OSAKA -- Would have had this entry up sooner, but our trip from Kyoto was delayed because manager Bruce Bochy was dressing like a samurai at a place called Movieland, Japan's version of Universal Studios. It seems Bochy wound up at the back of the line to get his photo taken and that held up our three-bus convoy for roughly 30 minutes.
Of the Mets players, only John Maine signed on for the Kyoto excursion, with Jose Reyes and David Wright opting for the later bus. Maybe they needed to sleep in and watch some football. Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, still has temples dating back to the age of the shoguns because it was spared the massive bombing by Allied forces during World War II. The photo above is the Ryozen Kwannon, the tribute to the unknown soldier, and the giant concrete statute is in commemoration of those Japanese who sacrficed themselves in the war and for the establishment of a peaceful Japan.
Still, one of the most photgraphed sights on the trip -- at least by Japanese tourists -- was Ryan Howard in his throwback Johnny Unitas jersey.