Returned from Shanghai.

 We had to wake up at 4 a.m. to catch the plane to return straight to Shin Chitose International Airport. Our Chinese guide, Mr.Ko said he had asked the reception of the hotel a wake-up call for us at 4:00a.m., but in our room, we didn't hear it. I was afraid if they didn't make the call to any room our group of Japanese guests stayed in, so I went down to the reception to tell about it. A receptionist simply said we would check our system. Later I knew the phone didn't ring only in our room.
 We traveled in China for the first time. For some reason or other, I had been reluctant to go to China. One reason was, of course, had something with the modern history of the relation of Japan and China. There have always been disputes about so-called "historical recognition" of Japanese people, or that of some Japanese right wing politicians. In addition, there is a very hot terretorial dispute about Senkaku islands.