Orchid Bar & Sazanka Teppanyaki

...............................We departed Houston 10 AM Saturday and arrived Narita airport around 2 PM Sunday. After electronic fingerprinting and pictures in customs, private cars transported us to Hotel Okura. We met in the Orchid Bar for drinks with our hosts after a shower and change of clothes. That was my first Sapporo beer and it was good. Kato-san, Desaki-san, and Iijima-san hosted Daniels, Cooling, Rudderow and I at Teppanyaki. Teppanyaki is the home to the best Kobe style beef. It is Ohmi beef from the Wagyu breed that is raised under the shadow of Mt. Suzuka drinking the clear water from the Azumi River. Their diet consists of corn, barley, and beer. Daily massages have been part of raising Ohmi for over 400 years.

Our dinner began and ended in a sitting area near the table surrounding the teppanyaki (iron cooking) grill. We had a champagne toast from Kato-san and he showed us the article on our deal from the Japanese newspaper with the map of our Marcellus Shale Play. The meal was prepared Benihana style with a talented chef with sharp knives. First we had the seafood courses accompanied by a chardonnay. There were smelts, a small fresh water fish, served with carrots and sprouts. Next we had a trout dish and a salad.

The Ohmi beef choice was filet or sirloin. I asked for filet cooked medium rare. The cook used a paste on the grill and brandy. He cut it up in bite size pieces. This steak literally melts in your mouth and is the best beef I have ever tasted. A really nice red wine accompanied our beef. The fatty portions from the sides of the steaks was cut off, and then diced. This meat was cooked until the fat sizzled away and then fried eggs, onions, and rice were added to create some of the best fried rice you have ever encountered. The fried rice was followed by mushroom soup.

We moved back to the sitting area and had some great ice cream that is pretty close to Blue Bell quality. Then off to bed so we could make our 5 AM tuna auction meeting time.

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺- Kyoto, Japan

This temple is a World Heritage site and it dates back to 798. The present buildings date back to 1633. It is named after a waterfall that has run continuously for over six hundred years. The name means “clear water”. The waterfall is split into three streams. Matsui-san said each stream stands for wisdom, longevity, and beauty. Others think health instead of beauty. The main hall has a huge veranda supported by tall pillars with fantastic views of the city. Japanese have a saying “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu’ which means “to take the plunge”. It is only 40 feet and there is historically an 85% survival rate. It is prohibited but if you try it shout “Geronimo” for the most dramatic effect. This is a must see site with a nature walk, great views and cool breezes. This was one of our last stops and my camera battery was dead, but I have a ticket with a picture. I saw pictures of this temple covered in snow and it quite beautiful. There were also many cherry trees and when they bloom it would be stunning.

Japanese Apricot - Ume Tree

Prunis mume flowers in January and February. Plum blossoms are often depicted in Japanese art and it is indeed hand painted on the kimono I purchased for Tane Sakura. Although it is called a plum it is actually an apricot tree and it originally came from China. Ume juice is extracted from the fruit and is sweet and tangy and served chilled. Ume liquor is also known as plum wine and is sweet and smooth. The Ume blossoms are a symbol of spring and were originally preferred over the cherry blossom tree.

Tenjin (天神?) Sky god Temple- Kyoto, Japan

Tenjin was our second spot on the Kyoto tour with Matsui-san and Hitoshi. This is where we combine plum trees (Ume) and prayers for scholarship with orange temples and statues of bulls. Sounds like University of Texas with a plum orchard.

Michizane, a poet, died in 903 in exile. When he died there were many natural disasters from rain, lightning, and fire and the emperor decided Michizane’s spirit was angry and ordered temples built with his favorite tree planted on the grounds, the Ume Tree. February is bloom time and exam time so the blooms were associated with scholarship.

The parents come to this shrine before their children are accepted into universities to pray for a favorable outcome. Prayer cards are hanging on nails as shown in the picture. Hitoshi’s mother went to Tenjin before he was accepted into one of the universities in Kyoto.

Sanjūsangendō (三十三間堂?, - Kyoto, Japan

Matsui-san took us to Sanjusangendo which means the Hall with Thirty-three Spaces. The temple houses 1001 statues of Buddha. They were made out of cypress and carved in the 12^th and 13^th centuries. Some have been damaged in a fire in the 13^th century. The Buddha statues are arranged on something that resembles a grandstand and there are 33 spaces between the columns, thus the name. In the middle of the hall resides the main deity named the Thousand Armed Kannon and is considered a national treasure of Japan. In front of all the statues are 28 guardian deity statues. On either side are the statues of Fujin (Wind) and Raijin (Rain). Many people were lighting candles in this hall and making donations. No pictures allowed and we were furnished slippers to wear in the hall.

The hall has a special ceremony in January called the Rite of the Willow in January. When they touch your head with a willow your headache is cured. There is also a famous archery tournament that is called Toshiya (literally means “arrow that hits the target”). They shot arrows all the way down the long veranda on the side of the hall which is 120 meters in length. The event started in the 16^th century when a samurai fired 51 arrows rapidly. The contest evolved to the most arrows to hit the target out of 100, then 1000, then in 12 hours, then in 24 hours. The record is 8133 targets hit out of 13,053 arrows fired in 24 hours – 9 arrows fired per minute.

Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Mount Fuji

The bullet train route from Tokyo to Kyoto, Tōkaidō Shinkansen, carries more than 150 million passengers each year. The trains are on time (average 6 seconds off schedule) and fast – 300 km/hour (180+mph). The cars are air sealed and quiet. The train goes through mountains instead of around or over. We saw lots of buildings and little farm land. Farms we did see were growing tea. The best sight we saw was snow capped Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is a volcano that is often used as a symbol of Japan. It last erupted in the early 18^th century and is located at the junction of three plates (plate tectonics). It is over 12,300 foot elevation and is snow clad some of the year. The challenge – can a Lumix Panasonic camera capture Mount Fuji through the window of a train traveling 180 mph? The answer is: yes you can take a decent picture. Can you take a picture of a bullet train moving in the opposite direction at the same speed? No, you just photograph a blur.

Phoenix crowning the Golden Pavilion

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................The Phoenix is the mythical bird of immortality. Every five hundred to one thousand years or so, the Phoenix builds his nest,and it ignites burning the bird down to ashes. Then the Phoenix rises from his own ashes. The Phoenix is part of Chinese, Egyptian, and Greek mythology. It is also part of Harry Potter mythology.