Japan - September, 2005

In September of 2005, Walt had the opportunity of going to Japan to work in a laboratory at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and, since I was between jobs at the time, I was able to accompany him. We lived in a small apartment in Kagurazaka for seven weeks. After sipping our morning coffee on the lanai, Walt would head off to the lab and I would consult my guidebook and maps and decide which section of the city to explore that day. On the weekends we usually took tours to places of interest nearby.

At first it was terrifying to venture out into a city that is so different from anyplace we have lived. We felt illiterate because we couldn't read the signs and our knowledge of the language is very limited. Just finding the things we needed in the supermarket was a challenge.

We soon learned that people in Tokyo are quite friendly and helpful. Whenever we found ourselves in front of a map hopelessly lost or confused, someone would appear and try to help. In stores and restaurants where no English was spoken, we learned to communicate with the staff who would invariably try their best to communicate with us. We met many wonderful people, reveled in experiencing a different culture and lifestyle, enjoyed a lot of delicious food, and developed a great love for the city.

We put this page together to share some of our pictures and our adventures.