The Shinkansen takes around 3 hours to get from Sendai to Shin-Hakodate.  A car, perhaps 8.5 hours.  Our cruise ship leaves Sendai at 3PM and is expected to arrive in the Port of Hakodate at 7AM, or 16 hours later.  Our ship would need to cruise at 22 MPH.  The Riviera's top speed is 23 MPH. The largest cruise ship today is the Icon of the Seas.  She has a top speed of 28 MPH.  The Titanic could just about reach that speed. The Oceania Riviera was supposed to depart at 3PM, but instead left at 2:50.  So this is the only photo I took. Sendai is a special place for me.  I have stayed at the Sendai Westin at least ten times.  Photo to the left, sunset from the Executive Club.  The room price now is around $350/night.  I remember a few months after the 11March2011 Great Tohoku cataclysm, with the Fukushima damaged nuclear reactors only 50 miles away, I only paid $45/night. 2012 :  In April, 13 months after the Great Tohoku disaster...

 Our trip to Sapporo has been a mitigated disaster.  Apparently, the weather destroyed the fall colors.  It was snowing when we arrived on Hokkaido and has continued to do so today.  So much so, that we will only walk a short distance near the Fairfield by Marriott for food.  Actually, it was worth the trip up to this island. Time  magazine this week featured on the cover Tadashi Yanai,  founder and leader of Uniqlo.  What is wrong with Japan?  Here is his take: But first, his life. Was born in Ube, Yamaguchi, a former coal town. Father had a tailor shop, and Tadashi was outstanding enough to go to and graduate from Waseda University.  He does say he hardly studied because there was a student walkout in Japan to protest against the government, and instead spent time traveling to the U.S. and U.K. where he got most of his ideas fo rchange.  Did graduate in Economics and Political Science. At the age of 34 opened his first Uniqlo stor...