(Team leader: member of Salisbury RC, president of W.A. Brown & Sons)
Our welcome by Rotarians and their spouses at the Osaka airport on a rainy night after about twenty-seven (27) hours in transit was heartwarming. There was a tremendous bouquet of flowers, banners with our names and a wonderful feeling was generated that we were welcome. Then we were off to Hotel Hanshin for the night and conversation with the Group Study Exchange Committee members.
During the orientation sessions we were brie fed on the overall plans that had been made for us. The brochure outlining our visit had given information indicating that each week would be termed a Block with different area Rotary Clubs responsible for the activities in that time period. It was also arranged for us to stay in homes located within the area in which the host Rotary Clubs were situated. This was a wonderful concept because we were able to live in five (5) different communities in the Osaka area. After several days indoctrination while at the Hotel Hanshin, we each went to visit in the home of our first host family. There was some apprehension and doubt when we left our security blanket, the Hotel Hanshin, and ventured out on our own to live with real Japanese families.
In the meantime, we had been wined and dined at very gracious receptions introducing us to many Rotarians. On our departure from America we had a brief intense introduction to the Japanese language and we rehearsed our newly learned phrases with each other. On our arrival we were absolutely overwhelmed when we heard our host speaking. It was difficult sometimes for us to fit some of the phrases we had learned, such as "my pencil is yellow" into our conversation. All Rotarians were very much interested in hearing about the backgrounds and families of each of us and what we thought about many subjects.
The many receptions and parties that we attended all featured lovely floral arrangements and appetizing platters of all sorts of foods. Some of our team had a problem with so much fish served in so many ways, including sushi, sashimi, pickles in all colors and the absence of sweet desserts.
During our first ten (10) days we had many typical Japanese "obento"(lunchboxes). I personally enjoyed all of my meals and thought it a very important part of our visit to be acquainted firsthand with the typical Japanese diet. It was a pleasant surprise to all the team members when the Suita Rotary served steak at their luncheon.
Our itinerary had an excellent balance of ancient Japanese history coupled with visits to many temples and shrines. We were able to visit many historic sites where archaeologists are currently discovering items of historical significance. The general construction of the large temples intrigued me because the principal structural members were crafted from huge timbers.
What a beautiful time to visit Japan when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. At this point in our visit my homestay was in Yao and nothing could have been more impressive than the cherry trees along the stream that flows through the town. We enjoyed several nights out walking during this time and climaxed by the traditional tea service. It was a really a memorable time to participate in the cherry blossom festival.
The cross section of industry we visited was excellent.The well organized manufacturing facilities were outstanding, I particularly enjoyed our visit to the new Daihatsu auto plant and the bus ride with Rotarians and my conversation with the former chief executive of the organization. At National, Matsushita and Sharp we saw potted plants and flowers on conjunction with the production line.
The daily participation of Rotarians was great. They accompanied us by bus, train, car, walking, etc. This gave us an opportunity to have conversations with many people. They highlighted our trips by pointing out items that interested them. I feel this day to day, person to person contact is the major point of any Rotary Group Study Exchange.
Our visit to the Kansai Electric plant located on the Sea of Japan was a treat. The bus trip afforded an opportunity to see a rural area of Japan that was beautiful. The trip to Hiroshima via Shinkansen was appreciated by all team members. My vocational days visiting super markets, furniture manufacturing, the Osaka City University hospital laboratory and the new hospital construction are among the many highlights of my visit. The gas fired garbage incinerator project with its apartment vacuum collection system and the generation of both electricity and heating for public housing was intriguing. Every day was actually crammed full of new places to visit, new ideas to explore and always the best part -- new Rotarians joining us to share their time with us.
Possibly the single event that touched us all very deeply was allowing each of us to plant a dogwood tree (the North Carolina state tree) in the Expo park area. Each day we thought could not be exceeded, yet the next day was equally as impressive. It was evident that there had been extensive pre-planning for our visit to go so well and be coordinated with so many Rotarians.
District Governor Sugo and Dr. Hosoe, Chairman of the G.S.E. Subcommittee, were with us many times and I enjoyed their company. Shigeo Matsuoka, the District 2660 team leader to North Carolina, became my friend and advisor. I had such frequent contact with him that I really miss talking with him. All of the G.S.E. team members who visited North Carolina talked about the time when they visited, as well as their lasting impressions. We will all miss their presence but they are definitely not out of our mind or forgotten.
The Block method of arranging our visit allowed us to live a week in five different Rotarian's homes. The home visits provided each of us the opportunity to become part of families in different areas of Osaka prefecture. The hospitality and warmth of our family visits gave us a marvelous insight into daily family life, letting us enjoy associating with all members of the family. I feel that the home visits quickly established closer ties between us than would have been possible otherwise. Our host families shared so many areas of their lives with us that we discovered that they are basically interested in the same things we are -- their family, their vocation, their future, as well as world events. They asked a lot of questions and we asked a lot of questions. I feel that we received honest, sincere answers. They asked how large U.S. employers could terminate so many employees. They asked about U.S. national politics and who would be elected President in 1992.
We all established warm bonds of sincere understanding and friendship. As our departure drew near, we realized what an unusual opportunity we had to experience the five family homestays and the daily contact with so many Rotarians.
The farewell parties and grand reception to thank us for our visit were simply fantastic. But, the real climax came on our day of departure, as all of our host families and Rotarians came to the airport to bid us farewell. A very warm, emotional send-off.
We feel we had an extremely successful G.S.E. Team visit and thank each of you that helped make our visit so wonderful.
