I just got back from my first trip to Japan as a guest of Lunarr - a Portland based tech start-up founded by two leading Japanese entrepreneurs Toru Takasuka and Hideshi Hamaguchi.

It was an incredible immersion into the many traditional, modern, and futuristic cultures of Tokyo. Every moment of the trip was accounted for, leaving hardly anytime to blog, email, or Twitter - but it was worth it.

I met with top government ministry officials; I met leaders of the Japanese startup community; I met Japan's top venture capitalist (who never talks to the media); I met with "Maidols" French maid-costumed guides to Japan's many subcultures; I took part in traditional Japanese ceremonies; I ran into my former boss at the FT Paul Abrahams on a subway platform; and I was one of the founders of the American-Japanese Bloggers Association (AJBA) and became the organization's first chairman.

I have many photos, videos, and insights to share with you as part of a week long series of essays here on Silicon Valley Watcher, so please tune in daily!

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Travelling from the US with me: the incredible Marshall Kirkpatrick from Read-Write Web, the irrepressible Bob Walsh from 47hats; and the charming and talented Kristen Nicole from Mashable, and the mastermind (inspirationator) of this trip - Hideshi Hamaguchi.

Related stories:

Lunarr: A Once in a Blue Moon Company with a Unique Collaborative App

Lunarr Launches Thought Provoking Collaboration Tool - ReadWriteWeb