天気：晴れ
Feeling very tired now; today was fun, but draining. At least it was a nice, sunny day; maybe a little too warm. I was so worried we weren’t going to make it the concert today, but everything turned out fine, eventually… I got up at 9 (a little late), and hurriedly readied myself for the day. I let Maarika know I’d meet her at seminar house 1 at 10, so went over there and waited; and waited. I waited until about 10 past, and then decided to just go; I was already keeping Carly waiting. I went to the bus stop, and found that the bus wouldn’t be coming for the next 10 minutes. I got so anxious just standing there that I walked to the next stop, and still had to wait. I didn’t end up getting down to the station until about a quarter to 11; Carly was still waiting patiently bless her. So now all we had to do was get to Nipponbashi; easy enough right? Well, stupid me lead us to the wrong station; we talked with Maureen and Tori, who were going to Eigamura, for a little while. It wasn’t until we got on the train and started moving did I realise we were going in the wrong direction; towards Kyoto. So, we had to get off at Kuzuha, and wait for the next express to take us back the other way; the waiting nearly killed me. We got on the train at about 10 past 11 and, knowing the concert started at 12, I was freaking out.
We took the limited express to Kitahama, and then rushed over to the Sakai-suji subway line. There was finally a bit of luck when we managed to get to the platform just as the train was coming in. We had less than 10 minutes left, but thankfully Nipponbashi was only three stations down. As soon as we got off the train we rushed toward exit 7, emerging into the sunlight to find that the theatre ~ the 国立文楽劇場 (kokuritsu bunraku gekijou – National 
Japanese Puppet Theatre ~ was just up the road; we had made it just in time. We were soon seated in a beautiful theatre, delicate lanterns lining the walls, and huge curtain in front of us, adorned with pine trees and water. We had come in just after the MC had started talking, so didn’t miss any of the music. The next 3 hours (yes, it was a lot longer than I had expected), were filled with some of the most beautiful music I had ever heard; I was blown away. The orchestra (if that is the right term for it) played 8 pieces, splitting up into various groups for each. It took me a while, but during the first piece I finally noticed Sensei in a sky blue kimono playing the shamisen; she looked so calm and confident. In fact, almost everyone looked to be at absolute peace, and I was transfixed watching each section move in almost perfect unison; the graceful and precise movements reflected the magnificence of the music.
Most of the pieces included both shamisen and koto sections, as well as a solo shakuhachi. One included the 琵琶 (biwa – Japanese lute), and a few included the 17-stringed koto; it’s deep notes resounding. If I had a chance to play koto again, I would love to give the 17-string a go; I’ve always had a thing for bass instruments. They presented a wonderful balance of traditional and contemporary pieces, which I was very pleased about; it really showed off the versatility of the instruments. I actually found myself drawn more towards the contemporary pieces. Of course, the traditional pieces were all amazing, stepped in the aesthetics of Japan, but the contemporary pieces really touched my soul. One piece in particular, called 硝子の星座 (garasu no seiza – “Constellation of glass”) sent shivers down my spine; I was completely swept up in it. I desperately want to hear it again now, as it was just breathtaking; maybe I’ll be able to find it somewhere one day. The last piece played almost had a Middle Eastern flair to it, which again showed off the diverse range of music these instruments can perform; it certainly helps when they can all be tuned to whatever you want. I was thoroughly impressed, and hope I get the opportunity to see something of such a standard again one day.
Upon exiting, we bumped into Maarika; I was glad she had made it. She never got my message, so actually came over to Seminar House 2 to find me; I had already left by that time. 
Oh well, it all worked out. We found Sensei in the lobby, and congratulated her when she came rushing over to thank us. Then, feeling very hungry, we went in search of a convenience store, and soon found a Family Mart; I got an onigiri and a yummy strawberry donut thing. We made our way back to Makino, this time not in a rush, and then walked home from there; stopping at Sanko on the way; I got some cheap bananas. I was so surprised to find that it was already 5 by the time we were home; the whole day had gone. Still, I managed to get about 4 hours study in; Carly helped by quizzing me on kanji and vocabulary. We had a break for dinner in between, and sat in the lounge reading in the newspaper that they had found that modern man’s genome contains traces of Neanderthal DNA; it was quite fascinating. After that, more study and then donuts, and then Carly left. I’d better get some sleep now. My exam is at 10, but I want to try to get up early to study a bit more. I’m really glad I got to go out today, but it has put a bit of a strain on things…
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