Today I just had my lesson and practiced by the river, read, wrote, etc.. I think I might go back in time alittle bit to my first experience on the subway.......

Riding the subway and my first shakuhaci lesson.

The day was of my first shakuhachi lesson. I woke up at my usual 6pm and waited patiently until it was about 12 before I ventured out the door. The day was bright and sunny and a toasy 88 degrees. I looked at my map and figured out the relative location of Kitaoji eki. Not too far from my home, about a 15 minute walk I'd guess. I began to walk towards the Kamogawa, my usual starting point for any trip going north or south. I carried with me my shakuhachi and my crumpled map. I knew my exit point from the river would be halfway between the bridges on either side of the Kyoto botanical gardens, so I looked for the usual bird sculptures marking the ends of the garden grounds. I reached that point in my journey and veered off to the right back onto the crowded roads of Kyoto. I walked into the streets not quite sure where I was going from there. I knew the station was somewhere in that vicinity. I found what looked to be the correct road going to the station but quickly turned to the right as it seemed to be going in the wrong direction. I angled back towards the north and spotted the station at last. Kitaoji eki is part of a large complex of stores and a bus depot going this way and that. Luckily one of the subway entrances was at the side of this maze so I did not have to enter. I began my descent down the long stairway leading to the underground world of the subway. I found the ticket machine off to the right from where I finished the first set of stairs. I looked at the complex looking machine and up at the large map of names on the wall for all the stops and how much it cost from where I was to each of them. I searched for Kujo and it read 280yen . So I deposited 280yen into the machine and a button reading the same became highlighted so I pressed it and out popped a ticket. Next I walked to gated area in which the ticket it passed though. Put in one end it pops out the other and make sure to grab it on the way through, you'll need it to exit at the other end. I walked through and down another set of stairs to the subway platform. Not sure which side to wait on I asked a fellow which one went to Kujo and he pointed me in the right direction. I waited for a little while for the subway car to saunter up to the platfrom and boarded it at last. The ride from Kitaoji to Kujo was as easy as can be. Even though I could understand the announcement fine with my limited Japanese it was also broadcast in English. My destination was one past Kyoto eki which is number K12 and Kitaoji my starting point was K04. The trip lasted only about 10-15 or so altogether. I exited at the other end, put my ticket in the machine and walked out into a part of the city I had yet to explore. I had once walked as far as Kyoto eki and that took nie on 2 1/2 hours one way. This new means of transportation although a bit spendy was well worth it. Once I was back on the streets of Kyoto I needed to find where my sensei lived. I had recieved an e-mail from him that morning telling me to come to a certain bus stop near his home. I began to walk down the road toward that specified spot, well I thought I was walking toward that spot. Turns out I was walking south not west. I figured it out once I had reached Jujo the next subway station. I looked at my map and sighed. I turned back and walked to Kujo once again. This time I chose the correct direction and walked until I reached the bus stop. I found a phone with the help of an older woman passing by. I gave Kurahashi sensei a call and luckily a student had not shown up so I could come and take my first lesson right then. I had kinda showed up randomly not knowing when I would get there or if he was even doing lessons that day. Thankfully my luck pulled through and I got in. He walked over to meet me at the bus stop and he guided me to his home. As we walked in I met his lovely wife who plays koto. We talked for abit and headed upstairs to begin my studies. Not knowing exactly what I wanted to learn he picked out a piece based on my experience, Kumoijishi. We played and I learned, then suddenly time was up. He even gave me my first lesson on the house. We talked alittle bit more and then it was time for me to depart. I headed back to the subway station and did the same as on the way there. The subway turned out to be the simplest of transportation devices here in Japan. If you pick the right time of day to travel it is not crowded and easy going, but if you choose rush-hour to ride the subway then be prepared to be a bit crammed.