The JAPAN mission - Tokyo, Yokohama, Hayama

Finally the time has come for me to be able to visit our counterpart's office based in Japan. I have mainly been working with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and I was pleased to be invited to attend and delivered a presentation on behalf of UNEP at the meeting there. Their headquarters office in Hayama - Kanagawa Perfecture, is impressive. Not only that it was spacious, airy and with modern interior/exterior, the building also applied the notion of sustainable building by the installation of wind energy systems to provide electricity, solar lighting, etc.

Prior to attending the full-day meetings, at the IGES Headquarters office in Hayama, Japan.

Given that Japan is indeed an exciting place to visit, I had the courtesy to invite my mother to come with me on this mission. After a few days of back-to-back meetings, we extended our stay and had some extra days spent in Tokyo and Yokohama. As good ol'tourists, we did all the touristy things, such as visited the Tokyo Tower, all-modern Roppongi hills, Akihabara, etc, which were included in one of those full-day Tokyo tour services. It was all worth it, and we both had a blast!

Our feet on top of the Tokyo Tower

At Roppongi hills, from which Tokyo Tower can be seen from afar