Visiting the Country of Japan, left all of us longing to speak their language and be able to communicate with them in their culture more directly. Japanese is not considered an easy language to learn as it “borrows” 3 sets of characters from other languages in the region such as the Chinese “Kanji”. For many western travelers looking to visit this island, this may perhaps be the biggest hurdle. We were very fortunate to have the help, guidance and translation from our PRI Japan faculty and staff, who graciously helped us navigate the transit system which is the largest and busiest in the world.
Summarizing these 10 days into one page, feels like trying to interpret Japanese all over again. There is no way to accurately relay our deep respect and appreciation for the people we met along the way. Although there was at sometimes an inability to communicate these feelings to one another. They were greatly felt, through the smiles, bows, shared meals, and sightseeing that we accomplished while visiting.
We started the trip with the presentation of Cervical Revolution by Ron Hruska, in Tama Center, Tokyo at Teikyo University. Mr. Takahashi, was generous to pick us up and drive us to the course each morning and made the transportation such an ease. The Teikyo University facilities and staff there are some of the most hospitable and friendly group of professionals we have been around, and they love to have FUN! These 3 days provided a deeper discussion on the Secondary PRI concepts relating to the Cervical Spine, and the course attendees were eager to learn.
Following the Cervical Revolution Course we had scheduled two question and answer sessions in Tokyo, and Kyoto. The goal of these Q&A sessions was to answer any questions related to PRI that the community in Japan may have had throughout their attendance to Postural Restoration and Myokinematic Restoration. It was a tremendous success and although Sy had prepared several slides of possible topics to discuss, we never relied on their use. The audience was active and the questions (which were translated to Ron) ranged from the foundation of the science of Postural Restoration, to specific course questions and everything in between.
The rest of our trip revolved around seeing, experiencing and doing as much as we could in the remaining few days we had. We visited countless Shrines, and Temples and after our stay in Takashi’s home of Kyoto, we headed to Kobe. Kobe captivated us for many reasons but speaking as a Nebraskan from the Great Plains, I think we were all excited to see more of the countryside and less of the underground subway stations. As soon as we arrived in Kobe we started exploring. With only one day there, we knew it was going to be full. The morning started by taking a gondola to the top of the Kobe Herbal Gardens and the view at the top was breath taking. Soon after we were met by Mr. Akira Yoshimoto (who visited Lincoln a few months back, and has become a great friend) and his colleague, who guided the second half of our day. They took us out on a ferry ride through Kobe Bay, followed by dinner and a mountain top view of the skyline. This dinner deserves a blog alone, as the Kobe Beef experience was one I will never forget.
No amount of time or words can do justice to the amount of love we received during this trip. Many people deserve recognition for making it a success. Specifically Kenny, Sayuri (Sy), and Takashi as they were our lifeline every day. They are all three living in Japan for the first time in years, as Kenny and Sy, until recently remained in the US. Not only did these three individuals create a once in a lifetime experience for us, but they work tirelessly to further the growth of PRI Japan. They have now translated all three primary courses and continue to host these primary courses throughout the year. We already miss them, and although there is now a few more hours added to their flight time, we are hopeful that we will still see them throughout the year.
One of the only words I made sure to learn the first day we arrived was “Thank you”. Arigato Gozaimasu! I knew it would probably be the only word(s) that would matter, and 2 weeks later I wish I had said it ten times more.
Thank you to everyone involved with PRI Japan! Thank you to the course attendees who traveled and took off work and asked questions. Thank you to all of the host sites. Thank you to the PRT’s and PRC’s located throughout Japan, and thank you again to our PRI Japan faculty. We look forward to continuously growing with you all.
View more photos HERE!
