I jogged around the Imperial Palace this afternoon, about a four-mile run from the hotel. I’m afraid I didn’t represent my country all that well; I was being passed right and left. Tomorrow is the Tokyo Marathon, one of the world’s biggest marathons, and a section of the course includes what I ran today. If only I were in better shape … 

Yesterday was a long but eventful day in Sapporo. I toured a beautiful orchestra hall, and went to the top of the ski jump that was used for the Sapporo Winter Olympics, and is still used for events and training. I rode the chair lift up and down. There’s also a cool Winter Olympics museum there, with interactive games, including a simulator where you do a ski jump. I went 113 feet, far short of the 140-foot record. My hosts were nice about it, but clearly unimpressed. 

I also met Sapporo’s mayor, a very serious but interesting man who talked about what he thinks Portland and Sapporo have in common, including an appreciation of nature, and beauty, and life conducted at a pace to enjoy both. I liked him, and his city, a great deal. I will always have found memories of Sapporo, and the people I met there, and how important it is for them to have a connection to Portland.

I said goodbye to Yoshida-san at the Tokyo airport late last night, bought sushi to go and ate dinner in my room. It was a relief to wake up at a reasonable hour this morning and have nowhere to go. I needed a break. I watched the Blazers lose to Cleveland on my computer, and then wrote a couple blog posts for The Oregonian. I also did some research on MFA programs at Antioch and Pacific, trying to decide what to do, where to go. I’m leaning Antioch, but I’m just not sure. 

Courtenay and Will arrive in a few hours. I am eager to see them, share my stories and spend some time exploring Tokyo with them before I get back to work on Monday.