Bonsai Museum

Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2004 6:54 PM
Subject: Weekly Email

Well, the third and last wave of family for a while left yesterday. We went to all the usual places in Tokyo plus Kamakura and Nikko. The day in Nikko was especially nice in that the weather was perfect and we were able to see most of the main shrine complex. The cherries are just barely starting to bloom and we had great weather right up to Thursday evening. Friday was pretty cold but we ended up going to the museums at Ueno and staying out of most of it. I think Teresa, David, and Megan really enjoyed it. I enjoyed all of you - it is really quiet now.

I have made the observation that shopping was one of the great draws for Tokyo for all the visitors. The department stores are incredible and there are some good souvenir type shops as well. Besides the shrines and temples, the other great draw is the food. If you are willing to try something different, the Japanese cuisine is really good. If I get back here and there are visitors again, we will have to go to Kyoto. It is known for the culture, including food and temples.

Every group that visited left me some kind of unexpected "gift". Mother and Aunt Pauline left some bath soap. Cody and Kathye left cookies, snacks, and anti-wrinkle cream. David left a box of half eaten chocolates in my back pack and Megan left a Japanese Cosmopolitan. All will be put to good use.

Saturday I went into work for a while after Teresa and the kids have left. Unfortunately it is all still there pretty much as I left it.

Today I did my laundry and I've started income tax. To get out, I decided to go to the Bonsai Museum. This turned out to be quite a trek - it was the first time I was unable to navigate on the train. I couldn't find the local train and got on an express that went right by my stop. Then I tried to turn around and got on the wrong train. Finally I ended up taking the subway but had problems with that because my map was labeled wrong. When I finally got to the station I couldn't find the place because the building wasn't on the local map they always have at the subway door. I ended up having to ask the policeman who didn't speak english.

When I got there, it was a really nice museum but small. They don't have much room for display but some of the specimens were incredible. You could see the whole thing in an hour and study each tree individually (7 minutes if you are Jessica). The most impressive one was 350 years old and about 4 feet tall. Anyway, I probably wouldn't take visitors there unless they are really into such things. The cherry trees in that part of Tokyo are right down by the river and were already in pretty good bloom. Really nice.

Well, that is about it for this week. I am blessed to be able to live in such a place and have family enjoy it with me.

Take care all...

Frank