22nd Nov 2008 (Saturday)

It was holiday :)

We've already planned before hand to visit Kyoto today ! Yay !!!! So...off we went. The group consisted of yours truly, Kak Yati, Dr. Zurina, Kak Ruzel & Dr Faridah. Easier to move in small groups ;)

Kyoto is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.Autumn in Kyoto attracts throngs of tourists to temples like this.Kyoto is renowned for its abundance of delicious Japanese foods and cuisine and also geisha(s).The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) includes 17 locations in Kyoto, Uji in Kyoto Prefecture and Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. The site has been designated as World Heritage in 1994.

We decided to take the Raku Bus (¥500) which we can ride an unlimited number of times within a one day period. We started with the Heian Shrine. The leaves already turned colour and wat a beautifull sight.....There were this kids all dressed up in their traditional kimono(s) and Yukata(s)...sooooooo sweeet !

My personal verdict : A day tour is not enuf for Kyoto. If you're planning to visit...take ur time and wear a good pair of walking shoes. It's a good place to buy souveniers / antique stuff / kimono... and a great place to take snapshots of the view ;)

21st Nov 2008 (Friday)

After breakfast we went for a lecture at Daikin Industries Ltd situated at Umeda Center Buiding, Kita-ku, Osaka Japan.We travelled via train..

Founded in 1924 by Akira Yamada in Osaka, Japan, Daikin has centrally been a chemical corporation, where its focus has been on air conditioning systems. It has since diversified its manufacturing division to take advantage of experience in fluorine chemistry.In November 2006 Daikin purchased the OYL Group, which includes McQuay International making Daikin the second largest HVAC Manufacturer in the world.

Later, after lunch, we headed to Horiba Ltd, at Minami-ku Kyoto Japan for a lecture on Leadership Development In Private Sector.We were also lucky to find a fellow Malaysian- Mr Ch'ng (from Penang) working there...apa lagi...kecet BM laa...hihihihi....

The HORIBA Group of worldwide companies provides an extensive array of instruments and systems for applications ranging from automotive R&D, process and environmental monitoring, in-vitro medical diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing and metrology, to a broad range of scientific R&D and QC measurements. Proven quality and trustworthy performance have established widespread confidence in the HORIBA Brand.

“Omoshiro Okashiku” — The HORIBA Motto: “Joy and Fun”

Himeji City - 20th Nov 2008

After lunch, we visited the Himeji Municipal Office.We were given lecture on Risk Management by Kawahara-san and later a tour of the crisis management center. A great exposure for us ;)

Kokoen Garden

Kokoen Garden is located just outside of Himeji Castle, a short walk west of the castle's main gate (Otemon Gate). Kokoen is a recently constructed Japanese style garden, which was opened in 1992 on the former site of of the feudal lords' west residence (Nishi-Oyashiki). It consists of nine separate gardens designed in various garden styles of the Edo period.

Hours:
9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from Sep to mid Apr)

Admission closes 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed:
December 29 and 30
Admission:
300 yen

Among the gardens are the garden of the lord's residence which features a pond with waterfall, a tea garden where visitors can enjoy green tea in a tea ceremony house, a pine tree garden, bamboo garden and flower garden.

20 Nov 2008 (Thu)

The weather was below 10 degrees. It was sooo cold.The coordinators already warned us earlier about the weather condition. We visited Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings. It is occasionally known as Hakurojō or Shirasagijō because of its brilliant white exterior.Himeji serves as an excellent example of the prototypical japanese castle, containing many of the defensive and architectural features most associated with Japanese castles.I'll let the pictures story you...

19 Nov 2008 (Wed)

We got up early & packed everything. Back to Osaka. As usual...we took the Shinkansen.At 10.38am the train passed Mount Fuji. Wow....wat a beautiful sight :)Here's some pics of Tokyo...

Tokyo Eye

Tokyo Tower

Ginza

18 Nov 2008 (Tuesday)

We had a lecture on Organization Management by Mr Furono from Human Logic Laboratory. After lunch, we went to Heiwa Industries at Ohta-ku for visit & lecture. For dinner, we wanted to try sushi so off we went to Ginza, Tokyo. Friends at Jom Makan suggested a halal (all seafoodu) nearby Ginza Five. We found the place and started queuing to eat. The place was packed and we had to wait (yet...we didn't mind cos we were tempted to try the delicious sushi). Finally...we got our seats and enjoyed our sushi. Man...it was delicious, cheap (for Tokyo) and the service was above par! Excellent !

We called our very friendly chef - Popeye and he was sooooooooooo sweeeeeeet...