Edition:
December 8, 2006
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Accompanying Dennis and Ann were their daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Joe Sloan, and their daughter Courtney, of Canyon Lake; and daughter and son-in-law Diane and Eddie, with their twin daughters Michelle and Melissa, of San Pedro.
Although Michael met his prospective bride while on business in Japan for his company, and Dennis has been there several times as well, this was the first trip outside the U.S. for the rest of the family so it was a very exciting time. After a 10-and-a-half-hour flight, they arrived in Tokyo on November 19.
Prior to the wedding on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, family members enjoyed sightseeing in the Tokyo area, and even traveled by train to see the Giant Buddha and Hasedera Temple in Kamakura.
Tuesday evening it was “Meet the Parents” night in a nice restaurant in Chinatown, where the family met Miwa’s parents and her brother and his family. Gifts and pleasantries were exchanged with Miwa serving as interpreter. On Wednesday, the groom-to-be escorted Dennis and Ann for a tour of the palace grounds in Tokyo while Miwa enjoyed a day of beauty treatments allotted to the bride-to-be. The rest of the family took a tour, which included a trip up the famous Mount Fuji.
On Thursday, the wedding took place on the top floor of the New Grand Hotel, with large bay windows overlooking Yokohama Harbor. It began with introductions of all family members on both sides of the family and a family photo – about 40 in all.
According to Dennis, Miwa wore a beautiful white wedding dress in lieu of a kimono, which is what younger brides usually wear. When the couple exited the chapel, flower petals were thrown instead of rice.
While the bride and groom had pictures taken, the 80 guests were served drinks in a small reception area; then escorted to a large dining room where the bride and groom entered to a musical fanfare. The meal consisted of Japanese and Western cuisine, along with champagne, wine and other spirits. The groom’s father was given the chance to offer a short message and a toast.
Later, after the bride and groom had changed into more casual clothing, they and a select group of family and friends proceeded to a bar/restaurant for an “after-party” of drinks and a buffet meal.
More sightseeing and shopping followed on Friday, with the Sloan family making a visit to Tokyo’s Disneyland Sea Adventure. “Since Joe works at Disney’s California Adventure, he wanted to compare notes and take pictures to show to his fellow workers,” says Dennis.
After their daughters’ families headed back to California, Dennis and Ann traveled six hours northwest to the small city of Takada to visit friends they have known more than 30 years. “Takada is more rural, so we saw real Japanese home-style living with rice mat floor, sliding dividers, sleeping on the floor on Futon mattresses and cooking right at the table,” says Dennis. “Our friends, the Arisawas, have a beautiful new home and we had three days of real Japanese living.”
Dennis says they managed to get in a round of golf at the nearby country club and experienced a mineral water community bath, which is a Japanese tradition.
“It was a great trip and everyone returned home safely with lots of memories and pictures to share,” he adds.
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