An interesting morning

Going to the docks this AM was a well worth the 4:30am wakeup call.  Three immaculate cabs rolled to the curb of our hotel to whisk us away; the ride, comfortable and brief. 

Tight roads at moderate speeds have never been so pacifying.  The overall feeling of the trip thus far has mirrored that sense of security and tranquility found in the cab ride, a feeling I was dumbfounded to recognize in a metropolis.  Honestly, I’m more anxious walking the streets of Bangor at midnight, than Tokyo.  

The plan was to watch the auctioning of recently caught tuna, which would have been a silent treat, watching hundreds of thousands of dollars (USD) spent on fatty fish.  But, for reasons outside our control, we were not afforded this unique opportunity.  Instead, we enjoyed a sushi breakfast and a tour of the small shops and fish mongers whose shops snaked the narrow allies surrounding the docks.  Breakfast was amazing, though they incorrectly took my order.  The resulting meal was 1000 yen more than expected, but to be honest well worth the added expense.

Samples on dirty street corners should be left unsampled. Enough said.

Yesterday’s adventures were both intense and worthwhile.  Intense mostly due to the fact we had lined up three meetings in one day. 

I found the most worthwhile the meeting with Michael Alfant, President of the ACCJ (The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan).  His insight into the entrepreneurial prerequisites in Japan, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), and international media, was striking.  But, of course not nearly as striking as the character which he exuded, which I personally enjoyed. 

Yesterday also included a meeting with Kazunori Suzuki, to discuss the economic  environment and Post Tsunami Recovery Issues of Japan; and a meeting with Mamie Ogawa and Shinya Nishimaki, to discuss the Itochu Corporation.  Both very interesting, though the last meeting of the day, regarding the Itochu Corp., I wish I had more energy to fully immerse myself in their presentation.   Suzuki sons presentation was really interesting, and the parallels between the US and Japan were, in a word, blatant.  I also saw a parallel in regards to neighbors, how we view our sometimes contentious relationship with Mexico is very much similar to the attitude the Japanese have toward China.

The night life in Japan is…  interesting.  I’ll defer to pictures to try to convey the experience.

Stereotypes smashed:

1.       Japanese people are considerably shorter than westerns

2.       Sushi is a staple of the Japanese diet

3.       Fish is the defacto protein over beef, pork and chicken

4.       Technology is an invasive part of the Japanese lifestyle

5.       Anime/cosplay is rampant