Fast and slow in Central Japan

Bullet train prices are reduced on weekends so my friend H and I took the shinkansen from Toyohashi to Nagoya (25 mins), where we were treated to a dinner of classical Nagoya food by someone who studied art management with her ten years ago - their group came to New York and all stayed in my place in Chelsea. He was glad to repay the favor a decade on. I was delighted to see hatcho miso - the mother of all misos - in action! All of us were glad to be distracted from the election, yet another country's nationalist government consolidating its strength.