OK, just go back (Mar 29 - Apr from my bi-or-tri-ennial trip to
Japan. We had to book my ticket about 7 months ago (mileage ticket)
so we TRIED to anticipate hanami; missed it by about a week. Saw the
beginnings, but...

We spent a few days in Tokyo (ANA's International Hotel on the border
of Akasaka and Roppongi; the wife got it with mileage $$, so it only
cost us $50/night. HIGHLY recommended at that price.) First few dinners
were yakitori (my favorite Japanese food), first night at Kamakura 
yakitori, next night at Nanbantei, both in Roppongi. Both excellent, if
you like yakitori. The hotel also had the only espresso machine I've ever
run into that actually made very good espresso. Nice wine/cocktail/snack
buffet between 5-7, and a very nice breakfast buffet.

Tokyo was a bit chillier than usual for that time of year, but that 
didn't seem to bother most of the young ladies. I saw that short skirts
and high heels seemed to be very much in fashion, and I for one appreciate
that. Made the train rides a lot nicer.

After a couple days in Tokyo, we went to Izu for a day/night. We stayed 
near the Jogasaki bridge, at a hotel whose name escapes me. The bridge was
nice (though why it's such a destination is beyond me) and we got there
by bicycle from the hotel. They actually had a couple bikes for us, with
battery assisted pedalling. Never seen anything like it. The hotel was
nice, and (like everywhere in Izu) had a very nice outdoor tub. I got
to see the sun rise over the Pacific from said hot tub . More unusual,
though the hotel was about 60% occupied, nobody else came out for it. Odd.

From Izu, we went to Nara, and stayed at the Hotel Nikko near the JR station.
Not a bad hotel, but nothing special. Got to the park, and there were a LOT
of tourists, mostly European and Chinese. I guess a lot of furriners made
reservations for this time of year, while the Japanese were able to time
their visit closer to the height of cherry-blossom viewing. Oh, well, a 
nice enough park, but the wife cannot stand the thought of an unvisited
temple or museum within a few miles of us, so we spent a couple hours
visiting those places as well. Todaiji was nice, but I liked it just fine
from the outside, and didn't need to see it inside. Plus, I got tired of
dodging deer poop. Oh well.

Next stop was Yoshino, where we stayed at the Chikurinin Gunpoen. A very
traditional Japanese hotel (as opposed to traditional ryokan), and over-
priced; however, had the blossoms been in full bloom, it would have been
worth it. Cherry trees everywhere, including a beautiful one just outside
our window. Nice hot tub, too. Again, in the hotel and in the village, 
a LOT of foreign tourists, again Chinese and European. Nice to see. We
also got to visit the graves of some of the wife's ancestors, the old
Murakami emperor from the two courts era. Took a long time to find it,
but I guess it's impressive that after nearly 1000 years, it's still there. 

From there, it was on to Kochi and the in-laws. My brother-in-law has
taken over the family coral business, and is now pretty well established
in the international coral business. He has a PhD in marine biology, and
is now the main rep for almost all the jewelers at the various environmental
conferences. Travels a lot.

Kochi itself seems to be slowly changing. Getting a bit smaller, but 
cleaner and a bit more sophisticated.

That's pretty much it. Always nice to visit, though I didn't get to see the
reefs this year. It was nice to see so many more tourists, too. I always
thought Japan should promote itself better as a tourist destination. It 
has a lot to offer (history, friendly people, safety, easy transportation)
if they'd make even a token effort.

Overall a nice trip. First time I've been to Japan outside of summertime
since I lived there, all those years ago. Tokyo doesn't seem quite as
hectic as I remember it; just as crowded, but people seem more relaxed. Or 
maybe it's just me. Can't understand why the hotels offer cable ethernet, but
not wifi, though. Maybe next time.

Mike