After a grueling day of piano workshops at the Yamaha Kagegawa factory, our Yamaha liaison Kazu-san treats us to one of the finest sushi dinners I have ever experienced in his hometown of Hamematsu.
Read More
Hamamatsu is famous for their eel cuisine ("Unagi" in Japanese). Kazu-San takes us to his favorite eel restaurant called Unagi Fujita Hamamatsu Ekimae. This has got to be the lightest, most flavorful eel I have ever tasted - absolutely heavenly! In addition, we got to sample some fried eel bones - super crunchy with a smoky taste. Great source of calcium and a delight to snack on!
Read More
I thought it would be fun to do a comparison between hotel breakfast buffets in the USA and in Japan. During my Los Angeles layover, Yamaha put us up in the Crown Plaza LAX, a short shuttle ride away from the airport. Compared to my Holiday Inn stay where I experienced a One Minute Pancake Machine, the Crown Plaza breakfast was definitely a big step up. After our 12 hour flight to Narita Airport, we checked in at the Keikyu Ex Hotel in Shinagawa, about an hour train ride away from the airport. All things considered, it appears that the Crown Plaza LAX and the Keikyu EX Hotel are both comparable in quality, at least when it comes to the rooms themselves. But the breakfast buffet? Folks, feast your eyes on this video!
Read More
After a 12 hour flight from L.A. to Tokyo Narita airport, Dwayne managed to nearly get arrested (we can't take that guy anywhere!) and we proceeded to take a train to Shinagawa, about an hour away. Our first dinner in Japan was at a fantastic restaurant called Hibiki, which roughly translates as "sound" or "harmony" - what an appropriate place for Yamaha piano reps! Kazu Hosoya, our Yamaha liaison and guide, is making a point of taking us to his favorite restaurants on this trip, and we're definitely off to a fantastic start!
Read More