more Japan

Early the next morning, Les, Peter, and I went to the Nagoya Fish Market. We parked the car in a garage slot, where it went up on an elevator in the narrow building to a space somewhere up there. Peter did not have to give them the key, so the parking garage was automated. Aisle and aisle of fish were displayed, and restaurant buyers were there. Men on bicycles delivered packages within the market, and people rolled flat carts full outside. The large tuna were the most impressive among the dozens of varieties of fish. On our way home we stopped for breakfast at a fast food Japanese restaurant, and it was fast and filling.
We spent the rest of the day in Nagoya with Setsuko, Takashi, and Isao’s daughter Akiko who had a day off from work at the bank. Our first stop was Osu Kannon Temple. Akiko got a wonderful fortune there, the best she said, and she tied it onto the temple. Setsuko and I said a silent prayer together. We watched an amazing automated doll show with music that is shown every few hours in a glassed-in stage, and we visited Fuji Sengenjinja Shinto Shrine where Takashi and Setsuko rang the gong bell in prayer. We shopped in the covered street area of Osu, and Setsuko treated us to lunch in a lovely Japanese restaurant. I found a maneki neko (beckoning cat) for my souvenir, and Les got a sake set.
That night Isao and Kyoko treated us to a fancy farewell Japanese dinner at a restaurant. We ate many interesting dishes including about five kinds of fish, raw squids, raw baby sardines, soups, a whole bream, sea urchin row, seaweed salad, and sake. We ended the meal with miso soup, scorched rice, a sweets platter, and green tea. We all said “kampai” and drank to our wonderful time in Nagoya.
The last day in Japan, our friends Isao and Kyoko took us to the train station to say goodbye. We traveled on the Shinkansen and JR Line, the bullet train, with Setsuko and Takashi. They gifted us with this trip to Yokohama to meet our ship. The train goes 250 km/hr! We saw Mount Fuji on the way. Setsuko taught me some origami as we traveled. Then they came with us to see the ship and take a walk to a famous Yokohama park near the port. We finally found Matthew whom they were eager to see again. Then Setsuko, Takashi and I made a surprise journey to Yokohama City University with Matthew and his MICE students. We traveled for an hour and a half on the subway trains to get there. Matthew gave a talk, and the students played a couple of their compositions. Then they spent time showing the audience the instruments. Setsuko tried the ukulele.
We had to part with Setsuko and Takashi in the subway: they traveled back home to Niigata, and we returned to our ship and the voyage across the Pacific Ocean. Isao once said, “Life is full of meetings and partings,” and this was true of our time in Japan. We were not ready to say sayonara to our friends after such a short visit. We are hoping that they may come to Alaska!