactions to it. Some of us were even asked for our autograph afterward. We really are treated like “stars” here!

The afternoon took us to the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. We enjoyed a self guided tour through the Textile Machinery Pavilion where we received demonstrations on cotton spinning and metal working technologies (casting, forging and cutting) and Automobile Pavilion where we were able to view the component parts and technology transitions in automobiles. The Rotary members surprised us with a tapestry souvenir from the museum. Thank you!!!

It was a great day, enjoyed by all. We truly appreciate all of the work the GSE committee has put into our stay here in Nagoya. It is evident they spent countless hours preparing for us and words cannot express how grateful we are to all involved. Domo arigato gozaimashita!!!

Vocational Day (by Evonne and Rebecca)

2009-11-09T03:20:00.009-06:00

This was the day of our tour that I was least looking forward to-- my daughter's birthday. As fate would have it the vocational tours today were all about homelessness (my vocation). And to my delight they extended the red carpet treatment to us a little bit further than we've grown accustomed to! We arrived at the City of Nagoya offices early Monday morning and had a conference with the city officials in charge of programming for people who are homeless in Nagoya. They had a comprehensive packet of information prepared for us and TRANSLATED (!!) into English! This packet included a history of the issue of homelessness in Japan along with current statistics on homelessness.

Homelessness is a rather new issue for Japan. The great recession of the 90's pushed the government to develop formalized programs for those experiencing homelessness as large tent villages were developing in the City parks. One of the largest tent villages was in Meijo Park, which is adjacent to the Nagoya Castle pictured below. The Meijo Park Shelter now exists to house homeless men and women. The facility is funded 100% by the City of Nagoya. According to the City officials there are no homeless families in Japan-- it's unheard of to consider children living on the streets. In reading between the lines it seems there are enough shelter spaces for the families with children that are experiencing homelessness so they are redirected into shelters. They also value prevention very highly and most families are prevented from ever becoming homeless through cash assistance from the government.

Japan enjoys a fully funded financial assistance program for those in need. Financial assistance is provided directly to families and individuals in need. To my surprise in Japan cash is paid directly to people living in poverty for rent, food, and monthly expenses. And there are no time limits on families or individuals receiving services. We later toured a shelter facility for singles and two facilities that housed singles and families. Rooms in the family shelter were small but consisted of a small living room, small dining room, and small kitchen. Futons were stored in large storage closests and rooms were converted into bedrooms at night. Famillies with young children had the option of renting a water heater which connected to the kitchen sink to bathe babies. Public bath facilities were otherwise available. Single adults stayed in dorms with 12 built-in bunks/storage areas.

I was impressed with the comprehensive approach to caring for people who are homeless taken by the Nagoya government. Even though this is a relatively new social issue, their response is comprehensive. Touring all three facilities and meeting with my shelter director counterpart here in Japan will undoubtedy be one of the longstanding highlights of this entire experience.

(By Evonne) A great day of vocational visits was arranged by our hosts. We visited a municipal welfare department and then some homeless shelters. The vocational hosts were very thorough and spent a great deal of time explaining the system in Japan. They were also very interested in our system and how it compares. Rebecca was able to give them lots of valuable information. This was definitely a great exchange.

We were treated to another bento lunch served at the Westin Nagoya Castle Hotel. the view of the castle right across from us was very impressive.

Our hosts took us a the oldest shrine in Nagoya. We were treated to several little girls dressed in kimonos. The tradition is for 3, 5, and 7 year olds to visit this shrine on their birthdays.

Explain This...Air Hockey and Japanese Drums (by Julie)

2009-11-08T06:22:00.004-06:00

As mentioned before, the week I shared with my host family (the Okazaki family) was absolutely wonderful. In addition to wearing a kimono, I was able to try a number of traditional Japanese meals. We also spent some time at the "amusement park". Jutaro (host father), Natsumi (host mother) and I challenged one another to games of Japanese drums (a downsized version of guitar hero...with drums) and air / table hockey. Jutaro beat me quite badly at air / table hockey and I on the other hand, was the champion Japanese drummer.....hmmm.....can anyone make sense out of that??? ; )
To end my stay at the Okazaki family, I was treated to a delicious farewell dinner cooked by Noriko. Since the meal was half Japanese and Italian, we dubbed it "Japalianese". Yumi and Noriko also gave me an new Japanese name - Canico.

A big thanks to the entire family for such fun and hospitality!

Last Day With First Host Family

2009-11-07T06:43:00.008-06:00

The morning started out saying goodbye to our first host families. They were so gracious and provided me with many memorable moments. I am going to definitely miss Sei-san, Kuniko-san and Kuniko's parents but hopefully we will reconnect sometime in the future.

I also (Rosie) had a wonderful time with my host family. I had some memorable moments Amano, Kimie and Chika (14yrs) including two wonderful parties, a trip to a sushi bar and I was lucky enough to be dressed up in Kimono wear one evening. I will definitely miss them.

We then moved on to the District Conference where we made our presentation to around 300 people. We received many compliments so our hard worked paid off. The evening ended with a nice meal at an Italian restaurant owned by a District 2760 Rotarian.

(The second picture includes a Rotarian that was on a GSE exchange to Arkansas last year and Summer, a Team Member that will be coming to our district in April.)

Thursday...

2009-11-06T17:44:00.009-06:00

Our morning started off with a trip to visit their local fish market. I must say it was quite interesting seeing all of the different kinds of delicacies they have to offer. Then they took us to a local cracker factory where we were decked out in face masks, hair nets and slippers. It was interesting tasting the different types of crackers they make. We could tell from the packages that the best ones were the vegetable crackers… squash was excellent.

The afternoon took us to the Aisin AW factory where we were blown away by the technology that this company has invented… everything from automatic toilet seat lid openers, foam mattress “springs”, engine advancements and GPS on screen devices. The GPS system they developed allows for the passenger of the car to view a movie or TV show while the driver sees only the map… simultaneously. Amazing… see pictures (note that this model was designed for Asian cars – the driver’s seat is on the right side)

Our last stop was at the Highway Transport Café. None of us knew what to expect here but as it turns out this place was more appropriately called Highway Oasis. The first stop on our tour was the women’s bathroom… yes, the bathroom. It was beautiful - equipped with a sitting room and beautiful art décor making a quick trip to the restroom impossible! The Merry Go Round ride made us all feel like kids again and so did the Ferris Wheel. We had a beautiful view of the city.

Thank you so much to the Rotarians that have worked so hard to make this a memorable trip for us and making us feel so welcomed! It certainly has become one to remember as I’m sure Nishi-san can show you through his all of his pictures.

Going "Green" or Midori

2009-11-06T08:52:00.005-06:00

Today's GSE's vocational visits focussed on the "green" theme. To begin the morning, we were treated to a presentation and extremely interesting production line tour at Pulp Mold, a company that manufactures packaging from plant fiber for eggs, fruit and other industrial products. The company recycles magazines, cardboard and newspapers to make its packaging. Interestingly, the company pays schools for paper products that it can then turn into packaging.

After the visit, we were then whisked away to the Anjo Rotary Club where we exchanged club flags and gave our third presentation of the week to an audience of approximately 60 people. The presentation was received very positively.

Before heading to our host families for the night, we also spent a significant amount of time at the Hekinantan Thermal Power Station, one of the world's largest coal power plants, that is designed to look like a series of yachts sitting in the harbour. Our guide and the General Manager who accompanied us on the tour were very patient with us as we asked a number of questions (our sense of awe and amazement shone through). The coal plant, we learned, is extremely clean, efficient and green. To attest to this fact, it has very low sulpher emissions and takes great steps to ensure coal dust does not escape into the environment. Touring the plant, we were able to climb 80 meters to the top of the massive complex which provided great site seeing opportunities.

Overall, our day was a huge success and provided many learning opportunities. It was then off to our host families, where yes, the activities continued. More on those later.

My chance to wear a Kimono

2009-11-05T08:16:00.004-06:00

All of our Rotarian host families have done a wonderful job to ensure that we learn about the culture of Japan, in between making sure we get to our meetings on time, taking us site-seeing, cooking for us, entertaining us and of course, providing vocational visits.

Last night, I (Julie) was given the opportunity by my host family (Jutaro, Natsumi and Noriko) to dress in a traditional Japanese Kimono. I had no idea what was involved in dressing in a Kimono - there are several layers! Thank goodness, a professional was there to help me. The process overall took about one hour to complete. Afterwards my host family treated me to a traditional tea ceremony and traditional Japanese dinner (sukiyaki).

A big thank you to all of our hosts who are doing a fantastic job!

Not your average doll

2009-11-04T17:13:00.012-06:00

Our Wednesday started with a tour of a Japanese Doll Museum. They were displayed beautifully and depicted many different time periods. There was everything from "barbie" size to very large life-size dolls. The dolls that were available for purchase ranged anywhere from $250 - $2,000 and up to $10,000 for one with extras. (These gifts are only given on very important dates like a child’s first birthday.)

Then we were off to a presentation at a very prestigious club. We were given a very warm welcome and it seems as though everyone enjoyed our presentation. We exchanged our sponsoring Rotary Club flags as well.

The afternoon started with a trip for Ben and Rosie to a publishing and printing company, MIC Group. They do everything from sales to design to printing and they publish any type of magazine and book you can think of. They are a very large company and have been around for over 105 years. It was a great vocational visit.

Evonne, Rebecca and Julie went to a home for the disabled and another home for the elderly. The facillites were extremely bright and cheery and the patients were all well-attended to. Our next stop was to Fuji Plants, a carnation hybrid-growing company owened by Suzuki-san, a fellow Rotarian. We left there with a beautiful bouquet of carnations and even brought bouquets to Rosie and Ben.

Then we were obliged to be a part of a traditional Japanese Green Tea Powder Ceremony. It was very interesting. We learned a lot… from how to hold and turn the cup and mix the tea to how the tea is grown and that the cost of it - 20g of tea is about the same price as 20g of silver.

Our hosts here in Japan have been very gracious and very accommodating. We've had a wonderful time and appreciate all the work they've put into our exchange!

Another fun party

2009-11-04T16:53:00.008-06:00

After a full day of cultural visits and a presntation to Mikawa Anjo Rotary Club, the team went for activities with their host families. Rosie and I had a fantastic party (yes another one) to go to at a Rotarian's home. There were lots of people and even more food. Barbecued beef steaks, lots of soba noodles (hand made while we were there) and so many other traditional Japanese goodies. We were invited to a special tea ceremony before we indulged in the excellent food. These people are the most gracious hosts one can imagine. Rosie and I were asked to help make soba noodles. Rosie had a little better technique than I did but our efforts were enjoyed by all. We were videotaped the entire evening. There are probably some not-so-desirable moments on that tape. Oh well, they can gets some good laughs for years to come.

Today, we are off to a fish market and other places. We present to Isshiki Rotary Club at noon.

Cultural Day in Japan

2009-11-04T02:34:00.006-06:00

Tuesday was a Cultural Day in Japan. Businesses were closed so we spent the day sight-seeing and eating! We ate a great breakfast at the hotel, took a little trip with a few Rotarians and Charlie to his French restaurant, Le Paumier, for lunch. We had an amazing 5 course meal… fried rice ball (Cha-han), seafood salad, fresh bread, noodles and chicken and then an amazing dessert. It was wonderful and we were all “stuffed”. They are definitely making sure we don’t go hungry while in Japan. After the wonderful meal, we took off to the Toyota Museum. We learned a lot about eco-friendly/hybrid cars.

We took off to Kogetsu In in the Le Paumier bus and headed towards the “hills”. These hills are gorgeous with Bamboo growing on the sides of them. To much to our surprise, Kogetsu In is an ancient temple. After washing our hands in the sacred water, we first visited the Shinto Shrine. We were wished for our safety and health during our trip to Japan. Then we went back to a Tyabudai (low) table and drank sacred water (not the water we washed our hands in) out of tiny bowls.
Just when we thought we were done, we got back in the bus and they took us higher into the hills to the actual ancient Buddist temple. Temples were built to be hidden, so there are really no good pictures of the outside. Inside we sat in a half Lotis postition and meditated for 3 minutes. Typically they meditate for 40, but frankly we just didn’t have the time nor would our legs/hips hold out for that long. After meditating we toured the temple. It was a very interesting and culturally entertaining visit.
The stories of our lives so far has been rush, rush, rush. We arrived at our next destination with not one minute to spare. The program and meal were amazing. Not one of us was hungry, but another 5 course meal was on our horizon. It included a nice salad with potatoes, fruit, salmon, fish, “meatloaf”, rice, and dessert.

Nagoya City & First Presentation

2009-11-02T08:16:00.004-06:00

We took a nice walking tour of Nagoya and were able to visit the Nagoya TV tower today for a beautiful view of the city. We soon learned to pay attention or you just may get run over by a bicyclist. There are many people who use bikes for transportation.

We also gave our presentation to the GSE committee and received flying colors. Our first “real” presentation was given at the Rotary Welcome Party where we were treated like royalty. We had a grand buffet including octopus, Kobe beef and wonderful champagne. KAMPAI (cheers)! Again, the presentation when off without a hitch and they were very appreciative of all of the information we gave them. (Our translated brochures and imovie presentation were a hit!)

We made it! Hightlights from our Travels...

2009-11-01T09:46:00.005-06:00

After three flights including one that was just about 14 hours, we have landed at our destination, Nagoya, Japan. We were welcomed by a whole crew of Rotarians who we ended up spending the evening with. Tomorrow, the presentations begin.

Game On!

2009-10-31T04:44:00.002-05:00

Today is our big travel day. We are lucky to all be able to fly out from our home airports and then we'll all meet up in Minneapolis for the long flight direct to Tokyo. From there we'll take a puddle jumper onto Nagoya for a total of about 24 hours of traveling. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say we are so excited to begin this journey and appreciate all of the support everyone has given us.
Sayonara for now!

One Down.....18 to Go!!!!!

2009-10-17T19:52:00.016-05:00

After spending the good part of the day tweaking our presentation, we had a reception/trial presentation run in front of local Rotarians, friends and family. With only one practice run under our belt (due to spending too much time tweaking . . . not tweating), we bravely stepped in front of our peers to give our presentation. After spending the first 20 mintues explaining why we might be saying "um" or the fact that there might be "dead air" or we may sound hurried, or not...we got our 20 minute presentation underway. Despite our anxiety, it went off without a hitch and was well-received. It could have been the sake we drank before we presented, the beer that our audience consumed during our presentation, or the fact that they didn't understand Evonne's Japanese. With one presentation down, we only have 18 to go. Japan, here we come!!!

Weekend in Nevis

2009-09-27T08:32:00.014-05:00

Thanks to Rebecca's Aunt and Uncle, we were able to hold our September GSE Team Japan meeting at a beautiful cabin in Nevis, Minnesota.

Aside from Ben and Julie deciding at the last minute to challenge the team to an "Amazing Race" in Minnesota's prime agricultural area ... except they were the only two playing (i.e we got really lost and arrived in Nevis quite late), the weekend went off without a hitch (generally).

After indulging in delicious meals cooked by chef extraordinaire (Ann Perry), we were able to isolate ourselves from distractions and hammer out our video montage presentation against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery. Our work led us to be creative...taking video footage while canoeing and creating an end scene with us all in the lake in our clothes shouting out a thank you to Japan. The footage was fantastic, allowing us to incorporate some old fashion humour into our presentation. Now....we just hope we can get it off the camera which...seems to want to keep the footage all to itself.

Aside from working by the fire, in the dark under the stars, we were also able to reconnect with Chris and George who both play a fundamental role in the GSE program. As always, they brought humour to the table as well as margaritas and "chicken especiales" as we dined at Companeros Mexican restaurant in picturesque Dorset, Minnesota.

Overall, our weekend Nevis retreat was a big success. Great work was done and we shared many laughs. Especially when Ben had to do the dishes after being narrowly defeated at an intense late night game of "P & A".

Bye for now and thank you to all who made this weekend possible,

GSE Team Japan

Yee-Haw for Cowboy Golf!!

2009-08-25T21:00:00.011-05:00

Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Japan convened in the lovely lake town of Bemidji, Minnesota, August 14-16, 2009, for its third installment of GSE preparation.

The weekend began with two riveting games of “Cowboy Golf” or, what is better known in some U.S. towns as “ladder ball”. This intensely competitive game, which requires an unparalleled degree of skill, strength, and athleticism, saw the teams throwing pairs of golf balls (strung together with rope) over a ladder-like structure for which points were awarded depending on which rung they landed on.

Team Sven and Ole (Ben and Julie) – representing hometowns located on Lake Superior (Duluth and Thunder Bay), took game one after a suspenseful ending – would they get the one point required to achieve a score of 21 to win the game or get 2 or 3 points to push them over 21 which would decrease their score to eleven? After their win , Sven and Ole hugged it out and in sportsman-like fashion, congratulated Team Paul and Babe (Rosie and Rebecca, representing Bemidji) for their efforts.

After a successful run, new teams were created. This time Team Paul Sven (Ben and Rebecca) took the challenge. Team Babe & Ole (Rosie and Julie) blamed their lack luster performance on the bat-sized mosquitoes that swarmed their heads interrupting their concentration. Unfortunately, game three, the championship game, was rained out so the true capabilities of Team Babe & Ole remain a mystery … until Nevis.

On the business side of things, the team hustled to run an efficient meeting and accomplished what they set out to do by Saturday evening. A structure and a theme were landed on for the presentation, roles and responsibilities were assigned, and brochures and business cards were finalized.

Our next meeting September 18-20, 2009, will take place in a “remote” location (i.e. a cabin in Nevis) care of Rebecca. Will a survivor challenge be on the horizon?? While it can’t be said for sure, GSE Team Japan will certainly see some more challenges…all in the name of team building.

“Hug it out” Team

2009-07-24T21:46:00.013-05:00

Greeting one another with a close-fisted, knuckle-based high five, in appreciation of the fact that not all team members are “huggers”, GSE Team Japan had its first official planning meeting in Bemidji, Minnesota July 17-19, 2009.

Warmly welcomed into Team Leader Evonne’s home, the weekend began with a potluck dinner. Tony, Evonne’s husband, prepared deliciously fresh walleye which was accompanied by several complementary dishes and drinks from team members (e.g. Japanese plum wine). Naturally, the meal finished with … chocolate cake (care of “Alternate Team Leader Extraordinaire”, Ann Perry) and a side of two “ Betty’s Pies”. Our team admits a shared love of food and sweets (which could bode well for trying new culinary delights in Japan). It could also lead to a GSE recipe book in the future.

Like our orientation meeting, once again Team Japan kicked into high gear and made many strides in preparing for its exchange. We were able to finalize our uniforms (after multiple fashion shows in numerous stores), agree on the layout and format of our brochures, blog and business cards and landed on a theme for our presentation…which, also begins with b … but we’ll leave that as a surprise.

In addition to the work, Team Member Rebecca shifted our focus for a few minutes in an icebreaker that challenged us to appreciate the current influences in our lives and the impact they could have on us as we pursue our journey. It was a great way to get to know each other even better.

Overall the weekend was another success and just as it began, ended with a big group close-fisted, knuckle-based high-five or, hug, for short.

Before signing off, thanks also go out to Earl Rogers and the Duluth Rotarians for such a warm welcome at your noon meeting.

Until next time….

Journey Begins Over Sushi and...Chocolate Cake

2009-07-01T09:42:00.001-05:00

Our Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team had the first real opportunity to meet and get to know one another over a weekend in Duluth, Minnesota in June.

Over the course of our “orientation weekend”, we learned about Rotary and the Group Study Exchange Program from Rotarians and GSE alumni. From alumni we heard that the exchange is a unique experience that can be life changing. It is expected to open our eyes to things we never thought possible. The alumni also imparted words of wisdom: be flexible, say yes to everything and metaphorically speaking, don’t be the only one wearing clothes on the nude beach (while the point was made, there are some limits).

In addition to learning about Rotary and the GSE we also learned about the culture, demographics and economy of Japan. Our learning was accentuated by our first official sushi lunch together where we encouraged one another to try something new. Practicing the “try everything” philosophy, we dined on eel and octopus among other pieces of succulent sushi and sashimi.

After a comprehensive day of training, Team Japan was slated for a relaxing evening of bonding. It became apparent early on however, that our team is driven. After a delicious meal of lasagna prepared by team member Ben and his wife Kate, topped off with Ben’s decadent chocolate cake, we settled immediately back into work mode. Against a background of crooner Michael Bublé, we hashed out numerous ideas for our exchange.

While, it was only our first meeting, Team Japan made a great deal of progress and this is just the beginning. We can expect more meetings (and hopefully many more pieces of Ben’s chocolate cake) before embarking on our journey, so stayed tuned.With parting words from one of our Rotarian hosts, “it’s all about opening your brains and your hearts”.