In September, the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Waikato was pleased to host a soil science group from Meiji University (Ikuta Campus), Kawasaki City, Tokyo. Lead by Professor Hiroshi Takesako, the group comprised three staff and six students (three graduates, three undergraduates). Associate Professor David Lowe, who had visited Professor Takesako's Soil Science Laboratory in the Faculty of Agriculture at Meiji University during his JSPS Fellowship trip last year, was able to repay some of the hospitality and field experience bestowed upon him by various Japanese soil science colleagues by co-leading the group on a six-day central North Island field trip from 8-13 September, 2001, as described below.