This week was work, work, work. A whole week of meetings at the ISO-meeting in Ibusuki, Japan. I mainly attended the manufacturing group. Not much happened there but they showed some progress in implementing the STEP-NC standard.

Every night, almost, we had Japanese dinner. The day we arrived in Ibusuki, Torbjorn, Chie and I, we had a ryokan-style (Japanese inn) dinner with many, many small dishes. We all enjoyed it very much.

On Sunday night we had a welcome reception with a buffet-dinner. This time it was both western style and Japanese food. I think only the Japanese delegates ate of the western style food. Before we had the buffet we had a great performance of taiko (Japanese drums). They were between 3 and 18 years old, but I think most were around 15. Then we also had time for an informal tea ceremony before the buffet. It was fun to watch how everyone struggled with how to drink the tea.

Tuesday nigh is always social event on these meetings. This time we went to a museum of one of the strongest samurai-families in Japan. They came from the satsuma-area and Kagoshima-island on which Ibusuki is located. It was interesting, especially since I could recognize many things from the books I have been reading about feudal Japan.

On Thursday night we had a BBQ-party at the pool-side. It was great. Everyone enjoyed it. Delicious food and good company. Some even had a swim in the pool before going to bed.

On Friday the usual business meeting was held. Every participating country voted on resolutions that have been suggested during the meeting. Then it was taxi and bus to the airport and a flight back to Tokyo. Torbjorn took a flight to Nagoya to continue back to Sweden the next day – via Frankfurt and a night in Copenhagen.

During my stay at the Hakusuikan (hotel where we stayed and where the meeting was held) I also tried their onsen (Japanese bath). They had something called sunamushi-onsen, which is hot sand onsen. Dark sand was heated by steam from the hot spring water underneath it. Of course they had a normal onsen as well.