midreport JAPAN

Since this perticulary is for my international friends, och för att mina kära svenska vänner ändå är väldigt duktiga på engelska, will this report be in english:

We arrived at Narita Airport at 09.45 on tuesday the 22:ond an almost missed a hole day (or actually the nigth between monday and tuesday)

We took the train ”Shinkansen” to Toyohashi, the hometown of Toyota, where we met our host Masa Noguchi, from Machintosh school of architecture, at the Glasgow school of art.

We were invited to a welcome reception dinner with the head of Seikusui house, and had our first but not last Japanese dinner. Our group of delegates comes from all over the world, and a conflict of culture occured immidiately. Many of us tried to ”finish the plate” and our host and the waiter tried to keep the plates filled with food. Different dishes kept comming in…

The night we spent at Nikko Hotel in Toyohashi.

Wednesday the 23:rd we made a visit to the factory of Seikusui house, and looked at pre-fabricated houses.

Ate some japanese fast-food on the buss, a bento-box

Some real food, and some bits that really looked like food. But over all, tasty!

Next stop, was at Misawa an other pre-fabricated house company. After the tour, we went to Osaka, for more food, this time I tried – not completely aware of it in the beginning – Sharks soft bone (Haj brosk) in honor of Anna Anka, so now i won’t get cancer. That’s good!

(couldn’t/wouldn’t miss the opportunity to introduce you to former mrs Paul Anka, from Sweden if you don’t know who she is, it’s subtitled in English, and the other way around)

Today, the 24:th we’ve spent the day at Pana Home, a company of the Panasonic Group, they actually had some ideas about environmental friendly methods, materials and philosophy.

Then a cultural tour to the golden Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto.

(click on the picture if you would like to see it BIGGER)

Back to the future – with a visit at INAX,  that has (among other stuff)  toilets with movement censors, aircondition, autoflush and playing a royal anthem when you sit down. It has never before come across my mind that niether me, nor anyone else ever needed that. But for those yerning for it, the possibillity to buy one, is in Osaka, Japan.

The night ended well even though our friends tested to eat pufferfish (globefish, fugu, blåsfisk), and survived!

Or actually, the night has not ended yet, I have some catching up to do, with my work.

I’m hoping and wishing a great week to come, and wish you all a very happy marry Midsummers eve!