Leaving Sagamihara

Ah - done with work in Japan. Now it's dinner and the weekend. I am a little upset with myself though because I have not gotten my camera out at all. I wanted to get some pictures of my coworkers in Japan but I didn't remember! Sorry - no pictures to post. Hopefully I'll have a few by the weekend though. Saturday - my friend Takenouchi-san and his wife will be giving me a tour of Tokyo. (I met him when he was staying in St. Paul over a year ago.) He wanted to know if I wanted to see Traditional or Modern Japan. I voted for traditional! So, I will get an official tour. Sunday - I have found a friend, Uno-san, who will drive me in his little red convertible to see Mount Fuji. This is around a 3 hour drive - depending on traffic. So I get to see the city and the countryside. AND - I don't have to navigate the transportation system by myself. I must admit it's a little confusing for me to find my way around. By the way - everyone loved the chocolate gifts. Everyone except my host, Kuma. I discovered that Japan has declared a program against "metabolic disorder". After a little discussion, I found this means "weight gain". Actually, Japanese people have a different metabolism than we do. They don't gain as much weight (plus they eat a lot of fish so this helps) and they process stuff faster. For example, they need less alcohol to get drunk. Anyway, he is required, by 3M and the Japanese government, to report his weight, waist measurement, everything he eats daily, and all the exercise he does - for 9 months! They call him once a week to tell him to walk to work, bike more, cut back on sweeets, etc. Anyway. Need to go to dinner. I'll have more for you later.