Travelin’ Rick Visits Japan

I have been having a wonderful time. I have recently been on a fantastic voyage to Japan to visit with my friend Makoto. Makoto and his family work together, cultivating and harvesting freshwater and marine plants. Their biggest export item is seaweed.

Japan is a series of islands, situated in the North Pacific Ocean. It is a very rugged and mountainous country that is absolutely the most beautiful place that I have ever visited.

Makoto lives in a small house on the outskirts of the city of Yokohama, which is located south of Japan’s capital city, Toyko. Yokohama is on the island of Honshu and is a great fishing port.
Makoto was very pleased to see me. Even though he is my friend, we have actually never met in person. Makoto was my pen pal. We wrote letters to each other over the past several years.

It was fun going to work with Makoto and his family. They would get up very early in the morning and have a big breakfast. Then we would go out to the harbour, where the family had their boats. Once out in the sea, it was so much fun. I was able to watch huge nets being pulled onto the boat, with so many fish in them that I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Makoto’s family were very gracious hosts. They took me to the city of Tokyo to see the Emperor’s Palace and the Iris Gardens. We had a wonderful time. After that, we had dinner at a local Japanese restaurant, where we ate several different kinds of fish and, of course, lots of rice.

The traditional dress in Japan is a kimono, a long robe-like garment. Since I didn’t have a kimono, Makoto’s mother gave me one. She said that I looked very elegant in it.

Before I knew it, my vacation was over and I had to leave Japan and fly back to Canada. Makoto said that he would visit me in Canada in the near future. I will be looking forward to his visit and also to a time when I can visit him in Japan again.