In March 2000, I visited the Land of the Rising Sun. My main stay was in Tokyo, where I had a chance to stay and meet with friends. This trip certainly felt like a step onto another planet; a long ways from my upbringing in small town Iowa. I had studied Japanese feverishly before departure and my favorite word "Bimyona Iroi" english meaning subtle color was a handy phrase when describing colors I see in the culture of Japan.
