Hi Masaki,
I haven't been able (or figured out how) to trace your introduction, but I clicked on your website & saw just a couple of your family photos: lovely wife & precious child!

I do this with special interest: my 4th child (age 16) has taken Japanese since 1st grade; we subsequently hosted a young exchange teacher for a year, & she is now married to my nephew & they have just moved to Japan (just outside Osaka - near her family) for a few years. We also hosted a Japanese student from Yokohama for 3 months in 1993, through 4-H, oddly enough (even though we've never been associated with 4-H; I think the lady in charge heard we were a good mark!) which maybe started this process!

Anyway, my husband & I took our 2 youngest (against his better wishes - he thought they were too young) to Japan about 6 yrs ago (Continental was launching their Houston to Tokyo route) & I have to tell you that it was an absolutely charmed trip (and not just because it was 25,000 OnePass miles for a ticket on a brand new 777!). It was during Easter break from school: the cherry blossoms were at their peak; we saw Mt.Fugi up close & personal on a beautiful blue-bird day (which I understand is very rare - what a blessing!); we stayed at the Fujiya Hotel, which we reached by taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Odawara & the local tram up the mountain to Miyanoshita. If you've never been (which you probably have!) the cog rail up from there is a trip!!! So incredible... and I have to tell you that the Fujiya Hotel reminded me so much of a Japanese version of the Grand Hotel in Point Clear Alabama (on Mobile Bay): grand old laid-back hotel with hand-carved railings, creaky wood plank floors, walls lined with old black & white photos of celebrities & dignitaries who had visited, & just smelled old & comfortable. You could just feel the history! Also, there is hot-spring water piped directly into the bathrooms - heavenly! From there we visited Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, & one of my favorites: Takayama, the village, in what I call 3/4 scale, up in the mountains. We timed it to be there for their spring festival where they bring out the centuries-old hand-carved & gilded floats with puppets for parading & an all-out festival (sounds like south Louisiana!). It was great! And easy to spot a 6-foot Bubba in the crowd from afar! On the way back to Tokyo through the mountain pass, it snowed! It was just magical!

But you know what the nicest part of the whole trip was? (which took me a long time to get to).

The hospitality! Everyone in Japan was so friendly & helpful. In Tokyo, as elsewhere, we obviously looked like fish out of water, because many people asked if we needed assistance. I had heard how much the Japanese people love & revere children, but I wasn't prepared for how much attention they would garner - and they ate it up! Since it was cherry blossom season, there were a lot of Japanese tour groups visiting the same sites as we, & I guess my blonde-haired babies stood out! They knew just enough of the language to respond & gather more attention. It was loads of fun!
Just wanted to share that with you! Makes me realize that I should start journaling these wonderful encounters!
Best to you & yours!
Peggy