“We had not considered a trip to Japan until hearing Akemi speak at our Rotary Club. We decided to join her group on the March 2005 visit and looked forward to seeing the cherry blossom, Mount Fuji, temples castles and the Shinkansen (bullet train) and to learning about many Japanese customs such as Tea Ceremonies, washing arrangements, shoe removals and many other customs which make the Japanese way of life so different from our own”.