[Sangetsu]

I enjoy visiting the various parks and temples here. I've watched the kabuki at the large theater in Ginza, and I've attended a small party where geisha sang, played shamisens, and poured drinks. I stayed last year at a traditional in (Ryoukan) in Hakone, and enjoyed a soak in the outdoor hot springs before eating a huge traditional meal served by a maid dressed in a kimono.

Though I'm not Japanese, I dress in a hakama when attending the many local festivals. The festival people enjoy my enthusiasm, and I've often been asked to sit in with them when they take pictures.

I plan to go to the Imperial Palace next month to watch the Kendo competition which is held there from time to time. I watched it last year, and I was impressed with the speed and strength shown in the fighting, it was much more real than the Kendo I practiced in America.