Sunday

I woke up this morning at 4. Got up, took some meds and checked my e-mail. I went through some paperwork before changing into my walking clothes. Hiromi came downstairs at 5:30 and said she wouldn't be walking today, but sitting in on the "Morning Meeting" (of the Japan Ethics Society). The meeting is held everyday, and we usually just pop our heads in for a second while on our morning walk, but sometimes she gets dressed-up to sit in and listen. Anyway, after breakfast and fooling around with the little ones, I got dressed-up and went to the "Men's Meeting" seminar with my father & uncle in-law and one of my father-in-law's childhood classmates, a Mr. Yamashita.

The seminar was certainly of interest, four speakers from different backgrounds and societal levels spoke about the power of ethical living. Outside of the seminar (in front of Hamamatsu Station's north exit) we saw a group of monks (komuso-) in traditional tengai (a reed hood shaped like a basket).

Afterwards we returned to Iwata and ate lunch @ Kaniya Ramen where the background music was all instrumental 80s tunes and I heard my first listening of the muzak version of Rock Lobster by the B-52s.