An eventful day in Japan

Right now we are on a train from Tokyo to Kyoto, where we will stop for atour before continuing on to Osaka. We are getting a glimpse of the countryside of Japan during the ride, which starkly contrasts to the condensed, urban life in Tokyo. There seems to be a lot of agriculture and farms and the land is very green and fertile. I look forward to getting a taste of Osaka and Fukuoka after such a great experience in Tokyo.

Chris Capuano, Ambassador Sheiffer, Doug Melvin and myself at the American Embassy in Tokyo.

Yesterday was perhaps the most eventful day yet for me in Japan. Our day started off with a visit to the residence of the United States Ambassador to Japan, Tom Schieffer. Ambassador Schieffer was a former owner of the Texas Rangers and an avid baseball fan and historian. He and his wife, Suzanne, gave us a wonderful tour of their property, which was the residence of General Macarthur immediately following the end of World War II. Perhaps the most impressive item on display in the house was a glove worn by Lou Gehrig during a professional baseball tour of Japan in 1934. The Ambassador then took us out for an old fashioned American meal of burgers, fries and shakes! It was a great educational experience to learn about the history of the United States and Japan.

A Japanese girl dressed up in Harajuku.

After lunch Liz and I ventured out to Harajuku, a trendy, young and fashionable area of Japan.  We had heard about the girls of Harajuku and their trendy fashion after seeing pictures and videos of them with Gwen Stefani. On Sundays the teenage girls flock to Harajuku in outrageous outfits and costumes, somewhat like an urban fashion show. The theme yesterday seemed to be Little Bo Peep, as many girls were dressed up in fluffy dresses, bonnets and pigtails. It was the most crowded place we have yet been in Japan.

After last night's game Mike Myers and his family invited us to a traditional Japanese restaurant for dinner. Also in attendance was NBP All-Star Kei Igawa and a translator. We spent the night discussing baseball and learning about the different methods of training and techniques between MLB and NPB.  Kei was very excited to hear about our experiences in MLB and also to hear our thoughts on the Japanese players. He is hoping to sign with a MLB team this winter. He said the power of the MLB team is the most impressive difference between the two teams. Although I am not normally too experimental when it comes to food, we followed Kei’s lead. Dinner items included lots of noodles, crab, chicken yakitori, fish, steak and octopus. It was a very memorable experience and I’m grateful to Kei and Mike for their inclusiveness and hospitality.

As for the game, it was a great 11-4 win. The usual suspects of Ryan Howard, Andruw Jones and Joe Mauer hit home runs and Erik Bedard pitched great to help us win. The first three games in Tokyo could not have gone better. It was so much fun to watch some of the best athletes in the world play at the top of their games. Hopefully we will continue our success, although the Japanese team will make it a very tough challenge.

I’m very thankful to Brian Schneider for allowing me to use his computer to download some pictures. I hope you enjoy them.