Enjoying Friendship!

Recently I've been meeting with and having heart-to-heart conversations with my friends in Japan. I will just share a couple of episodes and photos. :) No radiation news to share today.

最近はいろんな友達とあって、食べて、語って、エンジョイしています。ちょっとその話や写真をシェアします。今日は放射能のニュウスはなし。
===============June 6====================

I met with my Amway friends for lunch and we were able to celebrate the 140th Anniversary of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's birth by attending an "open house" for the Makiguchi Memorial Hall in Hachioji, Tokyo. We enjoyed a nice french course at the Sunrise Restraunt

I invited my Amway friends because they are always helping me with cooking classes and coming to my house to show me how to prepare healthy vegetarian meals for me and my hubby. I appreciate all their support and I wanted to give them something back by asking them to participate in our special event at the Makiguchi Hall.

We all really enjoyed the event. We watched the newest Shinano DVD which shows Daisaku Ikeda's support for and the encouragement he gave to the Women around the world. It was a really touching video! Seeing all the amazing things inside of the Hall also helped me appreciate how the world has come to respect and honor this man, who is my life's mentor.

This photo was taken (not by me) on April 28, 2000.
The reason this building is so grand is because Ikeda wanted to honor his mentor's mentor, Makiguchi who actually died in prison during World War II. The reason why he was imprisoned was because he would not follow the national religion and refused to give up teaching his school of Buddhist philosophy, the True Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. Although Buddhism does not place value on material objects as such, the Soka Gakkai has in effect, recognized the greatness of the mentors Makiguchi and Toda through this symbolic building, the first of it's kind in the world. It is a place where the members worldwide and various honored leaders are welcomed to Japan. The meeting hall allows many members to comfortably attend large meetings and ceremonies.


==================June 8=====================

So I met with my friend Merja who I met through the Pet Connect network. I watched her cat one time when she was out of town and we have been talking and enjoying eating out (as housewives have time to do) on the weekdays. It has been a long time since I saw her last time, but this time I invited some Hachioji friends to join us! We covered many topics and I introduced my "Eat, Talk, Act" movement for the first time to my friends! It was my first attempt, and we started discussions and brainstorming, but we didn't get to the actual "making a project" part this time. Nycole and Graziella both had great ideas that I can look into and perhaps next time we meet, we can come up with some kind of action plan! I will have to introduce the "Eat Talk Act" planning movement later!

We ate at an Organic Restaurant in Hachioji. Sorry I forgot to get photos.

Then we went to visit the Fuji Art Museum because I just bought an "ART PASSPORT" which is the annual membership card that allows you to enter as much as you want for free after you pay 5,000 yen. The membership card also allows you to have two free passes for friends in order to introduce them to the museum.

Afterwards, we went to Soka University! I was trying to meet up with Shinjiro but he was in class, so he couldn't meet my friends! We got a driving tour of the school and then headed back to Hachioji Station. We were also driving around looking for the Fair Trade Cafe that is run by students.

(L->R) Nycole, Takako, Merja, and Graziella enjoying the sunshine!