On the spur of the moment, we decided to take some friends and visit Narita, Japan, where I flew many trips for United. In addition to the usual sight-seeing adventures, we wanted to visit different friends there. Here is the entrance to the famous Naritasan Temple. Even with the nearby International Airport, Narita City is still a small, old-fashioned town. On New Year's Day, a sort of nation-wide pageant takes place.
Women dress in gorgeous kimonos, mostly heirlooms handed down for generations.
With their piled-high wigs, the suddenly traditional women are the focus of all cameras. With us is Yuriko, our dear friend. I have claimed her as my adopted granddaughter. A grad student in structural engineering, her goal is to make existing stuctures more earthquake resistant and to develop improved technologies for new ones. Enhancing buildings' abilities to withstand earthquake stresses will save countless lives.