Our new hosts, Yaegashi and Yuki Kunimitsu, have a large, beautiful home in Ogawara with a guest house big enough to lodge the entire team. Yaegashi owns a construction company, and we witnessed his impressive buildings all over the city. Yuki’s smile and bubbly laughter was infectious and I enjoyed being with her. Our last evening, the family hosted a Japanese barbeque in our honor. Their kindness almost drove me to tears. Yuki’s father, the chairman of the Kasho Sanzen factory, and I drank many glasses of saki and I sampled the Sendai specialty of Gyutan beef tongue (PETA please don’t revoke my membership!). At the end of the evening, the family presented us all with handcrafted music boxes, a gift I shall treasure.
