So I think I had my first weird semi bad run it with the locals here in Japan. I went to a pawn shop of sorts called Hard Off (yes I know, the name should have been an indicator). They had a flugelhorn there (like a trumpet) that I wanted　to buy. It was very cheap so I took it to the counter. I wanted to try it out a little to make sure it was not broken. I asked the guy mainly through gestures if there was a room where I could try it. He didn`t understand me, nothing unusual there. He handed me the instrument and being as there was no room, I played a scale on it while crouched down near the cash register. Ｉｔ seemed to work alright so I handed it back to the sales guy, nodded and smiled. The sales guy took the instrument back from me, put it in the case and went into the back room and smashed it!!!!! There was a a clear plastic wall between us so I saw the whole thing play out. He slammed the thing down and the handle broken off the case. He then kicked over a big stack of boxes and threw a stack of papers at the wall. That was the last I saw of him. Another guy went into the back to calm him down for a second and then came out. I told him that I wanted to buy that and he smiled and nodded and started ringing it in on the computer or so I thought. It seemed to be taking a while so I looked for some valve oil because the thing was a little stiff. I went up to the counter to find that this guy had actually been using an on line translator to write me a message. It was completely garbled.　
I typed a message back to him asking if it was broken. He said no. I typed a message explaining that I still wanted to buy the instrument. He said no. I typed another message, could I come back for it tomorrow? No. He was refusing to sell me anything. I have no clue what went wrong in these proceedings other that the fact that I played the instrument. But this guy had a full out tantrum right in front of me! To make matters slightly worse, because I was a little afraid and shocked, I started to laugh.　I couldn`t stop myself.　
Buy the time I left the store to bike home　（It had taken 45 min. to bike there) it was pissing down rain. I couldn`t wait for the rain to pass in the store so I had to bike back. I got home an hour later, soaked to the skin with no flugelhorn. I have described these events to some friends who have been here for a few years now and they have no clue what happened. It is not a part of japanese culture to act out violently in those types of situations at all. So that was all quite weird. Should I go back and try and get it? I still want it...
Other than that, this one messed up incident hasn`t really soured me towards Japan or anything, it was just strange.
Nothing else to report really, I went to see some amazing fireworks and some one asked me to eat a bowl of fish heads. Other than that life is rolling on. Talk to you all soon, watch the mail, I sent a bunch of post cards out today. They should be there by Christmas :o)