Yayoi Kusama

We went to see the spectacular black and white castle, Crow Castle. It was really pretty, surrounded by a moat with the snowy mountains behind.

We had a few hours till our train from Matsumoto to Yudanaka, so we had a wander down a pretty street of market stalls, then headed for the Scales Museum. Don’t ask, Mr C was very keen. It showed all sorts of examples of measuring and weighing devices through the ages. Bamboo rulers like I had at school, weighing scales for babies, chemists scales, and a lot more, but it was all the Japanese and the curator did not speak English. She took us to see some strange house out the back which had been a Japanese storehouse then converted to a house with some Grecian-style porticos and Adam style coving.

I was getting inpatient to get to the contemporary art museum as they were running a Yayoi Kasama exhibition, and I knew the one in Tokyo is sold out months ahead. She came from Matsumoto, so that’s probably why they had it. We weren’t allowed to take photos so this is just outside the museum. The mirrored installations are just so fantastic and mind-blowing. I’m still buzzing.

Then we got the train to Yudanaka where we are staying in another ryokan, much smarter than the last one. Still need to check out the onsen, but need to get my kimono and obi etc on!

The bad news is my good camera has died. Mr C thinks it is the sensor, as everything seems fine, except the viewfinder shows black and the photos are also black. But if a camera dies, where better than Japan for that to happen? Tomorrow we go to Tokyo, which hopefully won’t all be Dentists and camera shops.