Unofficial Japanese Tea Ceremony with Rotary

When I went to Nagoya in June for the Aichi World Expo, I had met the Vice-President of one of the many Tokyo Rotary clubs, Hiro Sakamaki. He is also the president of his own Environmental Engineering consulting firm. We chatted quite extensively so he gave me his card and told me to contact him when I arrive in Tokyo.

So a couple of weeks ago (day of Oktoberfest) I went out to lunch with him and his fiancee. They were extremely kind. I had thought it would be some type of formal/business oriented type thing so I dressed up fairly decently. Then when I arrived at the restaurant, him and his financee were dressed in casual clothes. He was in a baseball cap, with torn jeans and stuff so I was so overdressed hahahahaa. But it was quite a delicious lunch. Nepalese and Indian food..mmmmm... Then we went back to his place to have coffee. His toilet... get this... when you sit down on it, it starts playing music (Destiny's Child - Bootylicious... very suitable) and in the bowl are spinning disco lights... I was so surprised... it was quite humerous.

So yesterday he invited me out again, this time with his Rotary club, to a Japanese tea ceremony. So I also got to meet the other Vice-President and the President. Supposedly every season or so, in Japanees culture they are suppose to go through the tea ceremony. And its very very orchestrated with strict rules. The ladies serving the tea have to walk a certain way and are suppose to enter and exit a certain way. I experienced it when I went to the Japan Tent conference, but this was more formal. Quite an educational experience indeed.