Today's weather - cold wind, overcast but with high cloud. Thought it might have been around 7c.
Started the day by waiting on the bus for three ratbags who were up late. Travelled to the Zennoh Headquarters by coach and was ushered upstairs.
The meeting with the Vice President of Zennoh and the General Managers of each division was a humbling experience. We were sitting right across the table from the guys who were running the show. A presentation was given by the Vice President about where they stand and what their operations are - they are just huge, far bigger than anything we are used to.
I found the thing I got most out of the meeting was because there are so many small producers involved, Zennoh are able to control every aspect of the supply chain. It's like the cocky (farmer) just grows the stuff and Zennoh takes care of everything else.
Richard made a top of the wozza speech on behalf of CBH and presented Zennoh with a Jarrah bowl. Rich did really well telling them about the soil, forrest and age of the wood.
Kenji, who has been hosting us the last few days, spoke about the structure of the grain and livestock division and the quantities and products Zennoh trade in.
After the meeting we admired the fantastic view from the 32nd floor office, which really made the Imperial Palace area, which we visited the previous day, seem so enormous.
Then it was off to the Tokyo station to catch the bullet train to Kyoto. Which I thought was north, when actually it was south! The train took two and a quarter hours, at around 250 clicks! What stood out about that trip was there were large numbers of dwellings, with all flat country either used for agriculture or dwellings.
Arrived in Kyoto and was straight onto a bus to do some sightseeing - more temples. They were both really interesting. One of them had 1001 Buddha statutes and 30+ gargoyles in a 120 metre wooden temple, rebuilt in 1266. Amazing carpentry for only having a wooden mallet and peg!
Next we went to the golden temple which was bloody beautiful - but the wind was cool as a cucumber!
Went shopping at the Nishiki Food Market which was nothing like we have at home - pickled vegetables, pickled seafood, fresh seafood with loads of samples to try, so you knew what you were buying. The Sake was beautiful!
It was bloody cold by the time we left the market. We walked to the hotel, checked in and then checked our bags out to be couriered to Kobe for tomorrow.
Dinner was a magnificent spread of slivers of Wagyu Beef and marbled pork, which we boiled at the table in a steamboat. Plenty of malt beer to enjoy too.
It's been such a great day - what the heck have we got tomorrow!?
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