Winning the series came in a distant second place to the overall cultural experience I received away from the field. I cannot offer enough gratitude for the Japanese people and their never ending hospitality. From the moment we arrived to the time we landed back in Chicago, we were treated like royalty by the Japanese people. Politeness, manners and respect are the norm, even in the huge city of Tokyo where space and privacy are non-existent. Furthermore, everything is extremely clean, a testament to the pride and respect the Japanese take in their county. The fans' generosity was appreciated and as I unpack from the trip, I marvel at the great souvenirs that I received from fans. I am extremely grateful to the country of Japan and their citizens for the incredible hospitality.

Playing against other teams during the MLB season affords brief encounters with opponents, but not the opportunity to know them on a personal level. I knew going into this trip that every player on the
team was an extremely talented baseball player and it was fun to watch each individual exhibit his talents. But the best part of getting to know the other MLB players was the humility and respect for the game that I saw from each teammate. There was great camaraderie and no individual player was competing for himself. It was a priority to win the series and, because it was such a good group of players with high character, we were able to accomplish the sweep. Finally, it was really neat to see the homecoming for Tadihito Iguchi and Kenji Johjima. Everywere we played they were the fan favorites, as the Japanese fans had great support for their national players competing in Major League Baseball. I hope it was as great an experience for them as it was for me. I'll never forget this wonderful trip and I hope that someday I will be fortunate to return to represent MLB again.

Clockwise: Chase Utley, myself, Joe Mauer, Sarah and Lyle Overbay and Brian Schneider on the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.

Yesterday was an eventful day traveling from Tokyo to Osaka. We departed Tokyo for Kyoto via the bullet train. In Kyoto we were treated to a great lunch, some shopping and a magnificent tour of the Golden Temple. The temple was incredible, as it is surrounded by water and truly plated in gold. It is at the base of a mountain and the weather was a little cooler than we were accustomed. It was rather refreshing.

A picture of me walking the streets in Japan.  As the cliché goes, I stand out like a sore thumb.

From Kyoto we bussed to Osaka, arriving around 7 p.m. For dinner Liz and I joined Lyle Overbay and his wife Sarah for a steak dinner at an Australian steakhouse. Although I have enjoyed the food in Japan, the dinner seemed like a familiar restaurant back home. After dinner we wondered the streets of Osaka trying to find a taxi. There seemed to be many lined up along the streets but none were for hire. In the end we walked back to the hotel, enjoying the cool, crisp fresh air and entertaining conversation. It was a perfect night to cap off a great day.

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.

Joe Mauer cleaning his hands in accordance with Japanese customs at the Sensoju Temple. After cleaning your hands, you are suppose to drink the water, which Joe decided not to do!

Standing in the Kannon temple gave me great appreciation for the history of Japan, which dates back much much longer than the United States. America seems like such a new country relative to the ancient history of other places like Japan. It was a wonderful experience to see a traditional, ancient part of Japanese religion and to understand how it impacts Japanese culture today.

As for baseball, we came away with another solid, but close win. The star of the day was Ryan Howard, who hit two of the most impressive home runs I have seen. The first was an opposite field line drive and the second was a moon shot to dead center field. The home runs came in his first two at bats of the game. When the Japanese pitcher walked him on four straight pitches in his third at bat the fans became very upset, voicing their displeasure at the pitcher. It was pretty cool to see the Japanese fans excitement over the home runs and how they wanted, and perhaps expected, a home run each of his following trips to the plate. Another bright moment occurred when Tadihito Iguchi smoked a double down the left field line to score two runs. I'm sure it was a great feeling for him to have success in front of his native fans. Lyle Overbay provided the finishing touches with a homerun in the top of the 9th to extend our lead and Brian Fuentes closed out the game to earn the save. The two games against NPB have both been extremely competitive and exciting, exactly what was expected of the series. Fortunately we have come out on the winning end both times.

Brian and Jordan Schneider and myself at the market near Sensoju Temple.

A trip to Japan would not be complete without a little -- or a lot -- of pearl shopping. Yesterday, we ventured out via subway to Roppongi to Yonamine's PearlShop. Wally Yonamine was a former football player for the San Francisco49ers, who then came to Japan and played professional baseball before an injury ended his career. He and his wife, Jane, then opened a small pearl store in Roppongi. It was a very impressive experience in a small store, where the walls are covered with pictures and autographs from baseball players, actors and even Presidents. It was amazing to see photos and signatures of Joe DiMaggio, Warren Spahn, Roger Clemens, Jodi Foster, Hillary Clinton and Ronald Reagan to name a few. Needless to say, it was a fun experience and we completed most of our Christmas shopping. Mom, I hope you like pearls!

Ryan Howard and myself at Sensojo Temple in Tokyo.   The two of us stood out just a little bit in the crowded market.

After the workout we returned to the hotel where we had a welcoming reception. It was a very elaborate ceremony attended by both teams, many fans and corporate sponsors for the event. There was a traditional breaking of the sake barrel to start the ceremony, which consisted of a group of players, coaches and executives hitting a barrel of sake with a baseball bat. Again, it was great to see the support for the series and build some excitement for the players. There is a lot of pride at stake here, especially because Japan won the World Baseball Classic this spring.

As for the Japanese culture, there are two major observations after my first day. One, it is hard to get used to walking on the left side of the sidewalk. The second observation is how technologically advanced everything is. For example, cell phones appear to be state of the art and sophisticated, and taxi cab doors are hydraulic and open on their own. Ryan Howard had his picture taken with an eager fan on his way to dinner, and by the time he came out of dinner, the fan handed Ryan a copy of the photo to autograph! Overall the city is very clean and the people are extremely friendly.

Tomorrow night I start the exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants so I am off to bed. I look forward to getting back out on the field and competing against a very talented Japanese team. I know my teammates are just as excited, and we hope to represent Major League Baseball well and win the series.

Tomorrow morning we will depart for Japan to take on the Japanese All-Stars in a five-game All-Star Series. I am extremely excited for the opportunity to represent Major League Baseball and the San Diego Padres in this event.

Today I reported to Arizona to join my teammates for the last of three workouts before we leave; I missed the first two days because I had to attend a wedding back home. The workout was an easy one and it was good to get back in the swing of things with baseball. Although our season with the Padres ended only a couple weeks ago, the time off felt like an eternity. Standing on the field with such an unbelievable group of players brought feelings of disbelief and amazement. I cannot believe the talent on the team and I am completely flattered that I was chosen to participate. I have admired and respected all the guys on the team as opponents and now I can be one of their teammates, if only for 10 days.

Tonight we had a meeting for the traveling party at the team hotel in Phoenix. My wife, Liz, is accompanying me on the trip and it will be the first time to Japan for both of us. We were given a short synopsis of Japanese culture, etiquette, traditions and other topics we might find useful. It was a very informative and helpful meeting which increased my excitement for the trip. I am a little anxious about the difference in Japanese and American cultures. The Japanese are very polite by nature and I hope that I will not do anything they might find offensive. I am excited to experience the Japanese culture and see firsthand their customs, traditions and overall way of life.

As for playing against the Japanese All-Stars, it should be a very competitive and exciting series. Japanese baseball is extremely talented, as evidenced in the success of players such as Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, Kenji Johjima, Tadahito Iguchi, Hideo Nomo, Akinori Otsuka and many others in MLB. They also won the World Baseball Classic last spring, so we will have to play at the top of our game to beat them. It will be a fun and memorable experience to pitch against their best players, in front of their passionate fans, in their home stadiums and cities. I cannot wait to get over there.

The only thing I am not looking forward to is the 15-hour flight! Tall people and airplanes are not a good match!