What makes going to Japan so special for people....

[Steve Nguyen]

I ain't no angel but something I just don't feel comfortable doing.

I returned someone's wallet here in the States before. didn't even bother to look inside to see what's in it but I can tell money was sticking out. the moral of the story is, it's really depends on the individual who found the wallet.

PS: that was during college days.... now if I found a wallet, I took the $$$ and spend it on koi foods and use the ID to get a ton of credit cards to purchase more rare and high end koi on harvest trips to Japan. buy out Koi-Bito and dominant the world. ok, ok, ok,.... PS should now be reading BS...

Steve

Quote: Originally Posted by John Bloch Ive never been, but ive heard some stories... Somone in my psychology class said he was bar hopping with some buddies there, and dropped his wallet... he didn't notice, but they drove home... In the morning he realized it was gone and went to the last place he bought a drink... It wasnt there... he ended up calling the police, and someone had turned it in... come to find out it was about a 30 minute ride to the closest police station... and once he got there he imagined that whoever turned it in would have taken out the money... but nope... everything was still there, and the person who returned it didn't even leave their name... he basically said that the people there were a whole lot more unified and caring than anyone he had ever known, and they acted more like brothers than strangers... I want to go so bad... it will be a long time though...

[carolyn swanson]

I was in Japan two years ago for the earthquake. We were able to get into the hotel to get our luggage together, but nothing else. Last year, when I went back, they had my travel pillow all clean and ready for use. Carl of Keirin Koi had left his laundry the morning of the earthquake. It was also clean and ready for him when he got back.
In our travels during the earthquake crisis, we passed several times a beer distributor. There were several pallets of beer in front in the parking lot. Some of the stacks of beer had fallen during the earthquake and there were bottles of beer all over the parking lot and none was ever disturbed. How long would they last in the U.S.?
Windows were blown out of all the stores, but nothing was disturbed.
The staff at the hotel stayed at work and brought out food to the guests despite not knowing about the status of their own homes and families.

It is my practice when traveling to take several books with me, read them and then leave the books in public places so maybe someone else will get some use out of them. I can't do that in Japan because I'm afraid that someone would find one and try to find me to give it back, thinking that I had lost it. LOL

[lildude]

The Japanese food, the Atmosphere, the koi buying, the people

I have yet to experience these there, but I know what I like already.

[dick benbow]

This has been an interesting thread, leaving me with the same thoughts i had during my many visits....it's the people. The integrity, hospitality etc.

Yes i too love the food ( nancy you ever been to nomoles? Great American food ) the gardens, the koi, the bonsai. But I quess it still comes back to the people.

jealously I have several of my friends in Japan right now. The olsons and linnebaugh's from Spokane and the Coopers from the UK. They will be in the Mountains Saturday for Toshio Sakai's drainage of his #1 pond.

there's an olde japanese saying that kinda fits...if you love your children you will send them on a jouney....the journey to the clean fresh air and colored leaves of the mountains..and much like the lotus...the beauty of the colors fresh from the mud, sparkling now from the koi....and somehow the cares of the world seem to melt away...in the renewal of one's spirit...in the land of wabi-sabi...where all that is old is found new again....

as you can see I missed going to japan this year, my hope is that some of the same special senses can be realized with new friends i'll meet for the first time, and to see my koi come from the mud in an annual passing of the seasons at nisei koi farm....