Now I will post more details of my trip to Japan. I did love going to Japan but the trip was much more rigorous than I had thought it would be. It was a 10 1/2 hr flight from San Francisco. I left on Oct. 13 and crossed the date line to arrive on the 14th. Originally I was supposed to take a train to Akita that night but the plane was too late in the afternoon. So I stayed in Tokyo (a one and 1/2 hour train from the airport). By the time I got to bed it was 5 am pacific time and I had to get up at 5 am Japan time to take a 4 hour train trip to Akita to give a workshop then take a 4 hour train trip back to Tokyo that night to give two more workshops the following two days. After the first workshop in Tokyo I had about an hour off to visit a pagoda and do some shopping. After the second workshop in Tokyo I left immediately on a train for Nagoya. Phew, I get tired just thinking about all that running around I did that first three days.

I will regress a bit to tell you about Akita. My host Yusai was always with me to take me from place to place. We were met at the Akita train station by two ladies from the group. When we got to the workshop my group had already started the project. I helped out and put out my display for them to see. The older more experienced tatters are put at table with the less experienced to get them through the more advance details.

These are my ladies in Akita.

For a brief time during class my interpreter took me about a block away to see the Akita Kanto museum. They have a festival each year when they balance a bamboo lattice of lanterns (while lit with candles) in parade. A gentleman in the museum demonstrated. It was quite impressive. Here's a picture from their brochure.

At the end of each workshop the tatters will bring things to the display table that they have tatted and I have to pick my favorite. It's about the hardest thing I had to do on the entire trip, because there were some terrific tatters and some very creative ideas. Here's some from Akita. My favorite was the pin cushion and covered container.