CONTINUED ROOTS SEARCH IN AKITA

The bullet train above took me from Tokyo to Niigata at twice the speed of the Niigata to Akita train below, which looks like it survived World War II. Actually, both were extremely comfortable and relaxing in the Green Car. I realized after a week of travelling throughout the Orient, this was the first time I had seen the Sun and blue skies for any length of time. It was mostly raining and cloudy in Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea.

Today, my first stop was to the Ganryuji Temple near Kariwano in Akita Prefecture,

where I learned that the priest we only met with in April recently passed away. I’ll need to return and talk to his son, who is now the new priest, something like the 14^th generation. Both great-great-grandmothers probably lived in this region around Daisen City soon after 1800. Interesting that this Nakayama (Kenjiro's mother side) gravestone looks very similar to Kenjiro's on the island of Kauai. Most of them in this graveyard look different. By the way, there seems to be a lot of Takahashis in this part of the Japan.

Some say Niigata has the best rice and Akita is #2. Both also do well in sake tastings. Eating has dominated this trip, so let me introduce Professors Hideharu Takahashi and Ikuko Iwasaki of Akita Prefectural University, Master Ken Himori and Kenji at an izakaya in Akita of the chef’s name.

We had sweetish (Hiraiumi), medium (Himori, yes, his sake) and dry (Yamahai) sakes, all from Akita. Each was served in distinctly different glasses. We ate a wide range of traditional dishes which Master Ken cooked and grilled in front of us, but two were very special: grilled nodoguro (red fish that is difficult to find, and of exceptional taste)

and kiritanpo (mashed Akita rice served in a wild chicken broth).

Tomorrow, I’m off for Sapporo, where there remains hope for finding a living relative with information about Kenjiro. His grandmothers, of course, lived in Northern Honshu soon after 1800, but, having established the roots of Kenjiro’s parents in the Daisen City region of Akita, there seems to be no clue to finding relatives here.

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The Dow Jones Industrials surged 112 today to 9600. Japan's Nikkei slightly dropped to 9674. Will they cross this week? World markets were mostly up. Gold jumped $15/toz to $917, while crude oil is back again to $70/barrel.

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There are two disturbancies in the Atlantic. An unusual Tropical Storm Grace, once at 65 MPH, seemed headed to the British Isles, but will weaken over the next day or so. That other more traditional storm could become a hurricane in few days and head for America.

Tropical Storm Parma, now at 65 MPH, and between the Philippines and Taiwan, is trying to figure out what to do. The latest guess is that landfall will be China.

Super Typhoon Melor, now at 155 MPH, will bring a lot rain and wind to Japan. I still hope to catch a bullet train from Sapporo to Tokyo early Thursday morning, which means we intersect around Sendai.

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