Akira & his team announced the proud birth of the site on St. Patrick’s. The Old Rock congregation was gathered to worship Guinness. Few could predict Irish eyes saddened by French robbers at the last minute in the 6 Nations rugby…but that Irish World Cup glory beckoned in the West Indies, humbling Pakistan.I digress…

After a nervous start on the microphone, Akira could relax & enjoy praise for a quality job well done. Jim mumbled something & clearly needed another drink, before Liza finished off with aplomb. There was some sort of cartoon character blocking the bar, quickly escorted out. Contributors to the project mingled in tongues, English, Japanese, Korean.
Extravagant plans were laid to build a new international airport along eki-mai (as we’ll need the space at the old airport for the football team’s new 80,000 seat stadium). Not sure how realistic some of those ideas are now, in the cold (it’s gone wintry again) light of day…
But the game is afoot, and the Matsumoto yokoso crew is on the march.
(Sorry no photos – the Guinness/Paddy’s interfered with camera skills!)
Thanks all for coming – and for those that couldn’t make it, cheers!
Jim
(Akira added a photo.)