Day 7 - Transit town

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(Blogged on 19 December but posted under December 14)

I reckon if i do not keep up with posting, i will soon forget all the details of our trip. The past few days have been busy as we moved from one town to another. Apart from rushing from one tourist attraction to another and literally running to catch buses and trains, there was also unstable wi-fi, and i was just not willing to risk having a painstakingly typed out message from being eaten.

Anyway, we arrived in Matsumoto by train today - our main mode of transport in Japan, and also one of the main consumptions of our budget. On the train, we were joined by several other backpackers, and for some strange reason that can only be explained by human psychology, all of us backpackers congregated on the same train bench with our backpacks and luggages. It was a little funny to be honest. When we arrived in Matsumoto, all the other backpackers disappeared almost instantly - i don't know where they went to, perhaps they headed directly up to the ski resorts, but we were going to spend 2 days in Matsumoto.

We checked into the Toyoko Inn in Matsumoto. It was very similar to Comfort Hotel in Toyama although the room was a tad smaller (yup, i never thought rooms can get even smaller). Toyoko Inn have good facilities although i did not particularly like the way it was done - laundry facilities were located on the same floor as the lobby, that means i had to carry my bag of soiled clothes all the way down to the lobby at the mercy of the scrutiny of the other newly-arrived guests. Plus i obviously could not dress to shabbily. Also at check-in, the staff present a basket of packets of shampoo, soap and toothbrushes for us to pick on the way up to our rooms. That a little unprofessional i reckon. And hairbrushes and combs were provided at the reception desk - take only if you need. They were not automatically provided in the bathrooms. And oh yeah, pay an additional 300yen for clean towels the next day. Hmmm, minor details, but details that can boost a hotel's image i reckon. What i particularly like was that i could pay 500yen and watch any number of movies throughout our stay - sadly i just discovered that a tad too late!

Matsumoto Castle
In Matsumoto, we first visited the Matsumoto castle, a towering structure that was surrounded by a moat. The day was beautiful so the photo opportunities were endless. Coincidentally, there was a group of filming crew who were filming one part of a drama at the castle. The Matsumoto castle was a little different from the Inuyama Castle - there was a lot more explanation in English and there were little windows in the walls that were used for weaponry; it was pretty cool. There was also a balcony for the occupants to enjoy the moonlight. The stairs were as usual, steep as ladders. One was so steep that a staff member was permanently situated at the base of the ladder to give instructions and i suppose to catch anyone who is falling though he looked kind of frail...

Former Kaichi School
The next place i visited was the Former Kaichi School, a school that was apparently quite progressive for its times. I was the only one there because it was not the season for tourists. There were many exhibits of educational materials used during its times - report cards, paintings, rules etc; was pretty cool. There were also tools on display; the headmaster of the school used to be an architect or carpenter or something. It was very interesting to have a look at what classrooms were like in the olden times - the similarities and the differences. I saw a painting that was done by a student that i was forced to do when i was in high school too! Clearly, school woes were universal. 😉 I had a browse of the shop and bought myself a Japanese music book - it had short stories with accompanying music scores (simple ones) so i can't wait to play them on my flute.

Naka-machi
Next up, i roamed the streets of Matsumoto. Matsumoto has many little streets with quaint shops selling many trinkets. I abandoned my map and simply went where my feet took me. I came upon this really shop selling seriously old books. Books that looked a hundred years old, piled throughout the shop, with fading characters and tattered pages. It was fascinating. They were also selling art prints of Japanese scenes and that was what initially caught my attention. The bookshop was dusty and messy but it had the kind of ancient feel that i really like. It is places like these where i usually chance upon gems of books. I saw a guitar solo books, with music scores over a hundred years old. It was going for 7000yen. I would have bought it in a jiffy because i doubt you can get it anywhere else, but alas i do not play the guitar. I inquired about flute and piano books but they had neither. The owner spoke a little English, and with my broken Japanese, we managed to have a fairly decent conversation. It was a good experience.

Next on i took several turns and got quite lost but love the challenging feel of it. I spied several saxophones in a shop and was immediately attracted to it. I entered the shop where i was greeted by two sales girls. They spoke a little English, as little as my Japanese. With much gesturing and broken sentences, they finally understood what i was after - Flute books with old Japanese music. I purchased two books one with classical Japanese music that i would surely not be able to get outside of Japan, and another one of Studio Ghibli

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