Nagoya

DAY 26 (continued) - Really bad...two hours late in arriving at Nagoya. Yoshi and his friend Kojima (whom I have made acquiantance at Hong Kong) were waiting for me at Nagoya Station. Since I arrived late, they had to change their plans. What plans they had in mind, I never really knew. However, Kojima drove us to Kisosensen Koen, which is a place where three rivers meet. Kojima's Mitsubishi car was really nice, and it also had a cool 400,000 yen navigation ssytem. Anyways, Yoshi commented that the place looked like China! We returned to Nagoya Station, waiting under the gigantic female manneqin, Nano-chan. Takuya and Shinichi were going to eat miso-katsu with us. Yoshi was busy after dinner so Takuya and Shinichi brought me to Gasco Family Restaurant where we chatted for a long time. The good thing about Gasco is that there are free refills. I have been drinking all day long, first taking advantage of the free refills at Asian Kitchen, and now over here... I stayed at Shinichi's apartment for the night.


Kojima & I Pulling a Boat

Yoshi & Kojima

Kojima's Car

Nano-chan in Bikini!

Eating Katsudon

DAY 27 - Shinichi cooked some really good breakfast. We had to get up quite early because Shinichi has a part-time job as a lifeguard at a pool. He dropped me and my stuff off at Takuya's apartment. Takuya was going to bring me to Nagoya Business School of Economics and Commerce, the school that he and Shinichi goes too. I had came here two years ago but I wanted to go again. Takuya and I ate at cafeteria here. After leaving the university and changing money at the post office, we took the train to Toyota to meet Toshi. We arrived early so we hid, waiting for Toshi. When Toshi arrived, he tried to "sneak" around to see if he could surprise us... Hahaha, but we got the drop on him... We chatted at a cafe before going to eat at Denny's. Takuya lent me his super phone card, which I used a lot to make lots of phone calls all around Japan. The feeling was good because I didn't have to pay for it! I stayed at Takuya's that night.


Shinichi's Breakfast

Takuya at Nagoya Business School of Economics and Commerce

Eating at Denny's

Takuya Frying Sausages

DAY 28 - Toshi Tour

DAY 29 - Shirakawago


Street Performers?

DAY 30 - Gifu

DAY 31 - Drive to Mountains

DAY 32 - Inuyama Adventure

DAY 33 - Yoshi really prepares good breakfast. I have finally gotten accustomed to eating natto. I don't think it tastes bad. I didn't have any plans today so I thought that we might as well take it easy today. I asked Yoshi about how his childhood was like so we decided to go to Yoshi's elementary school. To get over there, we walked on the designated "school route." The school required that elementary school students walk on this route to school, else they will be yelled at. The route was not the quickest way, but probably its purpose was to increase safety. After 15 minutes, we arrived at school. The school was a little bit more run down than what Yoshi remembered. We left for Atsuta-jingu Shrine at Nagoyaa to look at the famous temple supposedly containing the emperor's sword. But we happened was that we sat at a kishimen shop chatting for a really long time. Yoshi showed me the public library while he was returning some books. Aichi has the largest public library in Japan, because according to Yoshi, people really love reading around here. At night I had dinner with my brother's friends, Kayo, Fumiko and Wakasa at an izakaya before heading back to Yoshi's house.


Front of Yoshi's House

Yoshi's Room

Yoshi's Cafe & House

Yoshi's Elementary School

Atsuta-Jingu Shrine

Tower at Nagoya's Sakai

Fumiko, Kayo, Wakasa & I

DAY 34 - I chatted with Yoshi's dad after I woke up in the morning. Previously we did not meet because he was either asleep or off at work. Smith drove Yoshi and I off to the Meitetsu station, where Yoshi and I took the train to Nagoya station. Toshi also came to Nagoya station to see me off. They helped me carry my luggage to the platform. Yoshi was going to go to Tokyo for a job interview today. He gave me some mochi as a gift, as well as two beers for Yuka, at whose house I'll be staying at tonight. I waved goodbye to them and then left for Hamamatsu!


Serious Yoshi & Smith

Baka Yoshi's Gives a Funny Face