Reunion with the Koto

On this trip my brother did all the leg work to bring my Japanese musical instrument, koto, that my parents bought me when I was about five. I had played and practiced on this very instrument all the way till my departure for the U.S. at age 18. Quite a longtime relationship, especially for a young person. But then, it had been many, many years since I left it behind. It was definitely a wonderful reunion with my own koto.
Last Sunday I attempted to tune the koto and tried my uncertain hand at it. The musical scores that I first practiced at an early age even looked somewhat foreign. I definitely need a lot more practice! The good thing about the koto is that its strings produce wonderful sound even if I'm not playing any particular notes.