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.

The Kyoto portion of the trip has been devoted exclusively to gaining an understanding and appreciation of Japanese history, traditions and culture. Two highlights of the visit were a traditional tea ceremony where participants learned the art of making and drinking green tea, and a visit to a sake brewery.

Students have been very engaged in all activities and took the initiative to develop their personalized touring experiences. Staying at the Three Sisters Inn Annex, a typical Japanese inn or Ryokan, has been a special element of the Kyoto experience.

While I have posted a few photos relative to the Kyoto visit, I encourage you to visit Tony’s blog. His creative photographic evidence of the beauty of Kyoto is spectacular.

Nothing like a rocket fast train ride to start off the second week in Japan. All boarded the Nazomi 700 Shinkansan (fastest in the Japan Railway fleet) for the 2.5 hour trip to Kyoto.

Sunday was a day for complete rest and relaxation. The cool and rainy day was a perfect counterpoint to the earlier heat and fast pace of the prior days.