This evening I could meet Dr. Robert B. Stapp, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Arkansas and his eight students on The Japan Study Abroad Program 1999 led by him in Tokyo.

They left Fayetteville, Arkansas on May 11 for Japan, stopping at Seattle on their way and making a study visit to a Boeing factory , and arrived at Japan on My 13.

They visited ship-builders, automobile manufacturers and many other companies and plants at such cities as Kameoka, Nara, Kyoto, Kobe, Tamano and Hiroshima. They could see a professional baseball game, Hanshin Tigers vs. Tokyo Giants. They came to Tokyo on May 30 and visited Keidanren, US Chamber of Commerce, JETRO and MITI.

Last evening, I made an arrangement with Dr. Stapp who stayed at Asia Center, Tokyo that I would see Dr. Stapp and his students at their hotel or Tokyo Tower about 6:30 this evening. He called me in the evening and said that they met quite a trouble today. They were obliged to canceal their trip schedule of the day because they took a wrong direction train to whch a JR Uneno station official mis-guided. So he disbandled the student team and gve them free time until 6:30 when they would meet again at the hotel. He continued that although it past 6:30. no student came back and that we would wait until 7:30. If they do not come, we, two of us, would go out. At 7:30, we took a taxi and tried to go to Tokyo Tower. At the very moment. the doctor found 4 students walking back on the side walk. So six of us went to Tokyo Tower though we could not make any contact with the other four students.

They met another misfortune not to be able to climb up to the observation floor, 230 meters from sea level becaue it was closed only for today. So we stayted at the floor, 130 meters from sea level. As it was the first time for the students to see a night view of a metropolice from a big tower, they seemed to be satisfied with the view.

It was fine day but had moistures. We could only see the illuminated Diet Tower vaguely.

We could see an illuminated big wheel of MEGA WEB near the Rainbow Bridge( refer to Travel Diary 3/24/99 Remarks: not in English). We decided to move there.

The Toyota show room was illuminated bright like a day time. The students were rather excited to see many kinds of motor vehicles such as sedans, coupes, sports cars, recreational vehilces, racing cars, etc.

They were taking snap shots each other posing beside their favorites.

But they met the other unfortune. There were a few similators such as for experiencing speed driving but all of them were not in opertaion after eight.

At the History Hall, the doctor was more than delighted to find out a 1959 Cadillac open car. The students had much more interests in an old three wheeled car made by Messer Schmitt(Germany).

Then we moved toward the Future Hall. On our way, we happened to find out the other four students whom we missed. They sat by a table, drinking Cokes. Thus we could get a picture on the top of this page.

I could not have a chance for asking the missing group how they did come here. The statistcal probability of re-meeting in the Metropolitan Tokyo might be less than that of drawing a million dollars lottery. It was ended in good fortune today which started with bad fortunes.

Dr. Stapp told me his impression he got from this tour.

*He was surprised by the increased number of homeless people. Many people are taking nights in blue vinyl tents at Ueno Park or subway stations such as Shibuya and Ueno.

*Some people of the visited companies complained their salary was cut by twenty per cent. Still the company asked them to work as hard as before.

He realized himself how severe the depression in Japan was.

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