Wherever I travel I seem to find a bar, grill or other eating or refreshment establishment using my “brand”.

Here is a photo of a very fine restaurant in Kyoto’s famed Gion district. Unfortunately the prices were so high, we could not sample the fare!

Perhaps I am in the wrong line of work?

While my photography suffers in comparison to the fabulous images created by Tony, I offer a few photos that will be part of my personal memories of the trip.

I expect that Tony and others will be making a selection of photographs available on their return to Orono. Enjoy.

Two other points worth noting.

While in Kyoto, the faculty surprised Russ with two glorious birthday cakes on his 27th birthday. Thank you Keiko for finding such a great bakery! Japanese pastry and whip cream with fruits are a very special treat. It added to the exciting and memorable “food” experience for all the students. “Coolish”!

And, Keiko visited her aunt Akemi in Kyoto and returned with baskets of fresh Japanese pastries and snacks. They were Akemi’s gifts offered as a sign of appreciation for the student’s visit to Japan. This was a near universal comment made by most Japanese we encountered during the visit.

The impact of the March 11 events and aftermath have hit tourism, a major economic factor, quite hard. Some hotels and inns have a cancelation rate of 98%, greatly impacting many people and businesses. Beyond the economic aspect, however, was a deep sense of appreciation for the support and comfort provided by being present among the people.

Our final days in Kyoto were filled with cultural experiences made more enjoyable by being together with such a wonderful group of people. From my personal perspective, this was a most rewarding and exciting trip. I regret that circumstances prevented many others who wanted to visit Japan could not be with us.

I have posted a few photos of events on the final two days in Kyoto. They include a trip to the sake brewery, a few photos of our final 9 course group dinner (including a taste of the famous Japanese blowfish) and our departure from Three Sisters Inn.

Kay Yamada and her staff at the Inn provided a fantastic level of service most appreciated by the students and faculty. The parting gift provided to each guest was a special recognition and thank you for visiting Japan after the March 11 events.

The students boarded a van for the Osaka airport and our nearing a return to Bangor as I write this post. Keiko and I returned to Tokyo by Shinkansan. We will remain in Japan until June 4, visiting with family and friends as well as attending to some professional business appointments.

I hope you have enjoyed these brief reports of our MBA 2011 Japan trip experience. Please check out our student blogs and photographs.

I will continue to make posts of our remaining time in Japan. For now, a day of much needed rest.