Today was a bittersweet day for me in Japan. I have been very fortunate in being selected to stay at the tournament for another round of games. But, because there are not enough games remaining for everyone to work, several of the referees had to travel home. It is hard to see our colleagues leave because we have enjoyed each other's company and friendships so much during the last 3 weeks. We all know and respect that every referee has worked very hard to be here. As we said our farewells, we all wished the best for each other so that we can see each other again at a future tournament. And everyone will certainly have good memories from our last evening together -- we went out to a restaurant for a traditional Japanese dinner followed by dancing and a lot of fun. Many of us wore kimonos to the party since the Japanese Football Association gave each of us one as a gift. The Japanese referees had a lot of work to do before the party because they had to help all of us get dressed!
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Referees getting dressed in their kimonos
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| Some of the CONCACAF referees in the hotel lobby before leaving for the party |
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| View of Tokyo from the restaurant window |
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