Day 1 - 1st full band rehearsal, Ikuta Shrine, Dōtonbori

We arrived in Japan, yesterday July 16th, and met with Tomoki Sanders and Masato Shinohara, the Japanese natives of the band. After making our way through customs and receiving our luggage, we made our way by bullet train from Narita airport in Tokyo to Osaka, where we were staying during our Kansai performances. On the 17th a typhoon hit Japan and it was pouring rain and windy throughout the day. We travelled from Osaka to Kobe, to have rehearsal at Bass On Top music studio in Kobe early in the morning, Then we visited the historic shrine "Ikuta Jinja", honoring the Goddess Wakahirume-no-Mikoto located in downtown Kobe. We had a great "cleansing" at the entrance of the shrine where we washed our hands in the, before having a brief meditation and exploring the grounds of the shrine. After, we went to Dotonbori, a famous entertainment and shopping district in Osaka where we experienced a fabulous revolving sushi plate restaurant, where plates of fresh sushi were sent on a conveyer belt and we could select what we would like to eat. After, we had a bit of sake at a local bar which had traditional sake and oden dishes to accompany them. Then we all retreated to our respective sleeping quarters to rest for the day two of rehearsal and the Gion Matsuri festival!