Just a quick final post from Tokyo. We stopped here for just a few nights mostly to visit friends and colleagues from our days at Weyerhaeuser and Westwood.
We’d been here and many other cities in Japan for business (and golf) several times a year for the past 30 years, so just spending some time with old friends was the goal. Thanks firstly to Hiro Iwabuchi for being our “UBER” driver from airport to hotel. A good chance to catch up, but we need more time “next time” for eating and drinking together!
We stayed in Ginza in the AC Marriott Ginza - points again and glad we booked early as points rooms were no longer available and nightly rates were now showing at over $450 a night. We love this area - it’s a great base in the heart of Tokyo and east to hop on a train to get anywhere. Japan is still #1 when it comes to transportation infrastructure.
From our hotel, it was about a 10 minute walk to Tsukiji - the famous fish market. While the commercial portion of the market was moved to a new (and huge) location prior to the Olympics, the alleyways and market stalls were still here. We enjoyed some breakfast sashimi and Sake (when in Tokyo…) and some great Uni (Sea Urchin), and just general people watching.
Later in the day we met up with Miyama-san (Nobi) and his daughter Yukie. Nobi had worked for Weyerhaeuser and Westwood starting maybe in the late 60’s-early 70’s (?), and met me on my first trip to Tokyo in 1982. Yukie came to Seattle when she was 13 and stayed with us for about a week. Now in her mid-40’s she won the lottery so to speak a few years ago. She “won” the opportunity to purchase one of the condos used in the newly built Olympic Athletes Village. An amazing place in Harumi, near Ginza and right on the waterfront with incredible views. We walked and visited this area and Nobi reminded us that Weyerhaeuser ships used to call Harumi pier to discharge lumber, maybe 40 years before.
After coming back to the Ginza area, we enjoyed a little sake and food together, and of course chatting about old times. Found a great place for sake tasting - all you can drink for 30 minutes for about $12…we just had a taste or two.
Our final day was spent walking and just enjoying a few old spots - shopping and having noodles, etc. After walking through the Imperial Hotel, we walked to Hibiya Park where there was a food festival going on. We saw a Gifu style fish barbecue - these are the fish caught by cormorants near Nagoya, and it reminded us of a trip we took with our granddaughter Baliee, when Miho-san from our Nagoya office took us on a river boat and we enjoyed catching some fish and a barbecue on the shore.
Our final evening was a get together with some of the old Westwood sales team, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that Miho-san, and the man himself - Nishioka-san had come up from Nagoya to join! Thanks so much, and “next time” Nagoya will be our first stop in Japan.
A fun evening of Izakaya style food and drinking, with plenty of chatting time together. Fukao-san, Iida-san, Nakano-san and Yugeta-san all joined us, as did “Mr. Monday”, Namba-san (and he stayed awake through the entire evening). Thanks to everyone for taking time during your holidays to see us!
Again, just a short visit and we thought this was all we needed since we had been here so many times. But after being here we are excited to try to plan a longer visit to Japan and cover more ground.
That’s it for this trip to Asia. A couple months back in Tacoma, and then we’ll head to Scandinavia and a few places in Europe this summer.
Take care and all the best,
Tim and Eileen