After almost seven hours' flight, we were approaching Tokyo Narita Airport.

We came to Tokyo in June 2004. At that time we joined the five days' tour and met Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda on one of the evenings. Mr. Toyoda felt that the time we met was too short. He hoped that we could come to Tokyo and stay in his apartment for a month. In October 2004, Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda came to Singapore. They came with a Chinese friend, Miss Chang Feng, who was from Shanghai. Miss Chang Feng was here to be an interpreter. She said that Mr. Toyoda wished that we could go to Tokyo and stay in his apartment. She said we could buy the air-tickets and not to join the tour group. When she said that I should make it a point to go because Mr. Toyoda was going to retired soon, it suddenly touched me very much.

After a long discussion, we finally made up our mind to visit Tokyo from 5 June to 14 June 2005.

Receiving by Mr. and Mrs. Shaoji Toyoda

After collecting our luggage and passing through the immigration, we saw Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda were receiving us at the airport. They traveled about one and a half-hour from their house in Itabashi-ku to the Narita Airport.

It was on a Sunday afternoon, the traffic was very smooth. By about 6 p.m., we arrived Mr. Toyoda's apartment at Tokiwadai. The apartment is near their house. It is within five minutes' walking distance.

At Tokiwadai Apartment

At the apartment, Mrs. Toyoda showed us how to use the water heater, gas cooker, washing machine, and bathtub, etc. She also got ready three big bottles of mineral water in the refrigerator for us. They were also tea, coffer and sugar, just like staying in the hotel.

Mr. Toyoda placed many copies of traveling maps and traveling information of Tokyo on the table. He left his personal global handphone for me to use. They said that an hour later, they were be back to take us out for dinner.

Before leaving, Mr. Toyoda gave me an envelope and said that that was the money for the three air-tickets. After they left, I opened the envelope and was very surprise. Mr. Toyoda not only giving me the money for the fare of three air-tickets, it was as large as the fee that joining the tour group. I was very touched and also uneasy.

Thoughtful Hospitality

We started to put our luggage in the storeroom and got ourselves ready for dinner.

At 7.30 p.m., Mr. Toyoda came by himself. Although he had the key, he did not open the door. He pressed the doorbell. He let us have the privacy in his apartment.

When we were walking to the nearby restaurant to meet Mrs. Toyoda, I told Mr. Toyoda that the money he gave us was much more that the fee for the air-tickets. I wanted to return the envelope to him. He refused to take and told me that that was a souvenir.

Welcome Dinner

The Dream Restaurant (Yume An) is near the apartment. It was cool in the evening. But it was warm in the restaurant. My wife and me usually do not eat much. Our appetites were different from that of Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda. Our teen-ager son Solomon eats much more than we do. As I am a vegetarian, there was not much choice for me. But the Japanese vegetarian meal was very delicious. I liked the vegetarian Tempura very much.

Before the meal, Mrs. Toyoda was planning for us to go to the Nagoya World Expo on Friday. They would bring us to visit the Expo.

Orientation

After dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda brought us for a stroll around the apartment. They showed us the Tobu Store. Mrs. Toyoda told us that we could come at 10 o'clock in the morning to buy breakfast when the Store was open.

We went to a "99 Yen" shop, the supermarket where sold goods at 99 yen. We walked all the way to the Tokiwadai Station where we could take trains to Ikebukuro. Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda sent us back to the apartment and they walked home.