Saturday November 15th

My last blog didn't include any comments on our activities on Friday which was a nice and easy day. Soichiro Miyazaki took me to his office which is located at one of his eleven warehouses in Japan. He is in the transportation business in a big way! They ship 10,000 different products to sixty different countries. He has a warehouse in Vietnam and has a partner with his warehouse in Thailand. He is a man with vision who sees the big picture and doesn't concern himself with many details. He doesn't drive a car, doesn't use a computer, doesn't take pictures with a camera. He has people who do all of these things for him. He always looks like he is wearing a suit tailored for him. He and his wife both speak English. She spent some time in England with her family before they were married. They have traveled to many countries in the world and their home reflects the knowledge they have learned. Two examples from the United States: their home is the only place that I have seen a washcloth, and many places don't have napkins for use during a meal or they are very small, but they always use them. I ask him what country he would like to travel to. and he asks "for business?" The answer was Thailand. He travels to Vietnam and Thailand every two months. For pleasure he would like to live in England for a few months when he retires. He will be 64 on August 13, 2009. He looks much younger. He plans to start working only part-time in three or four years. He elder son is already in the business and his younger son manages a restaurant they own. Their grandson is 18 months old. I arrived at the state capital building around 11:00 a.m. where our team and a few Rotary District 2620 official had a meeting with the Governor which went very well. For good health we say "an apple a day" and they say "six grams of green tea and two oranges". Any place there is a hill they plant green tea which is harvested in late April and early May. If green tea and rice are good for your health then I should live to be 100. Lunch with the Shizuoka Nihondaira Rotary Club (no presentation). Most of the afternoon was free at the Garden Square Hotel. A farewell party with the Shizuoka Group #4 complete with gifts and a great jazz group. The Japanese gal who sang was small but had a very big voice. Saturday: some time for shopping and a few postcards then to my first Buddhist wedding. My first lunch at a noodle shop then a free afternoon. Tomorrow no blog -- we have our introduction at the District 2620 conference, some free time, and then a bus transfer to the Kofu Fujiya Hotel in Kofu City in a new state or preferture - Yamanashi. For the last sixteen days I've listened to no radio, had no telephone calls, I haven't turned on the TV, it was November 13th before I heard a car honk its horn (I think there was also some loud noise coming from the tires), and I have had one Coke. I certainly miss my wife Barbara and my family but life has been very good here. Very friendly people. good food, and beautiful place to see which has much tradition to learn about and enjoy. We think of the next day and they think of the next decade.
Always a gorilla,
Ken