3 Years in Sendai-22 - Kyoto! - pt1

One of most memorable moments in japan was my short three days visit to Kyoto to attend the COP3 Convention on Climate Change or Global Warming. organized by the United Nations. The trip was sponsored by the Director of the Kawaijyuku Bunri or the Prep. School where my wife was teaching in Sendai. I tried to get the Japan Times News Paper to sponsor me but was turned down  even when my idea was to present articles related to the Climate and environmental issues that had appeared in the News Paper throughout the year which i had been collecting and safe keeping. I was also turned down flat  by the Malaysian Embassy in Tokyo that would not even entertain meeting me to discuss my plan. My wife's boss took me seriously enough to foot the bill for my whole three days trip to the convention.

Aremd with my camera, my sketchbooks and four panels of Newspaper Articles covering a years worth of environmentally related issues I took the 'Max Yamabiko' bullet train from Sendai all the way to Kyoto. My idea was that i was gong to bring into consciousness of the issues that were affecting the Global warming through these articles that inlcuded statements made by the then President of the United States Bill Clinton with regard toh ow important it was that we dealt with the agenda.

I was there as a loner, not a member of any HGO or representing any country as my own would not give a hoot at the the time, but i was there bright and early with my messages.

I had always considered myself an environmental activist of the peaceful kind and as such i was bound and determined to make my self heard one way or another and I did.

Initially i settled for the wayside display of my Newspaper Articles and watched the crowd browse as they walk by, people from all over the world. Most I noticed walked by with not so much as a glance too busy chatting of great it must have been to be in Kyoto. But some stopped to glance at what was pasted on the board and perhaps an idea or two might have taken shape in their minds in the process. At least I had hoped that they would have had some form of understanding of what they were up against.

It was heartworming to notice the mixture of people who  walked by and I felt great to have been a part of something that I had a great interest in even if i was not an invited guest. I a way i was glad to had been just an onlooker standing on the fringe as i knew back then that i could have made a scene if had been able to talk about the Climate and other related issues and they would have to shut me up or throw me out. .

And security was tight as there were dignitaries from various countries attending the COP3 Climate Change Convention and I was careful not to over expose myself as I had no business of being there.. 

One of my wife's Japanese student who was from Kyoto assisted me while i was there and so i had is easy getting situated where lodgings and so forth was concern.

As for my News Articles was concern, they made it into the Convention Hall without me as I met a fellow from Washington DC who asked if he could used the display for his booth in the convention. So my job was made easy and my effrort paid off as my Newspaper articles were displayed at he Washington DC NGO representative booth no less.

Here were the two young frined I hd made and who made it possible for me to see through my intention at the Kyoto COP3 Convention in 1997.

That was me in essence the Elegant Zen Monk begging along the street of Kyoto!

And the other me flirting with the Geishas! I know i was a Japanese in my previous life no doubt!

And that was me the tourist meeting another fellow tourist, sightseeing in Kyoto.