Getting the Special Treatment

Aside from feeling a little homesick, I really don't have any complaints about Japan. This is further bolstered by the fact that I get treated very well wherever I go. I had known for a while that a trip to Hiroshima was planned, but I wasn't sure what we would be doing in the prefecture. Yesterday Shoko, Masatoshi, Shoko's mother (Kiyoko-san), and I left around 10 in the morning, but all I was told was that we would be going to a steak restaurant. The drive was pleasant through the mountains and the weather was nice. We drove for about an hour and half until we reached the restaurant and were immediately greeted by two chefs and a man dressed in a tux waiting outside who directed Masatoshi where to park. Striding through a small Japanese garden we reached the entrance of the restaurant decorated in marble. The inside of the building was even more impressive with fountains and luxurious furniture scattered throughout the waiting area. The hostess led us to a room with a Japanese hibachi and windows overlooking a Japanese garden.

This place could best be described as Morgantown's Habatchi meets Martha Stewart (sans jail sentence) meets "Great Chefs of the World.” A chef came to prepare the food in front of us who was very entertaining and had traveled a bit in the US. He didn't flip the food around quite as much as hibachi but the food quality was by far superior. Our appetizer of roast duck, salmon, and caviar set the tone for the rest of the meal. Shoko and I ordered steak, while Masatoshi and Shoko's mother ate crab legs. The steak was delicious, served with salt from the Andes and a slew of delicate side dishes. The crab legs would have made my mom jealous.

After the main part of the lunch was concluded, we were moved to another room for dessert. Its furnishings were a little cozier and intended for relaxing. I had raspberry chocolate cake with tea, and felt very satisfied with the meal. Shoko's mother paid for the lunch, to which I am very grateful and will write a thank you letter in addition to thanking her personally.

After lunch we drove back to Okayama (sight seeing in Hiroshima will have to wait for another day) to try and find a Kendo gee (traditional Kendo outfit). Amazingly (in JAPAN no less), no mainstream sports stores carried any sort of Kendo outfits. Shoko says that there might be a store in Okayama where I can order one, but there must be a store that she doesn't know about. I guess traditional sports just aren't as popular as baseball, soccer, and volleyball. We did stop in UNI QLO, a cheap but high quality clothing store where I found some stylish winter clothing. One section of the store was dedicated to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Andy Warhol. I also found a pair of slippers for walking around in the house because I hear in the winter you can see your breath inside.

The other night at Kyudo we moved to the main dojo with very small targets. There is a certain process for entering the dojo area involving various bows, but after a few tries I got all the moves right. I took a bunch of shots at the target, and after a very close miss finally hit the outside ring on my last try (no serious arrow related injuries yet!)