I couldn't help but think of this song to start this trip out. I'm heading out to Nagoya, Japan for a few days and then off to Yokohoma and Tokyo. I've always wanted to visit Japan. The people from Prima, a conference about multi-agent systems, invited me to speak as one of the keynote speakers. I will be talking about how I use Massive Software in the film and commercial industry using multi-agent systems.
My first night I am a bit overwhelmed with the language and signage. Arriving in Nagoya, I look for the train station Metsuitsu. Good thing for the clear icons of trains and the station labeled in English. Okay, now where am I supposed to go on this line? Nagoya. I'm staring at the map and all I see is the standard colored lines with numbers at each stop. Hmmm, where is Nagoya? Which number is it? A Japanese man in full uniform approaches me. "Where you go?", he says. I respond, "Nagoya". He brings me to the machine and says "one three zero", which means that is how much I need to put in the machine. I put in 1000 yen, a paper bill, press the 130 button, and out comes the ticket and my change. I'm on my way.
Takauki told me that the train will drop me off at Nagoya and my hotel is one top of it. I arrive at Nagoya station with a full pace of life down in the subway. There are tons of signs pointing to other trains, lots of trains. Shops fill the area. I'm looking for hotel signs. Nothing. I will just walk and walk and now I'm outside. Ooooo....there it is!
I get to my room, look out the window with this awesome view of Nagoya. It's huge. When I arrive at my room it is near 8p on Sunday. I left around 830a on Saturday. Yes, I spent the whole weekend flying.
When I wake up the next morning, I see this wonderful sundrise.
Monday night, which still feels like Sunday because Dallas is a day behind, I decide to get some sushi. It's gotta be good here. It turns out that just below the hotel are many floors of restaurants and shops. I find a sushi place. I'm seated at the bar with a video screen in front of me. Actually, there are screens in front of each seat at the bar! The waitress presses on a button on the screen to change everything to English. Great! She quickly demostrates this monitor to me by clicking here and there on the screen. Wow...how great is this? All I have to do is click on what I want and how many. Then click the order button. Check out the video here of my ordering.
Tuesday is my talk at the Prima Conference. The talk goes for about 50 minutes smoothly without a hitch. I'm followed up with questions for the next 2 hours about Massive Software. The people are from 20 different countries. I had people asking questions from Japan, Netherlands, and Korea.
I hang out after my talk and continue to do work remotely for Radium. I'm finishing up some character rigs for a commercial we want to deliver by Christmas.
That night, Prima has their formal dinner at the Garden Restaurant Tokugawaen.
I've been told that this place is very famous and quiet nice. It's beautiful and very traditional. The restaurant overlooks a wonderful Japanese style garden, with a large pond surrounded by vegetation.The food is amazing with 5 courses, each better than the last. The scallops and the beef were my favorites. The beef was so tender that it didn't even come close to how beef normally tastes.
I'm at a table with Paul and Fiona Scerri, Joaquin, and Sabrina. Paul is the one who invited me to the conference. Joaquin works for Yahoo and lives in Santa Clara. He also lived in Japan and gave us all kinds of pointers and culture information about Japan. Facinating. Sabrina came from Spain. Speaking with Fiona, I asked her what to see and what she was seeing tomorrow. Kyoto. I never heard of Kyoto. Well, Joaquin says it is a must see. Ok....I'm going. It's a bit pricy, but I'm sure it will be worth it.
After the dinner we head down to the garden to walk around. The grounds are so beautiful and relaxing.
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