Day 2 in Japan This morning’s authentic Japanese breakfast found four fellow kindred spirits two of whom were sympathetic with last evening’s plight. They too experienced difficult dinner companions and vowed to avoid a repeat! Off to visit Temples, Temples, Temples … water purification, tossing of coins, burning of incense and general adoration for Buddha! The highlight of my morning was the identification of a tea plantation, though from afar. There is only one tea plantation in Charleston, SC,America. Never let it be said that the Japanese lack balance … we visited a Sake distillery before noon. Although we were unable to meet the Toji (brewmaster), we learned much about rice polishing, yeast fermentation, and moldy rice preparations. Kyoto is proud of its pure mountain water and tastes of their reserve sake yielded a pleasing early
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