Japan November 2009

Once again I was able to travel with a group of first time travelers to Japan. I always enjoy making new friends and reconnecting with existing friends in Japan. On this trip I mostly traveled to areas that I have already seen but I did see a few new sites. Of course, traveling with new friends is always a treat.

This trip, as with the last group trip, our fearless leader Carl Rosa guided us through the well known and not so well known sites of Japan. One of the lesser known spots include Narita, Japan. Narita is largely known for the international airport, however most people do not know that it contains some very nice small town temples and shops. I think that Narita city is a perfect beginning or ending stop when you travel to Japan for the first time.

While I did mostly travel with the group, after they returned to America I accompanied Carl to Sendai, Japan. I had never been to Sendai so this was a new experience for me. We discovered that Sendai is not much of a tourist town, but it does have a very nice shopping and dining district. In fact, the sushi meals we had there were some of the best we have ever had in Japan. Beyond that, the meals were exceedingly cheap. So if you are looking for a city that is not normally on the tourist map Sendai is a nice choice.

As always, the hardest part about posting my trip pictures is deciding which ones to post. Of the several hundred pictures I took, here is a selection that I hope you will enjoy.

Best Regards,
Russell Rice
JCS Chairman

Japan November 2009 Pictures