Day 4 began at 4:30AM with a visit to Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest such operation in the world.

Generally a major tourist attraction, the famed tuna auction has been cancelled and access to the market area restricted due to the March 11 events. Fully aware of the possible limited ability to experience the facility, everyone was up and ready for the visit.

The highlight of the morning was a sushi breakfast at local shop right in the market. Except for Keiko and myself, no one had ever experienced the wide array of freshly caught fish and other seafood in the preparation of sushi … and in one case, a student had sushi for the very first time.

Personally, a featured offering of oysters was a very special treat.

The experience is worth getting up at 4:30AM!

I will let the student’s blogs and photography provide interested followers with a description of the “Shibuya experience.”

Our next visit focused on entrepreneurship in Japan as presented by Mike Alfant, Chairman/CEO of Fusion Systems who also serves a President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ).

Mike, a 20+ year resident of Japan, has successfully founded and operated a number of high-tech businesses in Japan and led a 2 1/2 hour diverse discussion of issues posed by student questions and his reflections and a wide array of points on Japanese culture, the entrepreneurial environment and business climate, the post-March 11 recovery, and future policy choices and debates.

Mike also offered students his personal perception of what it takes for a non-Japanese to successfully live and work in the country.

Day 3 began with a visit to Tokyo’s Chuo University and a 2 hour lecture seminar with Dr. Kazunori (Icko) Suzuki, Professor of Finance. Dr. Suzuki offered a stimulating talk and discussion of the “Economic Environment and Post-Tsunami Recovery Issues of Japan.”

The session provided the students with a overview of the Japanese economy and a penetrating analysis of the post-Tsunami issues. Dr. Suzuki’s candid assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese economy, and the policy challenges confronting the citizens, businesses and government prompted a lively and enlightening discussion.

UMaine readers may remember the 2010 visit by Dr. Suzuki to the Orono campus at the invitation of Dr. Richard Borgman. Keiko and I had the pleasure to get to know Icko on a personal level and are deeply appreciative of his friendship. His lecture was one of the highlights of the current MBA trip.