What do four visiting American businessmen talk about with a Japanese Buddhist priest? Easy. Our host seemed familiar with baseball, recent movies and American television shows, which meant the conversation flowed smoothly, and fortunately his English was much better than our Japanese. We were each given a small glass of saki (served at the correct temperature) and then treated to a shortened version of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. This is, literally, a ceremony to brew and pour tea, performed so slowly and deliberately as to induce a trance-like state. The importance of this ritual in Japanese life and culture is such that the house had a small room built and used just for this purpose.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the evening came when the priest gave us a tour of the small but ornate temple next door to his house, and performed a traditional Buddhist chant designed to wish us a safe homeward journey. As we returned to the anonymity of our modern hotel, I felt privileged to have been given such a unique and memorable evening.