Jin Nyodo Book

THE SHAKUHACHI OF JIN NYODO:
A COLLECTION OF CLASSICAL HONKYOKU
by Kamisango Yuko
Translated by John Tedford
Translator's Introduction:
The following collection of short explanations of shakuhachi

honkyoku is taken from the book accompanying a set of
recordings entitled "The Shakuhachi of Jin Nyodo: a Collection
of Classical Honkyoku" (released by Teichiku K.K., 1980). It
represents one section of the book called "Explanations of the
Pieces." The book includes other articles such as "Different
Pieces with the Same Title. Identical Pieces with Different
Titles" and "The Musical Lineage of Jin Nyodo" which are
referred to in the translations below and may be translated
and published at a later date.
This article describes 37 honkyoku as well as two
compositions by Jin Nyodo himself. All the works are played
as solos by Jin Nyodo and were recorded at his home in
Shinjuku, Tokyo in April and May of 1958. The recordings
were not intended to be released to the public, but were
actually made for the use of one of Jin Nyodo's pupils who
was living in America at the time. They represent the only
recorded legacy of Jin Nyodo's actual playing and style.
Preceding the explanations of the various pieces is a
section entitled "Commonly Used Titles" which explains some
of the background of much used names such as Reibo, Choshi,
etc. The following individual explanations for each piece are
arranged roughly by style or temple moving from the Tohoku
region (North) to the island of Kyushu (South). Each section
covers three topics: 1. The title, background on the name and These three pieces (Kyorei, Mukaiji and Koku) are said to
its temple affiliation. 2. The structure, analysis based on be the oldest among classical shakuhachi honkyoku and are
traditional terms such as shirabe, honte, etc., and 3. Special thus most highly regarded. Concerning the origins of these
features, including fingering, breathing techniques, etc. Since pieces please consult the separate article "Historical
each piece is described so that it can be consulted individually, Background of the Classical Honkyoku," Section III 3 "Trad
there is a great deal of repetition of explanations in the article itional Legends about the Origins of the Fuke Sect."
as a whole. Kyorei was originally called Kyotaku (kyo = empty / taku
Please note the following terms used extensively in the = a large bell) according to the traditions of the Fuke Sect,
text: but taku shifted to rei (= a small bell) yielding the altered
name kyorei. In fact, the number of pieces passed down with
Pitch Ro First octave, distinct from the note the name kyotaku was extremely small, kyorei being much
ro, also known as Otsu more common. From tradition we can also assume that this
Kyorei was the most valued among the Koten- Sankyoku. As
Ko Second octave, also known as Kan a synonym for the "Three Traditional Pieces" we also find
(ex.: Ko-no-ro, the note ro in the San-Kyorei (Three Kyorei) which probably stems from Kyorei
second octave) being seen as most representative of these three works.
In an overwhelming number of examples we find the title
Sections of Piece Literal Meaning Koku (ko = empty / ku = space) instead of the longer
Shirabe "exploring/investigating" Koku-ji (ji = a kind of ancient Chinese wind instrument).
Honte "true/main hand" The Koten-Sankyoku were especially valued in the world
Takane "high sound" of Fuke shakuhachi, perhaps even venerated as being sacred,
Takane-gaeshi "returning the takane" but we should note that according to lineage there exist quite
Hachigaeshi "returning the (begging) bowl" different pieces bearing the same name. As regards this,
Musubi "tying up/concluding" please see the article "Different Pieces with the Same Title.
O-musubi "great/large musubi" Identical Pieces with Different Titles."
Suffixes B. SHIRABE - CHOSHI

-ji / -ken temples
-ryu / -ha schools of playing Among classical shakuhachi honkyoku there are numerous
pieces entitled Shirabe, Choshi, -shirabe or -cho. No
COMMONLY USED TITLES matter whether the Chinese characters used are pronounced
shirabe or choshi, they all derive from the verb shirabu which
(A) The "Three Traditional Pieces" (Koten-Sankyoku) has the sense of "investigating/exploring" a particular tuning or
frame of mind. The famous koto piece Rokudan no Shirabe
•&.
( which is also sometimes written with the characters for Reibo is most commonly written with the characters rei =
choshi ) includes this same meaning of shirabe. In the case of a (small) bell and b6 = yearning, but there are many other
shakuhachi pieces, these shirabe originally had the function of variants.
an introductory piece, mostly in the form of maebuki, but at When written in the ordinary way, the origin of the name
present many of them are treated as independent works. relates to the traditional legend of the origins of Fuke shaku
On the other hand, we also find the use of the terms hachi. As regards this legend please consult Section A above
shirabe or takeshirabe to indicate the opening section of a on the Koten-Sankyoku where more details are given. In
work. In this article we will generally distinguish between brief, however, this legend says that Fuke shakuhachi arose
shirabe (a section of a work) and Shirabe (a piece). In works from a yearning/love for the sound of the bells (taku) rung by
which have a shirabe or takeshirabe, another Shirabe is not Fuke Zen priests. The meaning of pieces entitled Reibo is
attached as a maebuki. In any case, independent pieces called thus explained as a yearning for the bells of Fuke Zen priests
Shirabe can also be thought of as maebuki used in common where bell can be considered as either taku (large) or rei
by several pieces. (smaller).
In the independent styles of Shirabe and Choshi there is However, if the meaning is "yearning for the bell," then
no shortage of internal variation, and they have a structural the word should be written oppositely as bo-rei, since reibo is
sense ofjo-ha-kyu or ki-sho-ten-ketsu ("thorough composition", a little strange according to rules of forming Chinese-style
literally the four required sections ofclassical Chinese poetry). compound words. When we consider also the various other
We could say that they are treated as independent works for characters used in writing reibo, it is reasonable that originally
that reason, or oppositely, that they have developed this there was a word pronounced somewhat like reibo that after
structural sense from having been treated independently. wards was given various Chinese-character spellings. We can
In contradiction to this, the type of shirabe or takeshirabe conjecture that the most common usage became popular
used as a section of a piece generally grows quietly from the because of its link to the legend of the origins of Fuke shaku
lower register and centers tonally on RO (the first octave), hachi. If this is the case the origins and significance of reibo
barely rising into KO (the second octave). They show little (or renbo) remain unclear. One can suppose that it is pos
modulation and never develop beyond being introductory sible related to the renbo found in sangen pieces from the
sections.
early modern period such as Renbo-nagashi and Rokudan-
renbo etc., but even this is not entirely clear.
C. REIBO
In any case, origins or meanings aside, the name Reibo
has come to be loved almost as a "pronoun" standing for any
Among classical shakuhachi honkyoku there is an ex classical shakuhachi honkyoku. In order to distinguish among
tremely large number of pieces called Reibo. There are many the pieces simply called Reibo it is necessary to prefix the
types simply called Reibo which have separate traditional name of a temple to yield names such as Futai-ken Reibo or
lineages as well as a not small number which use reibo as a Shogan-ken Reibo. It is possible that these pieces derived
suffix to produce names in the form ... - reibo. from one common original piece, but each one has been
8
handed down as the unique piece of each temple. Many of encourage an easy delivery and an abundant flow of milk.
them are the one piece designated by the rule "one temple = There are many pieces with this same title, and the
one melody." Oj^course within each temple the piece would existence of many variant characters for the name speaks of
only be called Reibo. In short, Reibo was the piece for daily how widely loved the San'ya pieces are and how they have
use by komus6 in each such temple. However, the titles "...- been passed on in many divergent forms. For further informa
reibo" commonly found in Kinko-ryu represent for the most tion on this please consult the article "Different Pieces with
part a simple suffix usage unrelated to the "one temple = one the Same Title; Identical Pieces with Different Titles."
melody" concept.
E. TSURU-NO-SUGOMORI
D. SAN'YA
In the ninth act "Yamashina Kankyo" of the famous
Pieces entitled San'ya are both numerous and diverse Bunraku and Kabuki play "Kanadehon-Chushingura (first
among classical shakuhachi honkyoku. There are also many performed in 1 Kan'en, 1748), the hero of that act, Kakogawa
variations in the Chinese characters used to represent San'ya. Honzo appears on stage as a komus6 priest. In the text for
There are all kinds of theories as to the origin of the the scene there occurs the passage "In the street a komuso
word. One is that it comes from the Sanskrit samaja meaning shakuhachi, Tsuru-no-Sugomori..." At that point the sound of
"assembly," whereas another regards it as a corruption of a shakuhachi can be heard from off-stage. Although we can
sammai, "selfeffacement." Yet another holds that it represents not assume that the present piece is that of the opening
the sound of three (san) takane melodies echoing in three performance, still the presence of this passage indicates that
valleys (ya). And other theories connect it to various place already in the middle of the 18th-century, Tsuru-no-Sugomori
names: the problem of origins is quite difficult to resolve. was considered the most famous piece when discussing shaku
Whatever the case, it is said to have been used for ceremon hachi.
ies in the Fuke Sect; As regards the general characteristics of classical shakuh
As is the case with any piece, the particular characters achi honkyoku, Tsuru-no-Sugomori has the usual feeling of
used to write the title may alter the meaning: in the case of religious meditation and introspective mood. However, it
san'ya the form san = birth / ya = peace or safety is espe differed somewhat from, pieces with a primarily religious
cially interesting, although it is not included among the pieces significance in that it has a strongly descriptive or program
found on this recording. Legends have it that komus6 priests matic nature, its melodies are easy to grasp, its rhythms are
used to take some of the rice that they received as alms and rich in variation and it is an extremely easy piece to become
would pass it through their flutes, then cook it. They would familiar with.
give it then to a woman about to deliver a child and play this There are many different pieces with the same title,
piece to guarantee a safe birth. The piece was played late on Tsuru-no-Sugomori, among classical shakuhachi honkyoku, as
the "night of a birth" (also = san'ya) as a prayer for safe de well as kokyu pieces. The extent of similarity or difference
livery as well as being played for any pregnant woman to among these pieces varies, and their actual relation based on
10 11
distinctive use in this piece is to represent the call of the
shared tradition or exchange of influences is not at all clear. crane or the beating of its wings. Another distinctive feature
However, they do possess a common content or concept as which stands out among classical honkyoku is the frequency of
well as more or^ less similar musical features (melody and
strongly rhythmical sections.
rhythm), so that we can assume that various similar yet dif
ferent pieces developed as variants of one original piece.
The common concept of these pieces is based on the 1. Nezasa-ha: SHIRABE
continuous story of the crane from its birth through the loving
care of its parents, its departure from the nest and eventually 1-shaku 8+sun
the death of its parents. Its theme is the love of parent and 2 min. 55 sec.
child and the concern of father and mother. As the saying
goes, "the pheasant in the burning field, the crane in the 1. About the title:
night..." (Every mother's heart yearns for her child): so the
love of the crane for its young is felt to be deep. This piece Please consult the section on Shirabe-Choshi in "Commonly
uses that idea as subject matter, to teach about the proper Used Titles."
love of human parents and children. From the viewpoint of
the Fuke Sect, this reflects the great merciful spirit of Buddha It is possible to view this particular Shirabe of Nezasa-ha as
so that a Buddhist meaning is joined to this piece. Thus, having once been an independent piece, but of course its use
even though this is not an obviously religious piece, it is a as an introduction or prelude is its more important feature.
piece for spiritual cultivation. That is to say, in Nezasa-ha it was attached to the perfor
A special characteristic common to all types of Tsuru-no- mance of each piece, and became fixed as an introductory
Sugomori pieces is that at points throughout the piece, musi section for the "cleaning of the heart and the repose of the
cal patterns that repeat and join the same note in a finely soul." However, the single piece Matsukaze is an exception:
carved way appear repeatedly to form various melodies. That since it already has a shirabe-style opening, this piece Shirabe
is, when repeating the same note on the shakuhachi, a closed is not used with it.
hole is opened and closed rapidly, or oppositely, an open hole
is tapped closed then opened to create breaks in the sound. 2. Structure of the piece
Or in other words, other notes are instantaneously mixed in to
create breaks in the tone. If the inserted tones are em It begins in the lower range, proceeds to the upper, and
phasized a kind of trill results. The pitch or quality of the returns again to end in the lower range. This construction is
inserted tone varies with the hole being used, so that various shaped like a gently rounded mountain. From the point of
different "tastes" can be produced corresponding to the oc view of dan ("steps"), we can divide it into three sections: 1.
casion. Among them is the characteristic technique called a five-breath jo, 2. a high four-breath section and 3. a four-
koro-koro which produces a sound like rolling (korogasu) a breath closing section.
ball. There are many uses for this^technique, but its most
13
12
Besides the Nezasa-ha piece, there are also pieces with the
Although it is short, it has all the basic elements of composi same name such as Kinko-ryu Sagariha and Kyoto Myoan-ji
tion and thus can be played either as an introduction or as an Sagariha (with some variations in the Chinese characters), but
independent work. The komibuki of the initial ro-tone is said these are all different compositions.
to represent the wrath of heaven and earth and thus should
be played with some strength and fierceness. According to the traditions of Nezasa-ha, a famous member
of that school received enlightenment while listening to the
3. Special features of the piece: wind blowing through bamboo brush or the sound of waves,
so the piece was also called Sagarinami ("Falling Waves").
Pieces called Shirabe or Choshi all display the artistic styles of
their schools. This piece clearly shows the artistic style of 2. Structure of the piece
Nezasa-ha: a feeling of deep sorrow and desolation set within
a rather vigorous framework. The piece has a two-section structure [A - A - Tsuyuharai].
From the start, there begins immediately a melody similar to
There is a theory that this is a composition by Ban Yasuyuki the takane section of other pieces; this high-pitched melody
(1798-1875), but just as we can suppose that there is a Gen- lasts for ten breaths. The exact same melody is repeated again
Rokudan ("original Rokudan") behind the koto piece Rokud- and then the piece ends with a three-breath tsuyuharai. (In
an-no-Shirabe, we are free also to assume that there was also shakuhachi honkyoku it is a principle that one phrase is
another original piece behind Shirabe. played in one breath. Even if one has to take a breath in the
middle, one should play with the sensation of one breath.) A
This is the first short, basic piece studied in Nezasa-ha, but it tsuyuharai ("brushing away the dew") is a two or three-breath
is not so easy to master completely: this is rather like the short closing melody.
situation with Rokudan-no-Shirabe where even the most famo
us players find it hard to perform the piece to their own com 3. Special features of the piece:
plete satisfaction.
When it is played connected with Shirabe, there is a feeling
that, rather than Shirabe being a separately composed
2. Nezasa-ha: SAGARIHA ("Falling Leaves") introductory piece, Shirabe-Sagariha was constructed as a
single piece. That is, Shirabe fills the same role as the honte
1-shaku 8-sun in other pieces so that we can recognize a structure of
3 min. 52 sec. [Shirabe (honte)- Takane - Takane gaeshi - Tsuyuharai]. Thus
from former times Shirabe and Sagariha were linked together
1. About the title: not from simple routine practice but rather because together
they had an extremely natural feeling of structural unity.
W 14 15
Nezasa-ha pieces, we will point out the sections of the first
If one can handle the playing of Shirabe and Sagariha, then dan using the terms shirabe-honte or simply honte
one has mastered the basics of the artistic style of Nezasa-ha, corresponding to the actual musical forms. The distinction
and one can comfortably proceed to the other Nezasa-ha between shirabe and honte can be generally understood as
pieces. follows. The shirabe is played in the lower range, in a quiet,
relaxed tempo: it is an introductory section which barely rises
above the first octave. In contrast, the honte generally begins
3. Nezasa-ha: SANYA SEIRAN already centered on the second octave, and its melodies
develop from that point. If we consider the following takane
2-shaku 1-sun to be the second developmental section, then the honte can
8 min. 39 sec. be called the first developmental section.
1. About the title: Now let us consider the structure of San'ya Seiran in more
detail:
For the San'ya part of the title consult the section on San'ya
in "Commonly Used Titles." Shirabe-Honte It begins with a low, weighty melody, having
the feeling of a daijo ("Prologue"). After a five-breath intro
Seiran was originally one kind of performing technique used duction, there begins a melody overflowing with a feeling of
on string instruments such as the wagon. The Chinese desolation, and filled with the subtle profundity unique to this
characters for Seiran were generally read sugagaki and were piece. This melody is played first in RO and then repeated in
written in a variety of forms. In the case of this piece they KO.
are pronounced in the Sino-Japanese style as Seiran.
Takane First, repeated twice, comes a classical Nezasa-ha
2. Structure of the piece takane melody centering on the hi-tone and variants of the
hatone. It is a beautiful melody filled with loneliness. Next, a
There is a three-part structure of [First dan (Shirabe - Honte) somewhat altered takane melody is repeated with the principal
- Second dan (Takane) - Third dan (Musubi)]. melody of the shirabe-Honte inserted in the middle.
In Nezasa-ha there is no tradition of using the terms shirabe, Musubi A finale section which closes the piece again in a
honte etc. in naming the parts which form the first dan. quiet, lonely mood, after freely expressing a modulating and
However, in considering the musical content of the first dan, enhanced emotional intensity.
there are some cases where we can observe sections which
contain elements of both shirabe and honte, as well as cases 3. Special features of the piece:
where only a honte is present. Therefore, in this and other
%
.*. 16 17
about the way to attain Buddhahood.
Among Nezasa-ha pieces this is certainly the most desolate
and yet dignified. The manner of playing has a feeling of com
(b) About Kadozuke:
plete composure, in the midst of great tranquility.
Among the numerous pieces called San'ya, the "three superior While engaged in religious begging, priests were sometimes
pieces" are felt to be this work, Futai-ken San'ya and Echigo asked by people in Buddhist households to perform a
memorial piece. The priest would stand three shaku away
San'ya.
from the entrance gate (kado) and perform this piece. It was
Even though this piece has virtually the same melodic known as Enmei ("longevity") Kannon no Kyoku, and its
framework as Taizan-ryu San'ya-kyoku, its performance style meaning was based on a Chinese religious text ( not
is strictly that of Nezasa-ha so that it is quite different from translated here ) praising Kanzeon ( or Kannon ), the
Buddhist goddess of mercy.
any other piece entitled San'ya.
(c) About Hachigaeshi:
4. Nezasa-ha: TORI - KADOZUKE - HACHIGAESHI
When a priest received alms such as rice, he would hand the
bowl back and then play this piece as a parting thanks. It was
2-shaku 3-sun
referred to as Kudoku ("virtue") J6d6 no Kyoku, and its sense
11 min. 42 sec.
is derived from a Chinese text ( not translated here )
describing Buddhist virtues. As a rule komuso priests did not
1. About the title:
bow when they received alms, but rather played this piece as
a substitute salutation.
These three pieces exist as independent compositions, but in
actual practice they are played linked together. Moreover,
2. Structure of the piece
because they are pieces that have an intimate relationship to
one another, all being compositions for the religious soliciting From the viewpoint of melody or technique as well as tonal
of food and alms, we will treat them as one group.
range, the three pieces Tori, Kadozuke and Hachigaeshi can
be considered to form one structural unit together. Originally,
(a) About Tori:
they may have had stronger individuality in order to
accomplish their separate purposes, but in the form in which
It is written with various Chinese characters with the sense of
they are passed down at present, they offer a structure in
"passing along or through." It was performed by komus6
which three pieces have been refined together to form one
priests as they wandered about, and was referred to as Fuke
piece. In other words, their overall feeling as individual pieces
Jobutsu ("becoming a Buddha") no Kyoku. The significance of
is rather lacking: Tori and particularly Kadozuke are so short
the piece is found in a Chinese text (not translated here)
«
» 19
18
that they only feel like sections of a longer piece. Moreover the title refers to the practice of priests wandering about
both Tori and Kadozuke end with exactly the same final three (nagashi) and playing the flute while soliciting their daily rice.
breaths, which lack the melodic form usually accompanying a
final mood, but*which obviously do prepare for the following 2. Structure of the piece
development. v
The piece is in three sections [Honte - Takane - Musubi].
Accepting the premise that these three pieces form one unit, The honte begins from the KO-no-ro tone; after working
and since the melody of Hachigaeshi is almost entirely through a rather long and melancholy melody, it enters the
repeated, we can envision a four-part structure of [A (Tori) takane. The takane begins with a melody using all forms of
- B (Kadozuke) - C (first half of Hachigaeshi) - C (second the ha-tone which alter melismatically in subtle tonal degrees
half of Hachigaeshi) - Tsuyuharai]. In comparison with other smaller than quarter tones. This is a classical takane melody
pieces we could restate this structure as [ Honte (A) - Takane typical of Nezasa-ha honkyoku, but even among these it is
(B) - Hachigaeshi (CC) - Tsuyuharai]. especially beautiful and full of pathos. From this highest
section which lasts seven breaths, the melody descends
3. Special features of the piece: abruptly and arrives at the musubi. The designation musubi
does not occur in traditional notated scores, but "finale" seems
Since these pieces were designed for outdoor performance appropriate since a clearly different mood exists.
while collecting alms, all three of them move within the upper
range and are quite free in feeling. As regards the length of 3. Special features of the piece:
the piece, it is the largest piece in Nezasa-ha after Koku. To
keep this piece flowing and from feeling tedious a great Considering the special qualities of each Nezasa-ha piece, we
reserve of strength is required of the performer. could call Matsukaze a piece with great "decorum" and
San'ya-Seiran a piece full of loneliness. Tori-Kadozuke-
Hachigaeshi could be called a "sonorous" piece whereas this
5. Nezasa-ha: NAGASHI-REIBO Nagashi-Reibo we could truly call the most smoothly and
beautifully flowing piece. Among the numerous pieces named
2-shaku 3-sun Reibo, it is one of the decidedly superior versions along with
11 min. 29 sec. Futai-ken Reibo and Shogan-ken Reibo.
1. About the title:

6. Nezasa-ha: MATSUKAZE
Reibo, along with San'ya, is a title found widely in each school
of shakuhachi playing. Concerning this title please consult the 2-shaku 3-sun
section on Reibo in "Commonly Used Titles." The Nagashi in 6 min. 59 sec.
20 21
Later, in the year 22 Meiji (1890). Nyui spent three years
1. About the title:
compiling ten Nezasa-ha honkyoku based on the oral
teachings of Ban Yasuyuki and the composition method
There is an interesting story told about the famous Nezasa-ha
passed down by Sagawa Tokugyo of Edo. Combining the
composition Matsukaze:
character kaze/FU of Matsukaze and the character nishiki/KIN
It was a late moonlit night in mid-autumn, the fifteenth day of
from nishiki-nofukuro ("brocade bag") he created the name
the eighth lunar month in the first year of Genji (1864), at Kinpu-ryu. This is why the Nezasa-ha is known as Kinpu-ryu
in the Tsugaru area.
the end of the Edo period. At the rear of the Murasaki-
Shinden ("Purple Hall") of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, the
resonant tone of a shakuhachi drifted from the official re
sidence of Chief Advisor and Imperial Minister Konoe
It is structured [Shirabe - Honte - Musubi].
Tadahiro within the Imadegawa Gate. It could be heard as far
away as the Higashiyama area, and the story has it that this
3. Special features of the piece:
music soothed the troubled hearts of the people caught up in
the Meiji Restoration. The shakuhachi player was Nyui The unique shirabe of Matsukaze is about two-thirds as long
Kencho, a master of Nezasa-ha who had been dispatched by
as the separate piece Shirabe, and although there are
the Tsugaru clan to serve in Konoe's Imperial Guard. The differences in octaves, they both begin from the same note
piece was Matsukaze. When the Chief Advisor was done KO-no-ro and have many melodies in common, as well as
listening, he was deeply moved and after closing his eyes and having a similar overall flow. However, distinct from the piece
meditating a while he composed a poem: Shirabe which has a feeling of having been assembled as a
whole piece, this shirabe has the inescapable feeling of an
"Nyui Kencho's shakuhachi shirabe was most interesting, while introduction both, in its overall pitch range and its
the moon shone clearly
moderation.
The take-no-shirabe resonates...
Lucid moonbeams
Among Nezasa-ha pieces, this composition is almost as short
Fill the deepest night...'" as Shirabe and Sagariha, but with its decorous structural sense
it is an extremely refined and justly famous work.
On considering this incident, Tadahiro then proposed the new
artistic name Getsuei ("moonbeams") for Nyui. The Minister
also received the famous flute used in this performance, and
7. Nezasa-ha: SHISHI
had it returned afterwards enclosed in a bag of Yamato
brocade.
2-shaku 3-sun
8 min. 46 sec.
22
.*. 23
This is quite natural considering its origins as a shishi (lion)
1. About the title: composition.
This piece is also known as Monju-kyoku which derives from

the portrayal of Monju-bosatsu, the Buddha of wisdom, as 8. Nezasa-ha: SHIRABE - KOKU
riding on a lion (shishi). From olden times it has been used
as a celebratory piece. 2-shaku 3-sun flute
14 min. 13 sec.
If we were to divide classical shakuhachi honkyoku into two
groups, honte and hade, we could say that the piece Shishi 1. About the title:
more likely belongs to the hade group. It is a piece for itin
erate priests, and was played when they went begging for This piece is recorded with the piece Shirabe attached as a
food. Although it is thought to have some connection to lion prelude (zenso) in accordance with Nezasa-ha tradition.
dances (shishi-mai), this piece has been quite refined in the
style of Nezasa-ha honkyoku and bears absolutely no traces of Please consult the sections "Commonly Used Titles" and
such folk art. Nezasa-ha: Shirabe regarding Shirabe, and the sections
"Commonly Used Titles" and "The Three Traditional Pieces"
Among shakuhachi honkyoku there are also such pieces as regarding Koku.
Kumoijishi, Meguro-jishi, Sakae-jishi etc. but these are quite
unrelated works. 2. Structure of the piece
2. Structure of the piece It is divided broadly into two sections: a zendan ("before" dan)
and kodan ("after" dan). It is one of the longest pieces in
It is constructed in three sections [honte _ takane _ musubi]. Nezasa-ha , and as it is so long one would naturally expect it
In the takane section the traditional style would call for an to have the general Nezasa-ha structure of [(Shirabe - Honte)
exact repetition of the melody, but in this performance the - (Takane) (Hachigaeshi). - (Musubi)]. However the piece
repeat has been omitted. gives a somewhat exceptional impression since it has the
binary structure of [Honte (Zendan) - Takane (Kodan)].
Moreover, the whole piece has a rather back-and-forth,
There are several places where the tsu-no-meri tone (a half swaying tone (especially in the zendan), and there is very little
tone above the actual flute tone) is played higher than in of the jo-ha-kyu development generally found in the honkyoku
other Nezasa-ha pieces.-Overall the piece has a bright, free- of Tohoku lineage which includes Nezasa-ha.
flowing feeling, and its mood is never profound or emotional.
24 25
recording we find a solo performance.)
The ura-joshi of the three pieces included on this recording
In terms of melody, two particular melodic patterns occur (Shirabe, Sagariha and Matsukaze) is in each case Akebono-
repeatedly. One is the pattern utilizing "koro-koro"; the other joshi. Instead of the 1.8 flute o: hon-joshi a 1.3 flute is used;
consists of lowering the jaw from the position of o-kari to o- likewise a 1.5 flute replaces a 2-shaku flute. That is to say,
meri linking the two in a curving melody. This melodic pattern the flute used is a full four steps higher than in honjoshi.
is unique to this piece, even in Nezasa-ha. It is repeated four
times in RO in the Honte, three times in KO and two times The skeleton of the melody is identical with hon-joshi but
in RO in the Takane giving a strong individuality to this piece. there is more detailed fingering to the articulation (kizami) of
the tones than in hon-joshi, so that compared with the latter
The sentiment in the piece is one of mystery and meditation. ura-joshi is more rhythmical and unconstrained and hence
In Nezasa-ha it is the last piece learned in the "oku-no-kyoku". more emotional.
When ura-joshi is played in ensemble with hon-joshi, the

9. Nezasa-ha: SfflRABE-SAGARMA (Urajoshi) custom is for the senior or more skilled musician to play ura-
joshi. This entwining of the two choshi gives an even richer
2-shaku 1-sun texture to the piece.
4 min. 12 sec.
When ura-joshi is played alone it differs from hon-joshi in its
1. About the title: more sorrowfully subtle quality. On this recording Shirabe is
followed by Sagariha in close succession.
The same as Nezasa-ha: Shirabe and Nezasa-ha: Sagariha.
2. Structure of the piece 10. Nezasa-ha: MATSUKAZE (Urajoshi)

The same as Nezasa-ha: Shirabe and Nezasa-ha: Sagariha. 2-shaku
5 min. 36 sec.
1. About the title:
Within the ten pieces of the Nezasa-ha there were originally
four tunings (choshi) apart from hon-joshi. These are The same as Nezasa-ha Matsukaze.
Akebono (dawn), Kumoi (sky). Yugure (twilight) and
Taikyoku (?). Collectively they are referred to as ura-joshi 2. Structure of the piece
and are played in ensemble with hon-joshi. (However on this
27
26
that of Shirabe.
The same as Nezasa-ha Matsukaze.
The composer has said that it was written as a basic
Please refer to the section on Nezasa-ha Shirabe / Sagariha instructional piece for shakuhachi, and that as in the iroha
(Urajoshi).
(syllabary) Poem of Kobo Daishi all the basic sounds are
utilized and their arrangement is endowed with symbolic
meaning. For more specifics please consult "The Musical
11. Jin Nyodo Shokyoku: DAIWAGAKU Lineage of Jin Nyodo," but as a rough guide the piece
compares and contrasts the transitions found in human life,
time and the seasons.
1-shaku 8-sun flute
3 min. 3 sec.
Throughout this piece, the technique called kyosui is used.
1. About the title:
Kyosui is a playing method without yuri or komi where the
breath is blown in calmly and evenly and allowed to fade
Jin Nyodo composed this piece in 1941 (16 Showa). The term away naturally. The playing techniques of each school of
shokyoku was coined especially by Jin Nyodo and is based on honkyoku can be summarized under the five types: kyosui,
the concept that" good music can not be created through the kusabibuki, yuribuki. sasabuki and komibuki. Because of its
intentions of a single individual. Rather the creative process natural quality, kyosui is the first step to proper playing, but
of the universe manifests itself momentarily in one human in fact it is a quite difficult technique to master. In this sense
being so that the piece is not composed (sakkyoku) but is kyosui can be seen as both a basis of shakuhachi as well as its
born (shokyoku)-
highest attainment. The fact that this basic instructional piece
is permeated with kyosui, demonstrates the great importance
The title derives from the ancient teaching " good manners that Jin Nyodo's thought placed on this particular technique.
are the beginning of heaven; music (gaku) is the harmony
(wa) of heaven." For further discussion of the piece see the
separate article "The Musical Lineage of Jin Nyodo." 12. Ikkan-ryu: ROKUDAN
1-shaku 7-sun flute

8 min. 33 sec.
The piece shifts gradually from the lower register to the
upper, then returns to the lower and concludes. This structure 1. About the title:
is like a gently rounded mountain, and is similar in format to
29
28
This piece is known either as Ikkan-ryu Rokudan or Nagashi the extent that the feeling of the piece is quite different from
Rokudan. The melody of the piece Rokudan was adapted for the original.
komus6 shakuhachi and in the process altered to the free
rhythmic structure of shakuhachi honkyoku. The form handed Because it is played as komibuki in the particular style of the
down by Jin Nyodo is that of the Nezasa-ha and is played as Nezasa-ha, it has an unconstrained feeling quite similar to the
komibuki.
urajoshi of Shirabe, Sagariha and Matsukaze.
The following is a traditional story about this piece: The Even though the Jin family actually possesses an old notation
seventeenth abbot of Rantei-in in Hirosaki, Tessan Yoshiki book (date unclear) giving four dan for this piece, Jin Nyodo
(died 14 Tempo, 1843) inherited this piece as the disciple of played three dan exclusively throughout his life; so this
Miyaji Ikkan. However, he would not teach the piece to recording only goes through the third dan. We do not clearly
anyone or play it in another person's presence. Ban Yasuyuki understand why he did not play the fourth dan, but we can
asked to be taught the piece but was not granted his request. surmise that the interest of the piece diminishes sharply after
So over and over again, late at night, he would sneak into the the third dan.
temple cemetery and listen in secret to the abbot's playing. In
three years time he was able to grasp the first four dan (some
say three), but his memorization was cut short by the abbot's 13. Echigo-Myoanji: SAN'YA
death.
2-shaku 1-sun
Although this is an Ikkan-ryu piece, there does not seem to 10 min. 22 sec.
be any direct transmission of this work in the Kanto area.
1. About the title:
Please consult the section on "Commonly Used Titles." This
Even though it is called Rokudan (six steps) there are in fact piece is called Echigo-San'ya because it was passed down
only three dan.
through the Myoan Temple in Echigo (Present-day Niigata
Prefecture).
Myoanji in Echigo was constructed in the Tokugawa Period
Although it generally follows the exact melody of the koto by the lord of Echigo-Muramatsu in the castle town of that
piece Rokudan, ornamental tone patterns typical of name. Later it was relocated to Shimoda, south of the city of
shakuhachi honkyoku are added throughout. Tetrachords of Sanjo. This temple held to the principle of ichi-ji: ichi-ritsu
the melody (y6'onkai) are mixed in and phrasing and rhythm (one temple: one melody = only one piece should be passed
are freely altered in the manner of shakuhachi honkyoku to down as the legacy of each temple), so that this piece was the
31
% 30
only one played; however, Reibo was also taught as a Hachigaeshi At this point the mood shifts and from the
junkyoku ("associated piece"). summit of sorrow there begins a melody which includes a feel
ing of resignation. After the large "mountain" of the takane,
Jin Nyodo inherited this piece from Saikawa Baio. this is a smaller rise in a lower register.
2. Structure of the piece Musubi Again the piece returns to the lower range.
However, the overall tone is a little higher than that of the
It is constructed in the manner of Tohoku-style honkyoku: takeshirabe, so that we feel a little "afterglow" from the mood
[Takeshirabe - Honte - Takane - Hachigaeshi - Musubi]. It of the takane and hachigaeshi. At the same time the
has a clearly defined jo-ha-kyu structure, and the whole piece characteristic technique of yuri-buki found in the takeshirabe
has a flowing rhythmical sense. reappears, so that as we feel a return toward the opening
section, the piece ends in a mood of mysterious darkness,
Takeshirabe This is a fairly long introductory section in the
RO-range (first octave). The highly dynamic yuri-buki used in 3. Special features of the piece:
the opening melody increases the strong emotional and
rhythmic impression of this piece. The entire takeshirabe is Among the numerous San'ya pieces, this one is quite
played with this meandering, winding yuri-buki. In particular prominent. Musically, its structure and development are
there are nine spots where emphatic yuri-buki is utilized, and remarkable, as is its smoothly flowing rhythmical progression
three places where strong nayashi is employed (nayashi = a in the midst of extreme emotionalism.
technique where shaking the head accents certain tones). The
melodic forms linked to these techniques add greatly to the
emotional impression of this piece, 14. Jin Nyodo Shokyoku: MUJUSHIN-KYOKU
Honte A high-pitched section in the KO-range (second 2-shaku 3-sun

octave). Two melodic patterns are played, each filled with 8 min. 30 sec,
the infinite sadness characteristic of this piece.
1. About the Title:
Takane It begins with a takane melody typical of Tohoku-
style honkyoku' (i.e. a melody centering on the KO-no-hi and This composition was born at the time of Jin Nyodo's trip to
ha tones), and continues the characteristic melodic pattern mainland China in 12 Showa (1937). Jin Nyodo himself did
already mentioned in the honte, a pattern which conveys an not regard this as a "composition," but rather called it a
acute sense of yearning. This melody is gradually modified and shokyoku ("born piece") - a sort of transcription of a work
repeated three times. that emerged naturally by itself. The title derives from a
passage in the Diamond Sutra: "Just at the point when one
32 33
has no place to dwell (muju), such a spirit (shin) is born." Takane.... It begins in a strong Ko-no-re tone, proceeds to a
beautiful melody focusing on the hi and ha tones then moves
For more details regarding the development of this piece
again to the upper range. A soft re-tone in Dai-ko (third
please see the article "Jin Nyodo's Musical Lineage - From octave) leads to the most emotional point. Just then, like a
his own Writings'* which contains a section on "Sakkyoku
flow bursting through a dam, a melody occurs filled with an
(composition) and Shokyoku." infinite sense of sorrow and desolation. This takane then
reoccurs once as a kaeshi (return) with some alteration in
2. Structure of the piece:
expression by means of tamane.
It has the balanced kisho-denketsu structure (a four-part
structure characteristic of classical Chinese verse): [Ki Musubi.... One of the melodies from the honte is repeated in
the middle of the Ro-range (first octave), and the piece ends
(shirabe) - Sh6 (honte) -Ten (takane) - Ketsu]. This is a tranquilly.
structure that pervades honkyoku of the Tohoku style.
Shirabe.... It starts quietly with kyosui playing in a low tone.
In the second melody the playing technique called tsuzumi-
The composition could be said to arise from elements that Jin
buki which is unique to this piece is utilized. In this method
nyodo received from classical honkyoku and let crystalize.
of playing, the melody is blown forcefully; then in the middle Uramoto Setcho evaluates it as "the work of Jin Nyodo's
of the phrase the tone is weakened as if (echoing) in the
lifetime." This may remind us of the Fuke Sect saying: "One
interior of a tsuzumi (drum). Then again the breath is blown
temple = one melody." In each of the Fuke temples, there
more strongly. This was a new technique introduced by Jin was a tradition that in each temple only one piece was
Nyodo and is used frequently throughout this piece with the handed down as its seikyoku (true piece). Probably it was felt
result that it lends a uniquely strong dynamic effect to the that in the case of outstanding classical honkyoku, one piece
flow of the composition. was capable of containing infinitely deep emotion. A
composition that could contain such varied mental states was
Next, the melody climbs to the middle range with gentle yuri- called ichiritsu (one melody). This piece could be called Jin
buki. It ends quietly after descending again to the lower Nyodo's one melody.
range.
Honte.... This section begins with resonant blowing in the Ko-

15. Renbo-ken / Kisen-ken: HIKYOKU (Sacred Piece)
no-re tone. The melody which follows is characteristic of this
TSURU-NO-SUGOMORI (The Nesting Crane)
piece in its gentle flow and abundant emotional quality. After
this melody is repeated, there is a section forcefully played in 2-shaku 1-sun
the mid-range and rich in modulation.
16 min. 40 sec.
-•*,
35
34
patterns A and B.
1. About the title:
TSURU-NO-SUGOMORI: Structural Patterns
For general information about Tsuru-no-Sugomori consult first
the section on it in "Commonly Used Titles." Pattern A:
In the case of this piece we may wonder whether it has been Shirabe Prelude/the cranes arrive flying
passed down with the special designation hikyoku mostly San'ya Searching for a place to build a nest
because of its extreme difficulty and great length and scale. Takane (1) Rejoicing on finding a place to build
Because it was played and taught by the renowned Jinbo a nest/Building the nest
Masanosuke in the period from the end of the Shogunate into Takane (2) Hatching the egg
the Meiji era, it is also called Jinbo Sugomori. Honte Love of parent and child
Departure of the child
Jin Nyodo studied this piece with Jinbo Masanosuke's disciple Hachigaeshi Gratitude to heaven on fulfilment
Hikichi Kozan and several others, and passed it on in the of their duty
tradition of Renbo-ken and Kisen-ken (ken = religious
house). It is an unusual example of one piece bearing the
O-musubi The parents' life draws to a close in
peace and satisfaction.
I
tiJ;
names of two temples as its lineage, but as regards this point
no reliable material has appeared as of now apart from Jin
Nyodo's oral teaching. We know that Jinbo did play and Pattern B:
•teach this piece and that for a period of time he was active at
Renbo-ken in Fukushima. But for more research concerning Shirabe Opening dan: possibly the orginal San'ya
Hikyoku - Tsuru-no-Sugomori or its original form, as well as Honte •4'
its connection with two Fuke temples, we will still have to

wait a while. So for the moment we should accept Jin
Takane I
Hachigaeshi
Nyodo's explanation as is. Honte Closing dan: possibly the original Tsuru-no-Sugomori
Hachigaeshi I
In addition please consult the article "Different Pieces with Musubi
IS
the Same Name. Identical Pieces with Different Names."
2. Structure of the piece: Pattern A shows the traditional structural analysis and the
corresponding story of the life of the crane. This is according
This piece has a large-scale, rather complicated structure. to the teaching of Jin Nyodo.
First please consult the diagram whic^h shows two structural I
36 37 I
In contrast, pattern B is based on the theory of Tsukitani thought that Jinbo had some connection to the temple of
Tsuneko and analyzes the structure of the piece from a fresh Echigo Myoan-ji).
viewpoint. According to Tsukitani's theory Jinbo Masanosuke
probably blended^ together two originally separate pieces, After this san'ya-like melody is repeated once, a rather
Tsuru-no-Sugomori and San'ya, to form this piece. For details emotional melodic passage follows and as a musubi
regarding this please consult the article mentioned above. (conclusion) the same melody as in the crane's arrival section
is played an octave higher in the KO range.
The explanation below is based on the structural analysis of
A: Takane (l)....This section is described as"the crane rejoicing
on having decided where to build its nest." It begins in the
Shirabe....A low-pitched prelude filled with vague emotion as Ro-no-ro tone and soars in one breath to the ha (245) tone
if it flowed from a mist-enveloped valley. It is extremely two octaves and a half-tone above with delicate fingerwork.
individualistic without any comparable example in other This kind of individualistic melody which yields such brilliant
honkyoku. The initial melody begins with the weakest of effects is not to be found in other works. This high-pitched
sounds and then gradually increases in volume in a gentle and melody focusing on the enunciation of the ha (245) tone is
finely articulated manner, until an especially intense mood is played twice; then the melody flows swiftly downward in a
produced. This finely articulated technique is used repeatedly rapid rhythm to link with another melody that is filled with
in various forms to give rise to the unique mood of this piece. the emotion of the San'ya. After this latter melody is
The koro-koro and related techniques used in each section of repeated, the tonal range descends and the feeling becomes
Tsuru-no-Sugomori have an imitative effect which reminds one more tranquil.
of the cry of the crane.
This ends the "building the nest" section. The piece proceeds
Then follows a mid-range melody taken to be the arrival of with a gentle, mid-range melody.
the flying crane. It is a passage which makes the listener
think of a crane gently circling in the open sky. Takane (2)...."The hatching of the egg" is the idea associated
with this section. Again we find a powerful, high-pitched
San'ya....This is taken to be the section where the crane melody: a hachigaeshi-type melody with u (3) as its strongest
searches for a place to build its nest. In the middle of the and highest tone. Following the opening half which has a
opening melody, the music rises from the RO to the KO feeling of powerful speed and which makes great use of
range; and then appears a melody which resembles the dexterous fingering, the second half presents a melody which
characteristic melody of Echigo San'ya. (Analysis B is a is filled with gentle emotion in the mid-range expressing the
particularly interesting hypothesis when we consider the three rejoicing of the crane at the safe birth of its young.
facts that: 1. traditionally this section is called San'ya, 2. a
distinctive melody resembling San'ya is used and 3. it is Honte....The first part represents the "love of parent and
38 39
child." It depicts the voices of the cranes, parent and chick dan conclusion. With the lingering feeling of the blended
blending together: voices filled with tender affection. voices of the cranes, the melody form the earlier section,
"rejoicing on finding a place to build a nest," is repeated in a
For this blending of parent's and child's voices, a famous shortened form and the mood gradually becomes more
technique unique to this piece called taba-ne is used. It tranquil.
resembles tama-ne except that it revolves around a distinctly
more gentle sound.
This "departure of the child" depicts the young crane leaving
the nest and setting out on its own, bidding farewell to its
The melody for the parent cranes and the melody for their parents.
young are repeated alternately several times in the manner of
gently blending voices. Gradually the intervals become closer Hachigaeshi....This section is said to depict a mood of
and finally the music depicts the unison voices of parent and gratitude to heaven: the gratitude of the parent cranes for
child. The melody in the Ro-range which sounds as horo - having safely fulfilled their duty in raising their young.
hord - hor6, gradually shifts to koro - koro - koro in the Ko-
range. Then it rises to a high pitch and abruptly shifting the The overall mood of the piece is sustained by the use at many
music moves to the "child's departure" section. points of delicate fingering and gently meandering melodic
patterns, classical hachigaeshi melodic patterns common to
The last half of the Honte depicts the "child's departure," i.e., honkyoku of the Tohoku tradition.
leaving the nest. This section also begins with a melody for
the blended voices of the adult and young cranes. However, 0-musubi....This closing section uses low, weak tones to give
whereas in the section for "love of parent and child" the a darker tone to the mood and sentiment of the piece,
melody possessed a gentle feeling in the mid-range as if emphasized by a gently meandering melody in the mid-range ft
hi
depicting a quiet and intimate conversation, the melody in this and careful fingering. At the end, the music rises an octave
part is extremely powerful and in the upper range. from the o-meri of Ro-no-ro (lowest tone) to Ko-no-ro, then it
descends one note to ri where the piece concludes with a
The parents' melody comes first: the fingering moves in a distant, remote feeling, the effect of this closing melody
rapid glissando up from ro to hi - ro-tsu-re-chi-hi. (The way closely resembles that of Kyorei.
of playing hi with the first finger is called, imitating the sound,
kara-kara.) Next, the young cranes' melody imitates the 3. Special features of the piece:
previous melody but stops one note lower: ro-tsu-re-chi. This piece not only makes free use of almost all the
As was the case with the two melodies in the "love of parent
techniques used in shakuhachi honkyoku, but also utilizes
and child" section, the two melodies here are repeated unique techniques found only in this work. Its numerous,
beautiful and individualistic melodies, and its structure which
alternately, then merge into one to produce the feeling of a
% 41
40
displays praiseworthy development on a large scale, both honte. The ki opens with a short, low prelude of three kyosui
make this famous piece deserving of being called the pinnacle breaths, then proceeds to low and gentle soko-yuri playing
of the musical world of classical shakuhachi honkyoku. (see Special features of the piece) which seems to flow from
the depths of the earth, all the while conveying a deep feeling
of loneliness as it climbs somberly toward the middle range.
16. Futai-ken: SAN'YA The sho serves as a developmental section for the ki which
has risen to the KO-range: in it the sense of sorrow grows
more intense.
2-shaku 1-sun
9 min. 57 sec.
Takane This section can be broken down into three parts:
1. About the title: [Takane - Takanegaeshi - Ten]. It begins with the takane
melodic pattern common to all Tohoku style pieces which
Please consult the section on San'ya in "Commonly Used basically centers on the Ko-no-hi and ha tones. In each
Titles" and then the separate article "Different Pieces with the melody the breaths are extremely long and there is a
Same Title; Identical Pieces with Different Titles." composed dignity. In the kaeshi ("return") the takane melody
is repeated almost exactly but slightly shortened, only the last
Futai-ken was a komusd temple in the town of Masuda on three breaths serve as a linking melody to the ten. The ten is
the outskirts of Sendai. According to the principle of "one a short modulating (tencho) section with a koro-koro melody
temple: one melody," only Reibo was passed on as its repeated three times.
seikyoku ("true piece"), but in addition this San'ya and Tsuru-
no-Sugomori were also handed down as junkyoku ("associated Musubi A short musubi of five breaths eases the weight of
pieces"?). Jun Nyodo received this piece from Konashi the piece and ends it tranquilly.
Kinsui.
The unique playing technique called soko-yuri is used through
Broadly speaking it is constructed in three sections: out the piece. This relies on spreading and narrowing the
[Takeshirabe - Takane - Musubi], but it can be further aperture of the lips and is one type of yuri, although it is
different from the kind of yuri where the head shakes. When
analyzed as follows.
the lips are narrowed the sound lowers somewhat, and
Takeshirabe The long takeshirabe can be divided into two because of this wave of rising and falling pitch it yields a
parts, a ki ("opening") in the RO-range (first octave) and a special tonal feeling which swells up from the bottom (soko)
sho ("succession"?) in the KO-range (second octave). It could of the earth. This soko-yuri technique is employed only in the
be considered to have elements of both a shirabe and a
pieces of Futai-ken and Shogan-ken.
43
•W: 42
Takeshirabe The mood of the piece shares much in common
This one piece can perhaps be called the highest summit with the San'ya of :he same Futai-ken tradition in that it is
among San'ya compositions, and we can feel a deep religiosity played as if gushing forth from the depths of the earth, out of
in the sorrow and desolation expressed in it. a profound stillness. In particular the three breaths of the
initial maebuki and the melodic shape of the following two
breaths are the same in both pieces. The takeshirabe of this
17. Futai-ken: REIBO
piece and the ki section which forms: the first half of the
takeshirabe of San'ya, as well as the general flow of the
2-shaku 3-sun
pieces are also quite similar, but this piece has a more
12 min. 14 sec.
profound sentiment. Moreover, whereas the takeshirabe of
San'ya combines elements of both shirabe and honte, in this
1. About the title:
piece there is a separate honte, and the takeshirabe functions
as a complete shirabe section.
First, please consult the section on Reibo in "Commonly Used Honte At first the KO-no-ro tone is played quite strongly.
Titles." Then, please see the separate article "Different Pieces Continuing the profound mood of the piece already
with the Same Title; Identical Pieces with Different Titles."
demonstrated in the takeshirabe, the composure and dignity
This piece is a seikyoku ("true piece") which is the one Futai- of the entire piece then make another strong impression in
ken melody according to the principle of "one temple: one the first melody of this honte. It is the first developmental
melody." It is famous and representative of Reibo section and proceeds from the shirabe to develop in two dan.
compositions to the extent that if someone refers to Reibo A characteristic melody of this piece appears in the second
dan where the KO-no-hi tone is again played strongly to form
one is likely to think of this piece.
a truly sad and lonely melody.
Jin Nyodo received and passed on this piece from Konashi Beginning with this honte, the technique called shiori is used.
Kinsui -who is said to have surpassed all others at playing
In this technique, the chin is pulled back in the middle of a
Reibo. prolonged note so that the tone is slightly lowered; then, it
returns to the higher tone. This is not used in San'ya. This
2. Structure of the piece shiori and the technique of yoko-yuri are coupled together to
It is in the classical format of the Tohoku-style honkyoku: strengthen the rather ghostly and dark mood.
[Takeshirabe - Honte - Hachigaeshi - Musubi]. It has an Takane This section begins with an extreme sense of
extremely tight, compact form with clear jo-ha-kyu lamenting grief. After the lonely melody that was pointed out
development. in the honte continues some, the second characteristic melody
45
:*. 44
appears. In this piece it is not repeated, but after the in Chinese characters (most commonly "pine - rock"), and it is
sertion of a connecting melody, it moves immediately into the not certain which spelling is the original form. It was a
hachigaeshi. Even though this piece is extremely emotional it komus6 temple in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture. No other
does not fall into a mood of excessive sentiment, but rather pieces in the tradition of this temple are known. Jin Nyodo
maintains a tense, compact structure. inherited the tradition of this piece form Orito Nyogetsu.
Hachigaeshi After a modulating opening melody, the second 2. Structure of the piece:
characteristic melody introduced in the takane is repeated, all
the while strengthening #he sorrowful mood. The structure of the piece is [Takeshirabe - Honte - Takane
- Takane-gaeshi - Hachigaeshi - Musubi].
Musubi A finale section, that while being quite dignified,
also floats with a feeling of distant longing. After the lead-in Takeshirabe....The melody begins quietly with soko-yuri rising
melody, the first characteristic melodic form is briefly repeated from the lowest tone, the o-meri of Ro-no-ro. After this low-
and the piece ends in a mood of dark mystery, pitched introduction, the two melodic patterns characteristic of
this piece are introduced, and are then repeated intertwined
3. Special features of the piece: with one another. Both of them are melodies filled with a
pathos of spiritual longing. The mood of this takeshirabe
Technically it is similar to San'ya except that the use of soko- suggests the mood of the entire piece.
yuri is quite distinctive.
Honte....After an introductory four-breath melody, the most
characteristic Ko-range melody of the piece appears. This
18. Shogan-ken: REIBO could be considered the most beautiful and sharply poignant
melody, not just among Reibo pieces, but among all
2-shaku 1-sun honkyoku. This rather long melodic pattern is repeated
11 min. 58. sec. afterwards and gives a strong emotional impression to this
work.
1. About the title:
Takane....After a beautiful takane melody centering around
First please consult the section on Reibo in "Commonly Used the hi and ha tones, the characteristic melody introduced in
Titles." the Honte reappears.
Then please refer to the article "Different Pieces with the
Same Title. Identical Pieces with Different titles." Takane-gaeshi....After a repeat of the serene Takane, the
Honte melody is repeated with some alteration.
The temple name Shogan-ken can be written with various
k 46 47
Hachigaeshi....Following a modulating melody that beings with
tama-ne, the melody from the end of the Takane-gaeshi is 1. About the title:
repeated.
In Kinko-ryu the name of this piece is read as Banshiki-cho;
Musubi....A short modulating melody played in one breath Jin Nyodo also passed on this pronunciation. Pronounced this
continues into the Ko-range (second octave) and the piece way it sounds like one word, but as it was originally a
maebuki i.e. an introductory piece (according to the book
ends on a final ro-tone.
Kokin Techo), it could also be explained as meaning Banshiki-
no-Shirabe. The ri-tone on a 1-shaku 9-sun flute corresponds
to the tone banshiki (=b).
In terms of technique, it is similar to the Futai-ken piece
especially in the use of soko-yuri. 2. Structure of the piece
At one time the playing of this piece was forbidden in the The form is [A (KO) - B (KO) - A'(RO) - B" (RO-KO)]. In
Yoshiwara "pleasure district" because it was found that when section A the melody climbs gradually within the second
a famous player wandered through the geisha district octave from the bottom to the highest tone. Section B begins
performing Reibo, the number of double lovers' suicides in the midrange of the second octave, but this time the
(shinju) increased. There are, however, differing opinions as melody gradually descends. Section A, is the same melody as
to whether this legend refers to this piece or to Nagashi- A played in the first octave. In section B', the first half of B
Reibo of Nezasa-ha. In any case both pieces are
is repeated in the first octave and the second half of B is
representative of the Tohoku tradition and are rich in beauty repeated in the second octave. Not just in this piece, but in
and depth of feeling. If we distinguish among each of these Kinko-ryu honkyoku in general, entire dan or the melodies
pieces according to special characteristics, we can say that the which form their units are repeated to suit the performance,
Nezasa-he piece has the most restrained sadness, the Futai- but on this recording there are no such repeats.
ken version has a more intense, passionate sorrow and this
Shogan-ken Reibo conveys a feeling of piercing sadness, of 3. Special features of .the piece:
soulful yearning. All three pieces have a deep religious The tone banshiki was traditionally the note of autumn, the
awareness and give serene repose to the human soul. note of sadness. In Kinko-ryu this piece is also used as an
introduction for Shin-Kyorei and Shika-no-Tone.
19. Kinko-ryu: BANSHIKI-CHO
20. Kinko-ryu: SHIKA-NO-TONE
1-shaku 9-sun
4 min. 17 sec.
m
49
48
1-shaku 9-sun Dan 2 This section is the core of the work. Continuing from
16 min. 7 sec. the preceding dan which reached into the highest range, this
section begins with a powerful melody in the lower range of
1. About the title: the second octave. At last the pitch rises and enters the main
developmental section which centers on the ha and hi tones
This piece takes as its theme the yearning call of a stag for a in the KO register. Four elegant and subtle melodies are
mate at the height of autumn. However, it is not devoted ex developed, repeated, and passed back and forth between the
clusively to depicting the way of life of deer, but expresses as parts.
well the scenery and mood of isolated mountains in autumn.
As a representative piece among Kinko-ryu honkyoku, it is Dan 3 Continuing from the preceding dan, and after a
widely known, but we should note that there is in fact a piece transitional melody which fills in the interval, the melody of
by the same name in the Myoan tradition and that the two the first dan is repeated and gradually the heightened mood
pieces are completely different works. relaxes somewhat.
2. Structure of the piece Dan 4 The mood of the piece becomes tranquil again,and a
hushed feeling spreads overall.
It is fashioned in a kakeai style for two flutes which makes it
an exception among classical shakuhachi honkyoku which were Dan 5 A short finale section which closes the piece with a
originally structured for solo performance. However, on this feeling of the clear serenity of autumn.
recording Jin Nyodo uses a solo format, playing both
melodies. In the kakeai style where two flutes are used, as 3. Special features of the piece:
one player's melody ends the other player's melody begins, to
create an overlapping effect; but as a composition it is still This piece is the most beautiful piece among the many Kinko-
fully capable of standing by itself even without this ryu honkyoku for its wealth of variety.
overlapping of melodies.
The piece can be broadly divided into five dan: 21. Kinko-ryu: HI-FU-MI HACHIGAESHI-NO-SHIRABE
Dan 1 This can be subdivided into two parts: an opening jo 1-shaku 8-sun
section and an initial developmental section in a higher range. 11 min. 2 sec,
In this latter section the blowing technique called muraiki,
which is used a great deal in this piece, is introduced. This 1. About the title:
special feature of the piece leaves a distinct impression.
This piece represents one kind of shirabe. It combines Hi-Fu-
%
k 50 51
they move in a meandering manner.
Mi Shirabe and Hachigaeshi ("returning the bowl"), which was
played when a priest received his begging bowl back. In b. They have little extreme of fast or slow rhythm; the whole
addition it also tias an irete (interpolation) Araki Chikuo. piece progresses quietly with a feeling of rather uniform
rhythm.
c. The melodic patterns are somewhat limited, without any
The structure is [I (the first half of Hi-Fu-Mi Shirabe) - II large phrase units; rather, smaller units are combined and
(hachigaeshi) - III (the irete by Chikuo) - IV (the second half altered, and are repeated while undergoing variation.
of Hi-Fu-Mi Shirabe)]. Because Hi-Fu-Mi Shirabe does not
have any high points and has no clear cut form, the insertion As a result of the above features all the pieces of Kinko-ryu
of the hachigaeshi, which begins with atakane, gives the more tend to sound rather similar with a few exceptions such as
stable structure of low - high - low. Therefore it is only Shika-no-Tone with its rich variety of melodies, and San'ya-
natural that the one-piece form of Hi-Fu-Mi Hachigaeshi-no- Sugagaki or Akita-Sugagaki with their distinctive rhythmical
Shirabe which utilizes the hachigaeshi is the one that has feeling.
taken root.
3. Special features of the piece: 22. Kinko-ryu: SAN'YA-SUGAGAKI

As abasis of Kinko-ryu this piece is compulsory for study. In 1 - shaku 8 - sun
terms of melodic pattern or the pace of the composition it is 5 min. 15 sec.
a classical Kinko-ryu honkyoku and is representative of its
type In comparison with other schools, some special features 1. About the piece:
of melody include the frequency of that form where as the
melody ends, the chin is lowered so that the ending is played Please refer to the section on San'ya in "Commonly Used
with meri; another is the frequent use of meri-playmg with Titles." There are two titles (in Chinese characters) both
(lowered) chin when each melody shifts from the first tone to originally pronounced San'ya-Sugagaki but these in fact are
the second. different pieces.
To continue, the following are special characteristics of Kinko- 2. Structure of the piece
ryu honkyoku in general:
There are no clearcut dan, but the piece can be seen as divi
a. In distinction from honkyoku of the Tohoku style which ding into three sections: [Section I - Section II (upper range)
have a clear-cut jo-ha-kyu structure, these pieces either have - Finale]. In the first third of section I (6 breaths) all the
aplateau-like structure which contains several peaks or else
53
*•
52
basic melodies are introduced; then the section proceeds to Zeku of the Fudai-ji tradition.
combine them. In the second section one new melodic pattern
appears in a higher range which is then combined with the 2. Structure of the piece
various melodies lof Section I. The musubi (finale) consists of
a short new melody. This piece is in three sections: [Honte - Honte-gaeshi- -
Takane]. A more detailed analysis is as follows:
I Honte a (RO) - a' (KO) - b - c - d
It is played as one of the most sharply rhythmical pieces II Hante-gaeshi a - a - b
among Kinko-ryu honkyoku, and has a lucid, liberated mood. III Takane a' (without the final breath) - e - d (without
the initial breath) - f (musubi)
23. Ryugenji: TAKIOCHI Section II repeats the first half of Section I, but since this
section should have the feeling that the amount of water
2-shaku 1-sun pouring over the waterfalls increases until it finally becomes a
10 min. 36 sec. great cascade, the tempo is faster and the sound is blown
more strongly. Section III (Takane) represents the waterfall at
1. About the title: its greatest force, and so is played strongly and in a high
range. In particular, the melody which descends from the KO-
South of Izu-Ohito is found the Asahi Waterfall which is said nohi tone appearing after :he highest pitched section is felt to
to be 33 jo (1 jo = 10 shaku or 3.31 yards) high. Near the be the most beautiful melody in this piece. Together with an
pool below the falls was the komus6 temple called Ryugen-ji inserted connecting melody, this is repeated three times.
and it is said that this piece was composed there. There is
also a piece Takiotoshi among Kinko-ryu honkyoku, and it is 3. Special features of the piece:
thought that they originally may have been the same piece
based on the fact that they have many melodies in common This piece has a feeling of extreme decorousness in form and
and that the structure of the pieces has many coinciding a structure without any useless excess. It has a lyrical quality
points. However, in the form in which it is taught at present, of great refinement that makes one think of a sumie
the Ryugen-ji piece is much more classically ordered in form landscape. Among classical honkyoku it stands out as a
and has a clearer sense of formality. Moreover, as regards famous composition.
differences in artistic style, the mood of the two pieces has
become quite different, so that on first listening one would
not realize that they were originally the same piece. Jin Nyodo 24. Fudai-ji: TSURU-NO-SUGOMORI
learned and passed on Ryugenji Takiochi from Horiguchi
•<<%
54 55
*.•
1-shaku 8-sun together and repeated throughout the piece, b. The beat is
10 min. 9 sec. clearly articulated.
c. It has a balanced "dan" structure, d. The mood of the
1. About the,Jtitle: piece is not at all heavy or somber; rather it has a free and
pleasant feeling.
Please refer to the section on Tsuru-no-Sugomori in
"Commonly Used Titles." The above features do not apply to this piece alone but can
be said to be commonly characteristic of almost all Tsuru-no-
Fudai-ji was a komus6 temple in Hamamatsu and was an Sugomori compositions apart from Hikyoku Tsuru-no-
important temple for the transmission of the Koten Sankyoku Sugomori. There are many pieces entitled Tsuru-no-Sugomori
in their finest form. Jin Nyodo learned the Fudai-ji pieces which are different compositions, perhaps ten in all, but this
from Horiguchi Zeku. one is outstandingly beautiful in its classical structure.
2. Structure of the piece Note: The end of the piece on this recording is disturbed by
the sound of thunder.
It is formed from a shirabe and honte, the latter being divi
ded into five dan. The shirabe is tranquil and relaxed in the
traditional introductory shirabe style. The five dan of the 25. Fudai-ji: KOKU
honte are all roughly the same length. In terms of pitch, the
first and third dan are fairly low, while the second, fourth and 2-shaku 1-sun
fifth dan shift to a higher range. At the end of each dan the 10 min. 52 sec.
tempo relaxes, and as the music enters the new dan the
tempo gradually picks up and returns to the original speed. 1. About the title:
We can say that there are small "hills" within each dan, as This is one of the Three Traditional Pieces (Koten-Sankyoku):
well as the larger "mountains" within the whole piece formed please consult the section, of that name in "Commonly Used
by the high range of the second, fourth and fifth dans. How Titles." All of the Koten-Sankyoku have been passed down in
ever there is no real jo-ha-kyu development, and each dan is a superior form within Fudai-ji.
constructed in a parallel manner to the others.
It has a five-part structure. In a broad sense sections I and II
a. Melodies using koro-koro (in the case of this piece used as well as sections III and IV are related as variations of each
from the opening of the honte), kara-kara etc. are linked other, repeating almost the identical theme. Suction V is
56 57
tone.
made up of a takane and musubi. A more detailed
examination follows:
I.... The piece opens with the most characteristic melody of
the piece which begins with the Ko-no-re tone repeated three This work possesses a feeling of vast and hazy infinity quite
times. It is a transparently beautiful melody; the use of this appropriate to its title, and can be considered one of the
melody alone is common to all koku pieces and it can be said superior versions of koku. It has both a highly polished and
to be the most typical melody of these works. Section I is remarkable musical structure and a beauty of high quality
constructed of two large phrases beginning with this melody. which conveys a spiritual transparency. Seen in either of
these aspects, it is a famous work which has deserved to
II.... This section repeats the two phrases of I with only some become highly valued as one of the Koten-Sankyoku. If we
alteration of the last half of each.
suppose that there existed a Gen-Koku (gen =
original/proto-), we can also assume that the spirit and shape
of that works manifested itself most beautifully in Fudai-ji
III.... It begins with a new melody which changes the mood,
Koku. Moreover, the Koku of Myoan Taizan-ryu is of the
but in the middle section the characteristic melody from the
beginning of the piece appears briefly again. Then the second Fudai-ji lineage so that it is naturally the same piece.
characteristic phrase is spelled out again, proceeding in a Likewise the piece in the Itcho-ken tradition is the same work.
subtly sinuous manner utilizing yuri. It is said that if this piece is played in a penetrating manner,
IV... This begins with the same melodic pattern as the all delusion will fade away and a quiet spirit of fusion with
opening of III, only transposed and with some variation. the great void (koku) will arise.
Continuing, it moves to a melody utilizing the hor6-horo
sound pattern and after a transitional melody, the second
characteristic phrase which occurred in the latter half of III is 26. Fudai-ji: MUKAIJI
repeated again in a lengthened form.
2-shaku
9 min. 27 sec.
V... This section corresponds to the takane and musubi.
After a resonant takane melody is repeated twice, the melody
1. About the title:
descends somewhat. Then again reversing itself, the music
proceeds with strong blowing reflecting the exalted feeling of It is one of the three traditional pieces Koten Sankyoku.
a takane and then ends with a weaker tone which has risen to
Please refer to the section on those pieces in "Commonly
the highest range. With that the mood of the piece has
Used Titles."
become tranquil, and as the musubi, the second half of IV is
repeated. The piece then concludes with a gentle closing ro-
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58
There is no clear-cut division into dan, but we can tentatively
divide it based!.- on overall melodic structure into three It is played with kusabibuki. In this manner of playing each
sections: low - high - low. A more detailed examination is as breath is shaped like a kusabi ("wedge") : at first the breath
is blown in strongly, then as the breath diminishes the volume
follows:
of sound is likewise reduced. As with kyosui, yuri is never
used. Since, in playing the shakuhachi, there is no use of
L...a (a five-breath introduction) - b tonguing as with Western wind instruments, playing this initial
II....C (upper range section) burst of sound is a point that demands rather much practice.
IlL.b (in the middle the melody of II is interpolated for only
one breath, lowered an octave) - d (the finale section)
28. Origin unknown: YOBIDAKE - UKEDAKE
2-shaku 5-sun
There is little fluctuation in tempo and it is played for the
1 min. 4 sec.
most part in the upper range, which reaches a kind of plateau
with a rather remote feeling, One can also sense a dignified,
1. About the title:
ceremonial mood.
It was customary for komus6 priests, when they chanced to
cross paths while out collecting alms, to greet one another
27. Fudai-ji: CHOSHI with this piece. One priest would first play Yobidake ("calling
bamboo"). In this way, if the first priest played Yobidake
1-shaku 8-sun
three times, and the other priest could not respond with
3 min. 34 sec.
Ukedake, he was exposed as an imposter, a bogus priest (in
Japanese: maisu).
1. About the title:
The style of playing this Yobidake-Ukedake varied with the

Please refer to "Commonly Used Titles." school that the komus6 belonged to, so that it was possible to
distinguish where a priest came from by the style of his
playing.
It is made up of three sections which in terms of pitch form 2. Structure of the piece
a gently sloping mountain of low - high - low. This is the
classical Shirabe or Choshi construction.
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60
The Yobidake is played in a two breath melody which rises circumstances.
from the lowest tone to the highest tone within KO (the

second octave). Jhe Ukedake is the same melody played in 3. Special features of the piece:
RO (the first octave). Yobidake is played three times, while
Ukedake is played once.
Although the piece is assembled from extremely simple
melodic patterns, there is no simplistic feeling to it; rather, it
conveys a sense of remarkably crafted tension. As the point
29. Fudai-ji: KYOREI
of origin for classical shakuhachi honkyoku it could be said to
possess the appropriate style and fundamental quality. The
2-shaku 8-sun
feeling of systematic order and the feeling of firm and sturdy
structure which permeate the entire piece are without equal
10 min. 39 sec.
among other honkyoku: so much so that one is included to
1. About the title:
believe the legend that this piece actually originated in China.
This is one of the Three Traditional Pieces (Koten-Sankyoku). As explained before, there are several types of pieces all
Among classical honkyoku it has come to be considered the called Kyorei, but considering the pre-modern mood of this
piece with the most ancient origins. Please read the section piece we are inclined to think of it as the form which best
on the Koten-Sankyoku in "Commonly Used Titles" for the transmits the old original form.
traditional explanation of its derivation.

30. Kyoto Myoan-ji: CHOSHI
2-shaku 7-sun
The piece has an extremely unusual structure in that it is
6 min. 7 sec.
constructed systematically from five short melodic patterns and
repetitions of them. It can be broadly divided into two
1. About the title:
sections, an opening dan and a closing dan which could be
seen as a kind of "returning."
Please consult "Commonly Used Titles." This piece is also
Opening dan .... a (3 times) - b - a - b - c (3 times) - d (3 called Kyo-Choshi in the sense that it originated in Kyoto.
However, traditionally it is the first piece learned by novices
times) - e - a. at Myoan-ji in Kyoto so that it also bears the "insider" (i.e.,
Closing dan .... a - b - d (3 times) - e - a. within the temple) titles Honshirabe and Honte-joshi. It is
The entire piece is played in Ro (first octave), but the closing valued as a basic piece and is used for ceremonies and
dan can be played in Ko (second octave) according to memorial services. The traditional format has been that when
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62
a large number of people have gathered for worship with exceptional as a Choshi composition in that it has a two-part
music, this piece is played first in unison (renkan). Even now, form.. It follows that we may consider the possibility that a
at the major meetings for performing shakuhachi honkyoku at second dan was added to the originally independent piece
Myoan-ji in Kyoto, it is the common practice for all Choshi to form a new piece. Although it has the cohesiveness
participants to join together playing this piece to match the of a single piece and has no specific maebiki quality, it is
.^reading of sutras. often used as a maebiki for the Koten-Sankyoku, especially
Koku.
When we talk about the tradition of Kyoto Myoan-ji, we
actually mean the tradition of Myoan-ji prior to the Meiji
Restoration, that is the Meian Shinpo-ryu tradition, the first 31. Kyoto Myoan-ji: DARANI
half of this piece is identical with the entire piece Fudai-ji
Choshi. As regards the relation between the two lineages, at 2-shaku 5-sun
present it is unclear whether one of them borrowed the piece 6 min. 32 sec.
from the other of whether the piece was passed down in a
parallel manner in both schools from ancient times. Jin 1. About the title:
Nyodo received each of the kyoto Meian Shinpo-ryu pieces
from Katsuura Shozan. The name Darani (in Chinese characters) is a phonetic repre
sentation of the Sanskrit dharani. The original meaning refers
2. Structure of the piece: to the upholding and preservation of the "way" of goodness
and the obstruction of the "way" of evil. It is a piece which
The piece is in two sections: [Opening dan - Closing dan]. (seemingly) chants the long Sanskrit text as is. In reciting this
The first dan begins in a high range, gradually moves to a text one sustains one's immense and infinite spiritual duty,
lower range and ends. Because this section is identical to the overcomes all kinds of obstacles and attains various virtues, In
whole of Fudai-ji Choshi it has a complete Shirabe structure the tradition of Myoan Shinpo-ryu the piece is also called
in and of itself, therefore, the structure of the whole piece Konpon ("basic") Darani or San'ya-kyoku.
resembles the Shirabe and Sagariha in Nezasa-ha.
The piece is in a two-part form, the latter half being called
Like Fudai-ji Choshi, it is played with Kusabi-buke. Please Ho-no-kyoku ("Piece of the Law / Way"). This latter section is
see the entry for that piece for an explanation of kusabi-buki. played in a fast tempo with a marked rhythm.
In general, pieces called Shirabe or Choshi are constructed to 3. Special features of the piece:
form a single, gently-rounded mountain, this piece is thus
64 65
The second half begins at a tempo so different that the composition as well as other features give an overall placid
listener is apt to think that a new piece has begun. At last it feeling not found in more recent times.
returns to the tempo and rhythm of the first half. It is a piece
that has a feeling of deep loneliness in the midst of serenity. 2. Structure of the piece
It is formed of three dan, the middle of which is a takane

32. Kyoto Myoan-ji: MURASAKI-REIBO using the tone pattern kara-kara. At the opening of the piece,
the melody is in the middle tonal range, and throughout the
2-shaku 2-sun piece the tone shifts from the mid-range to the upper tonal
5 min. 6 sec. range as its focal point. The rhythm is never sluggish but
maintains a distinctive beat so that the mood of the piece is
1. About the title of the piece: not at all heavy or somber.
It is said that this is a piece by the Zen priest Ikkyu, the 3. Special features of the piece:
forty-seventh chief priest of Daitoku-ji in Murasakino, Kyoto.
Probably the element Murasaki ("purple") in the title comes In the melody of this piece we can feel the kind of nostalgic
from Murasakino ("purple field"). Reibo is one of the various yearning found in komori-uta (lullabies). Perhaps it is one of
Chinese character representations of that common title for the folk melody patterns that the Japanese people have
shakuhachi pieces. For more information consult the section possessed since ancient times. The wandering mood of the
on Reibo in "Commonly Used Titles." piece can not help but suggest the personality of Ikkyu Wako.
Due to the simplicity of the melody and structure, this piece
This is one of the rare examples among classical shakuhachi allows the player freedom to respond to his own mood: he
honkyoku where the name of the composer has been handed can play in any way he feels whether it be light and happy or
down. That it was composed by Ikkyu is an oral tradition: sad and lonely.
there are no supporting written records. However since the
collection of Chinese-style poems Kyoun-shu by Zen priests,
as well as other materials, make it clear that Ikkyu enjoyed 33. Kyoto Myoan-ji: TSURU-NO-SUGOMORI
playing the shakuhachi and the hitoyogiri, it would not be
impossible to suppose that he did indeed write this piece. 2-shaku 1-sun
15 min. 26 sec.
Leaving aside the issue of Ikkyu's authorship, we can wonder
whether in fact this piece dates back well before recent times 1. About the title:
to an older style of music. That is to say, its straight-forward
melodic structure without embellishment, its simple and lucid Please consult the section on Tsuru-no-Sugomori in
'-*>-.
66 67
"Commonly Used Titles." This piece is in the particular traditionally played on the anniversary of the death of the
tradition of the Myoan Shinpo-ryu and is one type of the founder of the sect. Kokutai-ji is a temple of the Rinzai sect,
Tsuru-no-Sugomori pieces of the Kansai lineage. located on the outskirts of Takaoka City in Toyama
Prefecture. Originally it was not a komus6 temple, but at
some point it became a base for komus6 priests. After the
abolishment of the Fuke sect, a group called the Myoon
It is in the dan style with three sections: [Shodan - Nidan - ("beautiful sound") Kyokai was formed at this temple (after
Sandan]. At the end of each dan the tempo relaxes and the the war the name was shortened to Myoon-kai) which
following dan begins with various new melodic material. It is continued to play classical shakuhachi honkyoku. Besides this
an extremely long and expansive piece; even in the middle of piece there are also versions of San'ya and Reibo. Jin Nyodo
each dan the tempo slows down several times to create learned this piece from Tahara Myogen and Takagi Myogai.
smaller dan-like forms within the main dan unit.
The whole piece proceeds with a melody that rises and falls,
Although it is a large scale work, the individual melodies that falls and rises seemingly without end. Built out of this infinite
form its units are not at all long or complex. Rather, it is melody, its tempo is light and relaxed: there are several dan
formed through the repetition and interweaving of short, like divisions but throughout the piece there is practically no
simple melodies. The repetition of the same melodic patterns change in rhythm.
and the never-sluggish rhythm give birth to a particularly
pleasant lightness.
The piece is filled with a feeling of lonely remoteness. The
smoothly flowing mood of the piece is quite appropriate for it
34. Kokutai-ji: HORAI
to be played on occasions of liturgical ceremony.
1-shaku 9-sun
9 min. 53 sec.
35. Miyakawa Nyozan: AJIKAN
1. About the title:
2-shaku 1-sun
7 min. 12 sec.
The title probably derives from Mount Horai, the mountain of
the spirits in the Eastern sea, which according to Chinese
1. About the title:
myth is a land where holy people live, free from old age and
death. It is a keikyoku ("auspicious piece") and was
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68
Ajikan is the most important method of religious discipline in
The sa of Sashi was originally a Sanskrit letter which was the
the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. It is the contemplation (kan) special symbol of Kanzeon (or Kannon) Bosatsu. the Buddhist
of the first letter (a-ji) of the Sanskrit alphabet which is seen goddess of mercy. This sa (or satsu) eventually was written in
as symbolic of the void from which all creation emerges. various combinations of Chinese characters pronounced sashi.
There are difficult questions regarding the transmission and Therefore this piece is associated with religious austerities
development of this piece but for more details please consult connected to Kannon Bosatsu: at the dawn of enlightenment
the section "Different Pieces with the Same Title. Identical
it will be used for the redemption of all living beings
Pieces with Different Titles."
according to the divine and universal revelations of Kannon
Bosatsu. Jin Nyodo received and passed on this piece from
2. Structure of the piece Saito Inokuma and several others.
It has a binary structure [I(a-b) - Il(c-b-finale)]. Section c is 2. Structure of the piece

quite short but has a beautiful takane melody. The piece has
both straight-line and curving-line (by means of yuri) melodic It has a binary structure [I (a-b) - II (a-c)]. Section c is a
patterns which intertwine. The curving melodies have a deep musubi melody.
feeling of meditation while the straight melodies give a feeling
of longing for something far away. 3. Special features of the piece:
3. Special features of the piece: The piece is played with kusabibuki and has a tight, tense
mood. It is brimming with emotion which soars up in a
This piece mixes together feelings of mystery and loneliness straightforward, resolute manner. The special nature of
so that it is one of the outstanding examples of classical Kyushu-style honkyoku is quite apparent, and it is one of the
honkyoku. It is quite marvelous in the interchange of linear representative pieces of Itcho-ken.
and curving melodies and serves as an excellent example dis
playing the highest level of the expressive technique of
classical shakuhachi honkyoku. 37. Itcho-ken: BANSHIKI
1-shaku 9-sun
36. Itcho-ken: SASHI 6 min. 19 sec.
1-shaku 8-sun
1. About the title:
5 min. 18 sec.
Please refer to Kinko-ryu: Banshiki-cho. In the past this piece

1. About the title:
71
70
was used on ceremonial occasions at Itcho-ken. Since the ri- the mid-range and gradually rises until half-way through the
tone on a 1.9 flute corresponds to banshiki (b) and the piece the tempo becomes brighter and the tone enters the
principal tone of this piece is ri, when this piece is played on upper range. The third section is a short musubi.
a 1.9 flute it produces an exact banshiki tuning.
Along with Kumoi-jishi, lyo-renbo, San'ya-Sugagaki and others,
It is constructed in three parts [A (RO) - A (KO) - C (RO)]. this is a gikyoku ("playful piece")- Gikyoku are not used in
religious practice, and as the name indicates they are small
cheerful pieces. When the komus6 went out to beg for rice,
3. Special features of the piece: they played these pieces when ordinary people requested such
The piece is played with kyosui. It has an overall feeling of a lighter piece. These pieces are also called hiru-kara ("after
simplicity and spaciousness but also a certain mournfulness. midday") from the idea that such music should be played after
noon rather than in the more austere morning hours.
38. Itcho-ken: AZUMA-NO-KYOKU

39. Itcho-ken: KUMOI-JISHI
1-shaku 8-sun
3 min. 21 sec. 1-shaku 8-sun
5 min. 40 sec.
1. About the title:
1. About the title:
Azuma means east, so that the name can be explained as
referring to a person from Western Japan playing his flute It probably indicates a shishi ("lion piece") in kumoi-joshi
while yearning for someone in the East. However, this matter tuning.
is unclear since there is also another theory that this piece
adapted a melody for the higashi-goto ("eastern koto"), a kind 2. Structure of the piece
of wagon used in kagura.
It is formed in three sections. The first section opens in a
2. Structure of the piece sonorous, high tone but ends in a quieter, mid-range tone.
The second section begins again in the mid-range, then the
It is made up of three sections. The first section begins in the tempo becomes brighter and takes on a more defined rhythm.
mid-range and ends on a lower tone. In the second section, Around the middle of this section a rather short takane-style
which forms the main body of the piece, the sound begins in melody occurs. Sometimes the whole second section is
a, 72 73
repeated twice. The third section is a short, finale-style PUBLICATIONS OF THE
melody. TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC SOCIETY

The Society also sponsors a performance group known as
Like Azuma-no-kyoku this is a gikyoku ("playful piece") and
the New York Sankyoku Kai (Traditional Japanese Music
hence it is bright and cheerful. It centers throughout on the
Ensemble of New York). This ensemble is available for
KO-range and has an even more vibrant and sonorous tone lectures, demonstrations and concerts. Recent recordings
include:
of composition than Azuma-no-Kyoku.
a. Kyomono Series, Vol. I (HS 101): the works of
Matsuura Kengy6 - "Wakana" and "Sato no Aka-
tsuki." An optional booklet is available accompanying
this recording. It contains background material and
scores transcribed into Western notation by Dr. Hen
ry Horaku Burnett. (Both records and Dolby stereo
cassettes are available.)
b. Ki-Sui-An Honkyoku, Vols. I - IV (HS 210c, 202c,

203c, 204c): Zen shakuhachi music played by Ronnie
Nyogetsu Seldin. Each cassette consists of different
traditional solo pieces for the shakuhachi, which is an
end-blown bamboo flute used for meditation. (Avail
able only on cassettes.)
c. Gagaku (HS 301c): Japanese Imperial Court

Music. (Available only on cassette.)
Records and cassettes are $10.00 (this includes postage and

handling). Those ordering the accompanying booklet to Vol.
I of the Kyomono Series should include $6.00 per book. For
records and/or tapes please make checks payable to Ronnie
Seldin.
74 75
Back issues ofHOGAKU are available. The contents ofthe last PLEASE SEND ME (at $8.00 each):
five issues are:
< > Vol. I, #1; < > Vol. I, #2; < > Vol. II, #1;
Vol I, #1: The Dual Personality of Jiuta: Sobriety and Humor, by
Kikkawa Eishi (translated by John Tedford) / An Analysis ofthe Yamada- < > Vol. II, #2; < > Vol. Ill, #1
ryu Sokyoku Iemoto System, by Cathleen Read and David Locke / The
Evolution of Shamisen Tegotomono: A Study of the Development of
Voice-Shamisen Relationships, by Henry Burnett / A Guide to the Basic Direct all inquiries, including subscriptions and record/cassette
literature and Records for Research in Jiuta and Sokyoku, by Kubota orders to:
Satoko (translated by Tamaguchi Osamu) / Anatomy of a Japanese
Festival: The Great Midwinter Wakanomiya On-Matsuri ofKasuga Shrine, Henry Burnett, Executive Director: TJMS
by Chistopher Blasdel / Record Review, by Ronnie Seldin. The Aaron Copland School of Music
Vol I, #2: Kinko Shakuhachi: One Maker's Approach (Part I) by Elmer Queens College, CUNY
Takeo Kudo / An Anthology of Jiuta Poetry (Part I), compiled and edited Rushing, NY 11367-0904, USA
by Henry Burnett (translations by John Tedford): Poems Set by Matsuura
Kengyd / Godanginuta: A Structural Analysis, by Edward Smaldone. I have enclosed $ -
Vol II, #7: An Anthology of Jiuta Poetry (Part II): Poems Set by
Kikuoka Kengyd / Modal Structure and Formal Design in ho Chidori, by Name
William Renwick / Kinko Shakuhachi: One Maker's Approach (Part II).
Institution (if applicable).
Vol II, #2: An Anthology of Jiuta Poetry (Part III) Poems Set by
Mitsuzaki Kengyfl, Ishikawa Kdtd, and miscellaneous poets / A Japanese
Master Musician in a Brazilian Context, by Dale Olsen / Hagi no TSuyu: Address_
An Analysis and Transcription, by Elliott Zomick / Book Review, Henry
Burnett. City State/Prov. Zip/Postal Code
Vol III, #i: Lion Dance of Echigo Province:. An Analysis of Minezaki TJMS is anon-profit, organization and is part of the Queens Foundation
Kdtd's Echigojishi, by K. Robert Schwarz / An Anthology ofJiuta Poetry:
Poems Set by Osaka Composers, Early Jiuta Poetry, Kydmono Poetry of
Ishikawa K6t6 (addendum to Chapter 4) / Shin Musume-Dojdji: A Jiuta
Setting of a Noh Text.
•m 76 77
Edo no Matsuri Bayashi: cultivation of rice), the biggest and most important matsuri
are now found at shrines in large cities. This development
The Kanda Bayashi Hozonkai (mainly over the last 100 years) reflects the dynamic quality of
these events.
by George Durham The religious nature of a matsuri is evident in its structure.
The purpose of a matsuri is to invite deities "down" from
Introduction heaven in order to pray with them at a shrine for good
fortune and a good harvest. There are three main parts of a
Edo no matsuri bayashi is translated as Tokyo festival matsuri: 1) Kami-mukae - a ceremony to invite and welcome
ensemble music. Edo is the old name of Tokyo prior to the the gods to the shrine; 2) Shinko - the main public event, a
Meiji restoration of 1868. Matsuri is the Japanese word for parade (or parades) around the community by participants in
festival(s), and bayashi (hayashi if alone, bayashi in most costume with portable shrines (mikoshi); 3) Kami-okuri - a
compounds) is the festival music and the five-person ensemble ceremony to send the gods back to where they live.3 There is
that performs the music/ Kanda is a district in the Chiyoda music for all of these parts; shrine ritual gagaku (court music,
ward (ku) and is located in the north-central part of Tokyo. live at large shrines, otherwise recorded), kagura (Shinto dance
Hozonkai is translated as preservation society; a socio-cultural music), sato- kagura (Shinto folk dance and pantomime), and
organization that developed early in this century in order to matsuri bayashi (festival ensemble music).
preserve traditional performing arts.2 Prior to 1927, the Among the numerous matsuri, it is generally recognized
Kanda ensemble was known as the Kanda bayashi. that three are most prominent: the Gion Matsuri of Kyoto,
This article discusses the history, instruments and music of the Tenjin Matsuri of Osaka, and the Kanda Matsuri of Tokyo.
the Kanda bayashi (later, Kanda bayashi hozonkai) as a part Among the many Tokyo matsuri, there are three important
of Edo no matsuri bayashi ones: the Sanja Matsuri of the Asakusa Jinja (shrine), the
Sanno Matsuri of the Hie Jinja, and the Kanda Matsuri of the
Matsuri Kanda Myojin (shrine).
Countless matsuri, regional and seasonal, are held annually Edo no Matsuri Bayashi
all over Japan. The Japan Travel Bureau has selected and
described 271 important matsuri in a recent publication (JTB A thoroughly documented history of this music and its
1985). Music is an indispensable part of most of these ensemble does not exist. Professor William Malm in his essay
colorful and happy events. The music is part of one of the "Edo Festival Music and Pantomime" has provided useful
major genres of Japanese traditional music. information concerning the origins of this music. He has
Matsuri are S/»/tfo-oriented with ancient origins. Although written that the Kasai bayashi (located in the Katsushika ward
these celebrations used to be located mainly at rural Shinto of eastern Tokyo) is the ensemble that established this genre
shrines and were rooted in farming activities (principally the of music/ Tokyo sources confirm this (see below) including
79
m 78
Dr. Kishibe Shigeo (family name first, a retired Tokyo shrines that adopted this recommendation and established
University professor of music and author of "The Traditional matsuri bayashi
Music of Japan") in an interview with this writer on 5 June
1987 in TokyoV The undocumented records of the Kasai The Kanda Bayashi
bayashi and the Kanda bayashi hozonkai (hereafter, KBH)
attest to this fact. KBH records indicate that the ensemble was established
According to a descriptive pamphlet prepared by the Kasai during the eighteenth century (date unknown) and that the
shrine of the Katsushika ward and distributed by the shrine festival music was taught to the group by the members of the
and the ward office, Edo no matsuri bayashi was organized, Kasai bayashi By about 1800, the Kanda bayashi was well
taught and performed by a Shinto priest from the Kansai established and performing regularly in public.
district (Kyoto and Osaka) named Nose Tamaki (family name During the early years of the Meiji period (from 1868),
first; dates unknown). The pamphlet states that Nose's activity there was a decrease in the interest and support of matsuri
began about 250 years ago (c. 1736) at the Katori-gu (Katori bayashi in Tokyo. Kasai bayashi actually ceased to function
shrine). The KBH "informal" history indicates that the for a number of years and was not reestablished until 1884.
Tokugawa shogun (military ruler) Yoshimune (1684-1751; ruled The Kanda Matsuri suffered a community boycott of ten years
1716-1745) brought Nose to the Kasai area of eastern Edo (1875-84) which seriously affected the functions of Kanda
(now Tokyo) to establish the music and a hayashi to perform bayashi.
it.
In 1887, the leaders of the Edo no matsuri bayashi groups
Nose's hayashi consisted of five men performing on two in the Tokyo area gathered to discuss their functions and their
shime-daiko (lashed barrel drums), one o-daiko (tacked barrel music. (It is known that the Kasai and Kanda ensembles were
drum), one kane (hand gong), and one shino-bue (transverse involved in this gathering; other participants are not cited.) By
bamboo flute). His ensemble was known by a number of 1892, the hayashi leaders had reestablished the form and
different names: go-nin-bayashi (five-person ensemble), baka- content of their music based on the Kasai bayashi models.
bayashi ("crazy" ensemble), Wdka-bayashi (Wakayama en This "firming up" of the Edo no matsuri bayashi repertoire did
semble; Nose was from Wakayama, an area in the Kansai not include notation. Rehearsals and performances continued
district), and matsuri-bayashi., to be executed in the rote memory method.
The Kasai pamphlet states that Nose established his During the late Meiji period years (c. 1911), a movement
ensemble to provide music for matsuri and to involve young began in Japan to preserve the traditional performing arts.
men in "wholesome" and productive activities. This activity came to be known as hozonkai (preservation
By 1753, Nose's ensemble ,was known as the Kasai bayashi society). David Hughes has documented this movement in an
of the Kasai shrine.6 In that year, Ina Hanjuro the chief article published in connection with the "International Sym
administrator of the Kanto district (Tokyo and its surrounding posium on the Conservation and restoration of Cultural
areas) recommended the Kasai bayashi to all of the shrines Property" held in Tokyo in 1980 (Hughes 1981, see Note 2).
holding matsuri. The Kanda Myojin was among the many The Kanda bayashi became a hozonkai in 1927 which gave
80 81
impetus to the organization. Except for a brief period during instruments during rehearsals.
the last year of World War II, it has been active continuously All rehearsals and many performances take place in the
as a performing group. kagura-den (sacred dance hall) in the Kanda Myojin (shrine)
In October, 1952, the KBH was designated an "Intangible compound. This building, which has storerooms in addition to
Cultural Asset" by the Tokyo Metropolitan government. At the performance stage, is permanently assigned to the KBH.
that time, there were thirty members in the organization. During public performances, three sides of the stage are
The apparent growth in popularity of the KBH music and opened for easy viewing and hearing by the audience. For
the Kanda Matsuri led to a commercial recording of much of performances, members wear an organization-marked hanten
their repertoire by the King Record Company in 1978.7 Also (a garment often called a happi coat) over a yukata (a cotton
during 1978, the KBH in cooperation with the Chiyoda ward, summer kimono), and zori (white-thonged sandals) on bare
started a school to teach Edo no matsuri bayashi to residents feet. A folding fan is carried but is used only for decoration.
of the ward, a large and populous area of central Tokyo. This Rehearsals are held weekly throughout the year; on
school, which is free of cost, meets weekly, and is organized in Tuesdays: 6:30 -10:00 p.m. Special rehearsals are held once
phase with the Japanese school system (March to April), or twice a month on Sundays.
provides the source of new members. The usual enrollment Public performances are frequent and include a New Year
is approximately 100 students. When a student has completed celebration, a cherry blossom matsuri, programs for small
the school and desires to become a member of the KBH, shrines that are satellites of Kanda Myojin, Shinto ceremonies
he/she is auditioned prior to acceptance. An average of five for Kanda MYojin, and the main biennial Kanda Matsuri.
students are accepted annually for membership. Organizational expenses have caused the KBH to require
Currently, the KBH has fifty active members with ap dues from its members. Currently, monthly dues are 1000
proximately fifty members who are inactive due to having Yen (about $6.65; $1.00 equal to 150 Yen)
moved away from the Tokyo area.
The KBH is organized, as are other matsuri bayashi groups, Instruments of the Hayashi
with a leader referred to as the kaicho (president or director)
and an assistant leader. Additionally, ten senior members Edo no matsuri bayashi groups continue to use the in
known as senpai (elders, seniors) function as performance strumentation established in the eighteenth century. These
leaders and teachers in the KBH-Chiyoda ward school. instruments and descriptions are as follows:
During rehearsals and performances, only the basic five-
instrument ensemble is used to perform the music. Other two shime-daiko; alternate names: taiko and shiraber
members present at rehearsals and not performing in the a lashed barrel drum with two cowhide heads that
group, simulate the various instrumental parts along with the extend beyond the rim of the barrel/ shell; diameter:
performers. In that the repertoire is continuously repeated, 35 centimeters; depth: 15-16 centimeters. They are
and performing personnel change with each repetition, all lashed by linen rope 12 meters long and are struck on
members have the opportunity to .perform on all of the one head by two blunt wooden sticks (bachi); diameter:
83
'v 82
1.75 centimeters; length: 31.5 centimeters. One shime- it is rare to find two flutes that are able to play in tune
daiko is lashed tighter than the other so as to produce with each other. No. 5 flute diameter: approximately
a higher pitch. This drum is called "shin" (genuine or 2.2 centimeters; length: approximately 44 centimeters.
real, in effect leading drum). The Kasai bayashi calls It is called fue by Edo no matsuri bayashi members.
this drum "kami" (meaning upper). The second drum
is known as "nagare" by the KBH (meaning to follow) There is one sato-kagura dance suite that requires addition
and "shimo" (lower) by the Kasai bayashi Performers al instruments: the Shishi-mai (Lion Dance) which may
in both hayashi refer to these drums generally as taiko. include comic male and female dancers performing the roles
of Hyottoko (male) and Okame (female; the character is also
one o-daiko; alternate name: o-do; a convex barrel known as Otafuku). These instruments are:
drum with two tacked cowhide heads; diameter: 40-45
centimeters; depth: 60-75 centimeters. It is struck on one okedo; a lashed barrel drum with two cowhide
one head by two blunt wooden sticks; diameter: 2.2 heads that overlap the rim of the shell; diameter: 30
centimeters; length: 33.5 centimeters. It is known as centimeters; depth: 45 centimeters. In performance,
o-do by the performers. it is attached to a taiko and one player performs on
both instruments. In this music, the okedo replaces the
one kane; alternate name: yosuke; a bronze hand gong second taiko. The okedo is also used in the Kabuki
that is shaped rather like a pie plate and is the same geza-bayashi (back stage ensemble).
type of instrument used in the gagaku (court music)
ensemble; diameter: 15-16 centimeters; depth: 3-4 one daibyoshi; a lashed barrel drum with two cowhide
centimeters. It is held upright in one hand and is heads that extend beyond the rim of the shell; lashed
struck by a bamboo beater (called a bachi, or stick) by a thin linen rope 12 meters long; diameter: 35
that is tipped with a piece of deerhorn. centimeters; depth: 60 centimeters. It is struck on one
head by two long and thin wooden sticks. In effect,
one shino-bue; alternate names: fue, tonbi, take-bue, this instrument and performer replace the second taiko
and yoko-bue;9 a transverse bamboo flute with seven of the hayashi. This instrument is also found in the
finger holes. The KBH uses two different size flutes: Kabuki geza-bayashi.
the go-hon-choshi (fifth pitch) is the standard flute for
men; a higher pitched flute, rop-pon-choshi (sixth pitch) (For more detailed descriptions of all of the above instru
is used by women and children. (Until recently, the ments, see the two-part article by Professor Kojima Tomiko in
Kasai bayashi used aNo. 4flute for beginners.)70 There "The East" (Kojima 1981: XVII, 1, 2, 62-68)).
is a difference in pitch of approximately one semi-tone There is a standard placement of instruments in rehearsal
between the various flutes. The No. 5 flute has a range and performance which is shown in Figure 1. It should be
of B-4 to F-7. Actual pitch is flexible and as a result, noted that all of the KBH performers and the drummers of
85
% 84
the Kasai bayashi sit "Japanese style" (seiza) while performing;
the shinobue and kane performers of Kasai bayashi stand while
performing.
o The Music
u
(0 Edo no matsuri bayashi music is classified as minzoku geino
c
o (folk performing arts) and includes sato-kagura (folk Shinto
music and dance). The basic music for all of the contem
porary Tokyo groups is a multi-movement suite. KBH calls
this suite Su-bayashi (several pieces of music). As Linda Fujie
has indicated, this same music is known by various names
among the other ensembles, such as: Kiri-bayashi, Ji-bayashi,
<D and Hitotsu-bayashi (Fujie 1983: 38-43).
•H
•p
The titles of the eight component parts of the KBH Su-
0
CO
CO
I
i
bayashi and brief descriptions of the pieces follow:
o
1. Uchi-komi (to drive in, "as if the sun is rising"); a slow
and brief introduction.
o 2. Yatai (a float or cart); a four-wheel platform on which

X
-H the hayashi performs during festival parades (shinko);
o id
T3 variable tempo, slow to fast to slow; a major piece.
3. Shoden (to sit in front of a god at a shrine); moderately

slow; a major piece.
4. Kamakura (storehouse of a god, or seat of a god);

o lyrical and very slow; a major piece.
5. Shi-chome ("city block No. 4," or it is possibly of Noh

origin); variable tempo, slow to fast; a major piece.
Figure 1. Placement of instruments: Kanda Bayashi Hozonkai 6. Tama (a precious offering); it is performed as if it is a
87
86
part of Shi-chome; variable tempo, fast to slow; a major on all of the instruments. Since 1978, students in the Chiyoda
piece that is the highlight or climax of the suite. ward-KBH school learn only the percussion parts for the Su-
bayashi and "Nage-ai"; they do not learn to play the flute.
7. Agari-Yatai (Yatai advanced or brought back); modified Learning and performing on the flute is optional and takes
(shorter) and faster than the earlier Yatai; a major approximately a year of study with one of the senpai Today,
piece. fewer than half of the fifty active members perform on the
flute in addition to performing on all of the other instruments.
8. O-age (to rise up, ascend to the end); a slow and brief The Edo no matsuri bayashi repertoire is taught by the use
close. of mnemonics (syllabic vocal memory aids) which tend to
represent the sounds produced by the various percussion
The repertoire of the Edo bayashi groups includes works instruments. The KBH uses the following mnemonics:
known as hikyoku (secret, or reserved pieces). The Shishi-mai
(Lion Dance) is an example of hikyoku. These works are shime-daiko - the basic stroke is ten (equal to a quarter
performed by the senpai (senior members) and are taught to note); faster strokes are te-ke (right, then left hand
"promising" junior members. The KBH performs one other equal to the ten, or two eighth notes).
hikyoku titled "Mamono" which is an eight-part suite that is
integrated with the Su-bayashi in performance. The resulting o-daiko - the basic stroke is don (equal to a quarter
music is an extensive work of over twenty minutes in length. note); faster strokes are do-do, or do-don (right, left,
Additionally, there is a special piece used by the Edo two eighth notes).
bayashi groups during festivals, particularly when portable
shrines (mikoshi) are present. The general name of this piece kane - the basic stroke is chon, or kon (struck in the
is "Mikoshi bayashi" with the alternate names of "Nage-ai" center of the plate, equal to a quarter note, or depend
(used by the KBH) and "Nage-ari" (Kasai bayashi). "Nage-ai" ing on the music, shorter note values); faster strokes
(to throw together, or join in) is a composite piece using most are chi-ki (chi: striking the rim closest to the body; ki:
of the flute melody of "Tama" (from the Su-bayashi) and striking the rim away from the body; equal to two
stereotype percussion patterns. During the performance of eighth notes, or shorter note values).
this music, all members participate by rotating on all of the
instruments while the music is being performed. This rotation fue - although the fue is taught by imitating the
is necessary as the music may continue without pause or break teacher/-* every note has been assigned a mnemonic
for as much as an hour. syllable from the kata-kana syllabary (see examples that
follow).
Learning the Music
There are mnemonics for rests that are also taken from
Prior to 1978, KBH members performed all of the music the kata-kana syllabary. There is a variety of syllables used
88 89
*•
depending on the length of the rest and where it occurs in the (fue and
(one shime-daiko)
various patterns. Beats and measures are not counted. both taiko (shin)
(left hand) (right hand)
Learning all, of the music for the five different parts is and o-daiko)
difficult and time consuming. Even though a performer does

not play the fue, he/she must know the melodies so as to "fit" (c hi) -jr (Te)
the part being performed with the fue part.
There are two additional memory aids that now ease and
(hi) tZ
speed the learning process: 1) a tablature type of notation
(mainly for the shime-daiko), and 2) the cassette tape re (Ten)
corder.
Concerning the notation, it serves only as a reminder of
the music that is already learned. The players do not use it
in performance and it cannot be sightread.
The learning process is actually a two part activity. In
addition to the music that must be learned and memorized for
the various parts, one must also learn how to perform it in the
proper style and spirit. How it is performed is as important
as what is performed.
Notation
As far as it is known, the KBH repertoire was learned by

rote memorization without notation prior to 1978. When the
Chiyoda ward-KBH school began, and it became necessary to
teach a large number of students at one time, a tablature
notation for the Su-bayashi was written. In 1984, one of the
two KBH hikyoku, "Mamono", was similarly notated. The (Dc-) p n
rationale for writing this notation was protect and preserve the (*n) v A-
music for the future - an appropriate activity for a hozonkai

(preservation society).
As an example of this notation, "Uchi-komi", the introduc
tion to the Su-bayashi, is found in Example 1.
^ 90
Example. 1. "Uchi-komi," the introduction to the KBH
Su-bayashi suite in partial tablature and mnemonic
notation. The material is read from top to bottom and
from rightsto left. The long vertical line in Line one is
a hand guide; symbols to the right of this line indicate Mfc (17$^)
strokes by the right hand; symbols on the left are for
the left hand. Line one is performed in solo by the
mmiH J J.J J J J rN fyPj J
"shin" (lead) shime-daiko. Line two begins with the fue
(solo) with mnemonic notation from the kata-kana
syllabary. Both shime-daiko enter on the second note
of the fue. Near the bottom of Line two, the o-daiko
joins the fue. (To this point, the kane is not required.)
The tempo is approximately a quarter note is equal to
72 mm.; one Ten is equal to a quarter note, as are the
Te-Ke (two eighth notes), the Do, and the Don (the two
latter symbols are for the o-daiko). The "su" (Romani- J'49
zation of the kata-kana symbol) in Line one represents
an eighth rest. All parenthesized materials are addi J—J. A {-
tions by the writer. ( ( n
-r—(- C IT
Since 1984, a mixed type of notation has been developed tt*rfk j-j jvj>j ^m
combining a tablature for the fue with a western type of • o
t
• ®
percussion notation. This notation is for reference use only; %*&% o
•
o
•
O O o
•
o
•
o
•
o
•
it is not used in rehearsal or performance. It is an attempt to • • • • • # •
• o • •
more accurately preserve the music. Example 2 reflects the •
•
O
o
••
• • o • •
"Uchi-komF in this notation as written by Fukazawa Mikio, a • • • • • • •
senpai of the KBH and the teacher of the writer.ll
Example 2. "Uchi-komi," in "new notation." Romaniza-

tion of the Japanese and translation (as appropriate)
follows:
title line: Yatai (Uchi-komi) (Introduction to Yatai).
2nd line (in western notation with mnemonics below):
shime-daiko (shin). Example 2
92 93
lower staff system, top line: shime-daiko
middle line: o-daiko. <••
bottom line:'jue no rizumu (flute rhythm). "Tr*
words preceding tablature: fue no hako (bu) Yubi (flute 1--
finger movement). •
Chinese characters below first line of tablature: o-kan All--
(highest octave).
—i U
4t I
«.^.
Ml- 1 *' ^:-^

Although there is no meter signature, the tempo marking
,
*-i Aw
> • Ml- M*
is furnished. Western trained musicians tend to "look" for a
"downbeat," and often perform an accent on that beat to
•""i
\— •'1
i -j
organize the rhythm. This practice is completely absent in a
o
•H
•*HU
Japanese musicians performing this music. u i- •
In Example 3, the writer has "organized" the first part of 3
2 —\
m..s I
the "Uchi-komi" so as to provide a meter and a "downbeat." u
1..
This example is a transcription of Example 2 into western G •'"r
-•\ <-hi-H \.~ 1
notation. f*
<£ îii
\
Example 3. Transcription of the introduction Ûchi- 3 *

t
komi") to "Yatai" in Western notation. The common

time meter signature seems to fit the fist part of the 0 SI- * ^
piece. Further, this notation provides a hand guide for O;-- :>;• -^s"
the two drum parts. (The kane does not enter until ~* îlb «> «"v 5?^
part II of the suite, "Yatai," as well under way.) The *\ /•*
01 -o •o .cd fcl -bl
fue is required to perform the three highest notes, on c ^ 3
•o
the instrument upon entering - a difficult task which w

> Si
\«>
,: .3
00
+* ♦* ++ -H +H •»»
is made easier by the fortissimo dynamic mark. The .9 no

V4*
O
«
u
O j:
*} t 1
<-
I
.2
U
•*!
<>
tempo marks for the two parts are a bit unusual; «-t a
B
«)
•rt-f
•o 0
4
r<
moderately slow to very slow. i

4)
V)
v./ o
l .*
•H
E (0 V
•H 0)1 .9 •o C
r. a 1 at
"Kamakura," a major piece and the fourth part of the Su-
bayashi suite provides appropriate examples of melodic
1
V)
1 • 3
M wl -
material and the use of stereotyping in the percussion parts.

Example 3
Example 4 is a facsimile copy of„..the entire piece in "old"
95
"'-• 94
notation.
4$ KAMAKURA
Example 4. "Kamakura" in "old" (c. 1978) notation is
read from top to bottom and from right to left. The
first line on the right is read (fue) mae fuki (flute,
prelude playing). Mnemonics for the fue prelude are
— >— jAW in the third and fourth lines which comprise the first
part of the introduction. Line five, the second part of
the introduction, contains mnemonic notation for the
taiko and o-daiko without fue mnemonics. The broken
®[H"YjL!i.tLA. line rectangle in line five indicates an optional (and not
in 5?^ ri'•*•'• often used) o-daiko part. Lines six and seven contain
o
the main body of the piece, which in effect is a "four
A by-four" phrase (four measures of four beats each).
to
The notation in the upper part of line six are mnemon
OU* V^ ^'J. ,\ IL »JL *jL A U- A ics for the fue leading to o-daiko mnemonics in the
lower half of the line. Line seven contains mnemonics
J^t^
® A U-lt. LL A v-jt'^
for the taiko and o-daiko only, even though the fue and
kane are both performing. The kane, part, which has
its own mnemonics but is not notated, begins perform
ing the piece with the fue at the top of line six. The
percussion parts of lines six and seven are performed
from four to eleven times - in stereotyped manner -
depending on the number of melodic phrases chosen
to be performed by the fue player. There is a "stan
dard" fue melodic cue that is used to indicate when it
® is time to perform the last phrase (lines nine and ten).
Line eight is read agari fue (flute return) which in
essence indicates the closing phrase. Although lines
nine and ten contain only fue and taiko mnemonics, the
o-daiko and kane continue to perform to the end of the
piece.
Example 4 A facsimile copy of the introduction and first phrase of
96 97
"kama-kura" in "new" notation written by Fukazawa Mikio (c. o ••• M O O
C; >«•••• »ooo
1984) is found in Example 5.
9
Example 5.f."Kamakura" in "new" notation. Romaniza- t;s << • •• IIOO tn: oo OOOf 1
• O OOO* J
tion and translation of the Japanese words are as i*.
OO OOOI
follows: .„ ,3MI •©OO • O OOOI
/^rp.o » • * ••OO
title line (upper left): "Kamakura" in Chinese characters "-i* • •• •OOO - ^s 00 OOOI
re; f—">r «0' OOOI
>r «0O
(above) and hiragana (below), a place name. •—t K ••'O OOOt • O OOOI
OO O OO*
upper staff system, top line: shirabe, an alternate name t «00 OQO* o«••••&>
H< N IOI #•••©- • • • IOO ••
for the shime-daiko.
o» ••••
middle line: o-daiko. i • •• • «ao «b-
oi o»»i
bottom line: fue no rizumu, flute rhythm. z • •• ♦•®o »-
words preceding tablature: fue no hako (bu) yuki, flute <c- • o«••oo
4*i 0« •••• to
— Acc;
finger movement. n «o*•••• ••••oo
Chinese character below first line of tablature: kan, Ml* •OO ooo* • • •OO 0
high octave. *2s*«o% • • ••*& OO OOO •
*i>
^> oo 4 °i.i • O OOOI
Chinese character below second line of tablature of
jC «o« ••.•• ••••oo
measure 3: ro, backbone, literally, fundamental or jr.
** • <>• Of •• K.1 •••OOO
lowest octave. rr>* • ••o

• •• »o*
o«oi
û • •• •« o« ^•0 ••••oo
Chinese character below last line of tablature of measure *••••®o» •••OOO

ft->h • •• • oo«
( <*• ••♦•o*
3: o-kan, highest octave. i••••0O«
OO OOOI
Concerning the file tablature; the symbol indicates a « •••ooo« ^ X ^H 0 0 OOOI

i^ U *om OOO* • O OOOI
closed hole, indicates an open hole, indicates a lower
^W ••• ••oo OO OOOI
appogiatura (finger lightly and quickly "flicks" the hole),
T*->& • •• • ©oo
indicates a grace note (hole is open before the pulse of ^.-t ••• ««oo • O OOOI
the note, then closed on the pulse; see lower staff î'£ #00 00 0 •
OO OOOI
system of Example 2 for this symbol and Ex

ample 3 for its western application. aî'K »«oooo« a-
—t>ir »io oooi ••
E51
Slurs are not indicated in this example, however, they are «8
used in performance (see following example). The rhythm of v
this example basically reflects a "commontime", or four-four

meter (other than the six-four meter signature of measure 2). Example 5
In performance, measures 1-3 are executed freely; from
99
98
measure 4 to the end of the piece, the rhythm is tempo giusto.
The complete fue melody of "Kamakura" in western notation
is found in Example 6.
Example 6. "Kamakura" in western notation as per

J -44 | IV.. KAMAKURA
formed on the No. 5 (go-hon-choshi) fue. Among the
X ^ 8va seapce
eight pieces of the KBH Su-Bayashi, "Kamakura" is the
most lyrical in style and also the slowest in tempo.
Considering the stereotyped simplicity of the percussion
parts, the focus is on the fue part. In looking at the
melody and keeping in mind that absolute pitch is not
part of the system in matsuri-bayashi, several charac
teristics may be noted:
1) Pitch and tonal center. The first three measures of

the introduction seem to outline a C minor focus
5 ^ feJhfc (conveniently reflecting the supplied key signature).
However, and more importantly, a focus on nuclear
tones (kaku-on) is necessary.72 That is, there are two
principal tones a perfect fourth apart. (See measures
2 and 3 and notes G5 and C6.) Beginning with letter B
(measure 6), the nuclear tones are F6 and C6. With
the emphasis on F6, there is a hint of F minor, em
phasized by an occasional Db. In the last phrase
(beginning with letter E, measure 22), the nuclear focus
tends to weaken, even hinting at a shift. Interestingly,
(optional nets. 24) 25 y^tr* = the piece ends on non-nuclear tones. This ending,
however, C5, D7, F7, Eb7, F7, Eb7, is more a part of
the entire suite rather than "Kamakura" This collection
of closing notes is found at the end of all of the major
pieces of the suite.
2) Scale. It is tempting to impose one of the traditional

Example 6 Japanese scales (Jo, or in) or the gaped yona-nuki
101
100
(fourth and seventh steps taken out) on this music. In rhythmic sophistication and sharply contrast with "Kamakura"
this writer's opinion, scale is not a primary concern in and "Shoden." The entire suite merits further discussion and
this music; the nuclear tones concept (see above) is a analysis.
more likely interpretation.
Conclusion
3) Range. "Kamakura" has a range of C5 to F7 which
reflects the range of the No. 5 fue. The music of the Kanda Bayashi Hozonkai, representative
of the Tokyo festival music genre known as Edo no matsuri
4) Cadence patterns. After the introduction (measures bayashi, is part of a living tradition. This music continues to
1-5), there are five phrases; B to C, C to D, D to CI, reinforce the ancient religious cultural traditions of Shinto
CI to E, and E to the end of the piece. One pattern, among the Japanese people. The growing popularity of this
found on the third beat of measures 9, 13, and 21 is music is clearly evident from visual and written accounts. The
prominent. As mentioned above, the closing cadence repertoire of the KBH includes a specific body of music,
pattern is significant in that it is found at the end of dance, and pantomime within a tradition that is about 1000
the major pieces of the suite. years old in Japan and about 250 years old in the Tokyo area.
This tradition and repertoire have demonstrated a dynamic
The rhythm of "Kamakura" is an uncomplicated four-four aspect in its codification and gradual change over the years.
meter in a very slow tempo without beat prominence in the Until recently, this music has been performed and learned
fue part. The introduction is actually performed in a free exclusively by the rote memory method. Since 1978 in the
rhythm style without a feeling of meter or beat. The optional KBH organization, notation systems have gradually appeared
measure 24 is preferred by some of the KBH fue performers in order to expand the pedagogical method and to faithfully
and it provides some variety in the rhythm of the piece. preserve the music.
The form of "Kamakura" is characteristic of the other Further study of this tradition is needed: its history, the
pieces of the KBH basic suite. There is a prominence of instruments, the music, the pedagogical method, its performing
four-measure phrases, both melodically and rhythmically. A practices, the various Edo no matsuri bayashi in the Tokyo
chart of the phrases demonstrates a typical pattern for much area, and, the impact of this genre on the contemporary scene.
traditional Japanese music; some repetition, but mostly Hopefully, additional western musicians will pursue the study
progressive form: introduction - B - C - D - CI - E. of this exciting non-western music.
Among the remaining pieces of the KBH Su-Bayashi,
"Shoden" is somewhat like "Kamakura" in tempo and style and
uses the same pattern in the kane part. The other percussion ENDNOTES
patterns of "Shoden" include some stereotyping but more
complicated in rhythmic construction. "Yatai" and "Shi Chome" 1. Hayashi is the name given to small percussion and flute
- "Tama" are extended piece s with considerable melodic and ensembles such as the Noli hayashi, Kabuki geza-bayashi and
102 103
matsuri-bayashl see the two articles by Kojima Tomiko in "The East" (1980
2. See the article on hozonkai by David Hughes in the and 1981).
"International Symposium onthe Conservation and Restoration 10. Altogether, eleven or twelve different size fue are available
of Cultural Property" (Hughes 1981: 29-45). in the Kabuki geza-bayashi See Kishibe (1966: Figure 68).
3. For details concerning Shinto festivals, see "The East" 11. The term sensei (teacher, or master teacher) is not used
(Shima 1982: 34-37; Ishikawa 1984: no. 4, 40-43, no. 5, 9-12; in the KBH. Reference to one's teacher is made by using the
Nakamura 1986: 5-9),. and the Japan Travel Bureau "Festivals teacher's family name plus the term son (Mr., Mrs., Miss).
of Japan." The senpai of the KBH are its teachers. A third person
4. Professor Malm, who has studied matsuri-bayashi music reference would include the family name plus senpai or san.
and instruments with Wakayama Taneo the "leader" of the 12. Kaku-on is translated as nuclear tones. For details of this
Edo Bayashi, has provided a large amount of general informa term and the related tetra-chord concept, see Koizumi (1977:
tion about the Edo no matsuri-bayashi and many specific 73 - 79).
details about the instruments, the music, and the learning
process in his essay. Further, he has described the Edo sato- BIBLIOGRAPHY
kagura performed by the Tokyo hayashi.
5. In addition to teaching the instruments and the music, Fujie, Linda
Nose also taught the values of wisdom, justice, and courage . 1983 "Effects of Urbanization on Matsuri-Bayashi in
According to the Kasai Bayashi records, Nose believed that if Tokyo," in Yearbook For Traditional Music. New
the young men were fully involved with all of these studies, it York: International Council for Traditional Music,
would reduce their activities in the areas of drinking, fighting, v. 15, pp. 38-44.
gambling, and consorting with women.
6. The Kasai Bayashi records are unclear as to whether the Hughes, David W.
Katori-gu (Katori Shrine) was renamed Kasai or that Nose's 1981 "Japanese Folk Song Preservation Societies: Their
hayashi was moved to the Kasai Jinja (Kasai Shrine). History and Nature," in Preservation and Develop
7. Following the 1978 LP recording, a cassette edition (A-244) ment of the Traditional Performing Arts. Tokyo:
was issued by the King Record Company of Tokyo. Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural
8. The generic name for drums struck with sticks is taiko. Properties, pp. 29-45.
This term includes the lashed and tacked barrel types found
in many music genres (Noh, Kabuki, minyo, etc.). Taiko Ishikawa, Takashi
becomes daiko in most compounds such as shime-daiko. 1984 "The Origin of the Shrine," in The East. To k y o :
9. Fue is the generic name for flute. Occasionally, yoko-bue The East Publications, Inc., v. XX, no. 4, pp. 40-43.
is used as the name for flute. Normally, yoko-bue is an 1984 "The Origin and Essence of Shinto Festivals," in The
alternate name for the ryuteki, a flute used in gagaku. For East. Tokyo: The East Publications, Inc., v. XX,
further information concerning the matsuri-bayashi instruments, no. 5, pp. 9-12.
104 105
Japan Travel Bureau Nakamura Tatsuya
1985 Festivals of Japan (Illustrated). Translated by John 1986 "The Economics of Festivals," in The East. Tokyo:
Howard Loftus. Tokyo: Japan Travel Bureau, Inc. The East Publications, Inc., v. XXII, no. 2, pp. 5-9.
Kikkawa, Eishi, ed.
1985 Hogaku Hyakka Jiten, 2nd. ed. Tokyo: Ongaku no Shima Hiroshi
tomo sha, pp. 210, 240, 260-261. (in Japanese) 1982 "Palanquin of the Gods," in The East. Tokyo: The
East Publications, Inc., v. XVII, nos. 9 & 10, pp. 34-
Kishibe Shigeo 37.
1966 The Traditional Music of Japan. Tokyo: Kokusai
Bunka Shinkokai. RECORDINGS
Kojima Tomiko Cassette tapes:

1980-1 "Japanese Musical Instruments, Parts I and II," in "Kanda Bayashi, Edo no matsuri bayashi," King Record
The East. Tokyo: The East Publications, Inc., v. Company, A-244, 1978. Tokyo.
XVI, nos. 11 & 12, pp. 8-16; v. XVII, nos. 1 & 2, "Edo Bayashi," Japanese National Music Series. Crown
pp. 62-68. Record Company FCT-2014, 1980. Wakayama Taneo
group. Tokyo.
Koizumi Fumio "Edo no matsuri bayashi," Japan Columbia, Inc., CAK-9150,
1977 "Musical Scales in Japanese Music," in Asian Music n.d. Matsumoto Gennosuke group. Tokyo.
in an Asian Perspective, Koizumi E, Tokumaru Y., "The Hayashi, Edo no matsuri bayashi," Victor Musical
and Yamaguchi 0., eds. Tokyo: The Japan Founda Industrial, Inc., VCK-984, 1986. Wakayama Taneo group.
tion, pp. 73-79. Tokyo. "The Traditional Music of Japan." Victor Musical
Industrial, Inc., VCK-2071,1984. A collection of traditional
Malm, William P. Japanese music which includes the "Su-bayashi" suite of the
1959 Japanese Music and Musical Instruments. Tokyo: Kanda Bayashi Hozonkai. Kishibe Shigeo, ed. Tokyo.
Tuttle. n.d. "Edo Festival Music and Pantomime,"
in Essays on Asian Music and Theater. New York: Compact Disc:
The Performing Arts Program of the Asia Society. "O-Matsuri Bayashi," Denon America, Inc., C-33-7205,
1977 Music Cultures of the Pacific, The Near East, and 1987. Matsumoto Gennosuke group. Fairfield, N.J.
Asia, 2nd. ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, pp.
185-7.
1986 Six Hidden Views of Japanese Music. Berkeley:
University of California.
106 107
BAMBOO RUSTLING IN THE WIND Six hundred years after the Emperor Wu, in the Tang
Dynasty, a smaller "shaku" came to be applied to measuring
the flute so that the one-shaku four-sun dong-xiao (in the
by Saito Sessarr7 huang-zhong mode) became a little less than one-shaku eight-
(Translated by John Tedford)2 sun in the smaller shaku measurement. From the one-shaku
eight (hachi)-sun dong-xiao arose the abbreviated name shaku-
Recently on television we often see and hear shakuhachi hassun flute. I think that this is the point at which the
performing not only with sangen and koto but with Western shakuhachi emerged as a separate entity as the shaku-hassun
instruments as well. Moreover, it is quite common to hear the branched off from the dong-xiao.
sound of the shakuhachi echoing as background music. Where In any case, it is probably correct that both the instrument
are the roots of this instrument which conveys such a mysteri and the name shakuhachi originated in the Tang Dynasty, and
ous sound? Why did the komuso priests who we often see in that the affinity of the shakuhachi to the xiao is as stated
historical dramas have the appearance that they did? Let us above. It is interesting to note that because the beloved
begin by discussing the instrument itself. princess Yang Kui-Fei also played the instrument, it was also
called the Y6 Ki-hi.
A Short History of the Shakuhachi The transmission of the instrument to Japan occurred
geographically either indirectly through Korea of directly from
There are various and confused theories about the origin China, the time period was about 600 A.D., around the time
of the shakuhachi; in fact we could say that there is no clear of Sh6toku Taishi or somewhat before: the same time that is
explanation and that its origins are unknown. No artifacts or said to be that of the dong-xiao.
historical relics have been discovered of a uniquely Japanese At the time of the Emperor Shomu, about 100 years after
vertical flute as of yet. the death of Shotoku Taishi, the king of Kudara (in Korea),
Vertical flutes existed from before the Christian Era in the Giji, presented (the Japanese court) with a gift of Kudara-gaku
Far East and India, but the relationship between these and (music) as well as four shakuhachi which have been preserved
the shakuhachi is unclear. In the time of the Emperor Wu to this day in the Shosoin. during the Nara and Heian Periods
(140-87 B.C.) of the Han Dynasty a vertical bamboo flute, i.e., there was frequent contact with the Three Kingdoms of Korea
the qiang flute was introduced and passed on from contact and with China, and among those who transmitted Tang
with the nomadic people called the Chiay (Qiang) of Sichuan, Period music there were doubtlessly shakuhachi masters. The
this flute was fashioned by Qiu-Zhong to correspond to the upper classes developed a taste for the shakuhachi, but
one-shaku four-sun length of the huang-zhong ("gold bell") because it never spread among the common people it is said
pipe of the da-xiao and had four fingering holes. Later, Jing- to have disappeared during the Kamakura Period (1192-1337
Fang added one hole on the back to conform with the classical A.D.).
Chinese pentatonic scale. The qiang flute was later called the
dong-xiao (d6sh6) which in turn was contracted to xiao (sho). Even two pieces of bamboo of the same diameter may
109
% 108
Fuke priests and was drawn to the spirit of the mysterious
differ in the size, of the interior bore as well as in the thick
sound of their bells. It is said that he imitated that sound in
ness of the wall, its density and relative hardness and the
playing the shakuhachi and that this was the origin of the
general shape *>f the bamboo. In this sense they possess
piece Kyotaku, later known as Kyorei, the first of the San-
differences quit$ similar to those we find in two people. In
Kyorei.
order to compensate for these variations when the shakuhachi
In 1249 at the beginning of the Kamakura Period, the
is played along with other instruments, the idea of interior H6t6-Sect Buddhist priest Kakushin (also known by the
blocking was conceived of, and at present instruments utilizing
religious names Shinji or Muhon) traveled at the age of 43 to
this concept are the general norm.
Sung-Dynasty China where four years later in the fifth year of
From long ago classical shakuhachi pieces have been
Kencho he entered the discipline of the Zen priest Fo-Yan
handed down and performed on flutes that were made from
bamboo from which only the joints have been removed: the (author of the Mumonkan) at the Renwang temple (Nio-ji) in
Hangzhou. At that time he studied the shakuhachi in the
resonance of the natural bamboo of what is called chikuin has
tradition of the Zhang family under the koji Zhang-Can (a
an important role in creating the mood and character of the
16th generation descendant of Zhang-Bo) who was at the
piece. In shakuhachi that are constructed with blocking, the same temple. In the sixth year of Kench6 (1254) he returned
chikuin is severely constricted and it is impossible to project
to Japan accompanied by four Sung koji, Kokusa, Risei, H6fu
the true flavor of the piece. This is why Mydan shakuhachi so and Shujo who shared his love of the shakuhachi. Looking
strongly values the jinashi bamboo. Furthermore, in this back from the present (1985) this was some 732 years ago.
particular circle the shakuhachi is treated as a h6ki (religious Four years after his return he founded Saih6-ji (presently
instrument). Kokoku-ji) at Yura in Arita-gun in the province of Kishu (now
Next let us consider the komus6 (Fuke priests).
the town of Yura in Hidaka-gun in Wakayama Prefecture).
After Kakushin moved to Saih6-ji there was a gradual
A Short History of the Fuke Sect increase in people who admired his lofty goals and entered the
ranks of his temple. Kakushin encouraged these followers to
In the middle of the 9th century (the beginning of the
study the shakuhachi with the Sung players and led in the
Heian Period, about the time of the monk Kukai). at the end development of the mysterious doctrine of practicing Zen and
of the Tang Dynasty, the Zen priest Yi-Xuan (Gigen) who was achieving enlightenment using suishd ("blowing the xiao") as a
the founder of the Rinzai Sect, and several Fuke Zen priests convenient help in zazen. This guiding doctrine was the origin
who were acquaintances, were residing at Rinzai-in Zhenzhou, of the koji-shakuhachi and developed into suish6-zen, the basis
Hebei Province. They would go out every day and beg for of the religious alms begging of the Fuke priests of komuso.
alms while shaking and ringing bells (taku) and chanting a four At some point the komus6 sect of koji-shakuhachi arose and
stanza religious verse (not translated here). during the middle of the Edo Period (1603-1868) this turned
At the same temple lived the koji (Buddhist layman) into the powerful and influential Fuke Zen sect. But with the
Zhang-Bo (Chohaku) who was a skilled player of the shakuha abolishment of this sect in the 4th year of Meiji (1871) the
chi. He revered and respected the unworldly manner of the
. "''*.
7!7v<.
•m 111
no
son of Kusuoki Masayuki's younger brother Masayoshi, took
religious traditions of the sect died out. However, in distinc up the study of Zen and shakuhachi with the koji Kyofu (a
tion from the shakuhachi which is active at present in the follower of Sekiyama Keigen) at My6shin-ji in Ky6to. He took
world of musical entertainment, the My6an shakuhachi the religious name Komu ("empty nothingness") and dressed
represents the continuous tradition of travel in disguise and as a Fuke priest went out to beg for alms. Because he wore
secretiveness of performance and it alone has preserved this a priest's robe over his clothing, wore a short sword dangling
thread of existence. loosely at his waist and covered his head with a woven basket,
There was a particularly zealous koji among Kakushin's Fuke priests came to be known as komus6 (so = priest). As
followers whose name was Yoritake Ry6en (later known as the regards Masakatsu, we find among the complete chronicles of
Zen priest Kyochiku). He trained in the traditional begging the Tsukuba Shrine the Chronicle of the Generations of
style of the Fuke Zen priests, but instead of ringing abell and Kotsu-ji which states, "In the sixth generation the koji Kyosan
chanting religious verses, he played the shakuhachi. He took Mugetsu (=Komu) restored the Japanese komusd; his real
as an article of faith and enlightenment the Fuke Zen verse name was Kusunoki Masakatsu."
My6an-S6s6 and carried his begging bowl throughout the Throughout the Kamakura Period, the Period of the
Ky6to-6saka area. Thus originated the begging of Fuke Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Muromachi Period, the
priests and later komus6 who did not chant the traditional Period of the Warring States and the Azuchi-Momoyama
sutras but who rather made a single shakuhachi piece into Period, masterless samurai (rdnin) continued to become
their form of devotion. Later on Yoritake constructed a komus6 while waiting for their fortunes to improve, and thus
hermitage which he called Rdan at Uji-Okamoto in the the temples gradually became more prosperous. At the
province of Sanjo (present-day Okamoto in Uji City, Kyoto beginning of the Edo Period, the ten sects of komuso encom
Prefecture). He died on 28 September in the sixth year of passed 140 komuso temples found for the most part from the
Einin (1298). Kanto area to the Tohoku area.
Yoritake's religious heir Tengai Myofu constructed a From around the Genroku Period (1688-1704), the Kanto-
temple at Shirakawa in Higashiyama. As the special tenet of region temple Ichigatsu-ji (Matsudo City) cooperated with the
his temple he took the words of the Tang Zen priest Xuan- Shogunate's policy on r6nin (masterless samurai) and by
Jian: "In the void (kyo) is found the spirit (rei); in emptiness reaching a secret agreement of mutual benefit with the
is found wonder," and as an article of faith for attaining government it consolidated the Fuke Sect and wielded great
enlightenment he adopted'the My6an-S6s6 verse of the Fuke power and influence. The temple Myoan-ji in Ky6to, while
Sect. The temple was name Kyorei-san Myoan-ji; it claimed publicly maintaining a neutral attitude toward the Fuke Sect,
in its lineage the priests of the H6t6 Sect and as its founder in fact clung to the tenets of the komus6 and was responsible
the Zen priest Kyochiku. Its principal image was the guardian for the control of komuso in Western Japan. Toward the end
statue of Kannon from R6an, and a statue of Kyochiku was of the Edo Period there were members of My6an-ji who were
enshrined as well. This d6j6 of Zensho-ho (sho = xiao) punished for activities on behalf of the royalist cause.
probably dates from the end of the Kamakura Period. Through an edict of the Restoration Government in the
After the collapse$f Kenmu Tadtfki, Masakatsu, the eldest
9$
113
112
fourth year of Meiji (1871), both the Fuke Sect and the alms- Inashiki-gun, Edozaki-machi
collecting activities of the komusd were banned. The econom
K6an-ji (F) Jdshu, Niiharu-gun, Katano
ic basis of the komus6 temples collapsed and they proceeded (P) Ibaraki-ken, Niiharu-gun, Yasato-
down the path to total dissolution. machi
Only after many vicissitudes did the sect begin to recover: (B) Taitei-ji (Sdtd Sect)
it reformed in July, Meiji 23 (1890) as the My6an Ky6kai. In Niiharu-gun, Yasato-machi
Showa 25 (1950) it- obtained the independent status of
fcukuba-san Kotsu-ji (F) Jdshfl, Tsukuba-gun, Tsukuba
religious corporation as My6an-ji. At present there are two
(P) Ibaraki-ken, Tsukuba-gun, Tsukuba
annual meetings, both in Ky6to and in other areas, of the (B) Seisan-ji (Sdtd Sect)
Shakuhachi Honkyoku Zenkoku Kens6 Taikai (Shakuhachi Tsukuba-gun, Tsukuba-machi
Honkyoku Nationwide Performance Assembly). In Ky6to ikyti-san Shingetsu-in (F) Jdshfl, Makabe-gun, Shimozuma
(Shingetsu-ji) (P) Ibaraki-ken, Shimozuma-shi
these are held in Higashiyama-ku, Motomachi 15-chome.
(B) Tah6-in (S6t6 Sect), Shimozuma-shi
Komus6 Kenkyu-kai (Komusd Research Group), fearing
the scattering and loss of relics and resource materials from Anraku-ji (F) J6shti, Makabe-gun, Furugdri
komus6 temples, has researched and preserved such antiquities (P) Ibaraki-ken, Makabe-gun, Ky6wa-
and has collected and catalogued materials in order to make machi
(B) My6h6-ji, (Tendai Sect)
them available to future generations. Established four years Makabe-gun, Iwase-machi
ago, the seasonal journal Ichion Jobutsu ("Attaining Bud-
dhahood Through a Single Sound") has now reached its ninth Yuki-san Ch6zen-in (F) J6shil, Yfiki-gun, Hong6
edition; the group itself has nearly 500 members. (Ch6zen-ji) (P) Ibaraki-ken, Yuki-shi at Sumiyoshi
Shrine
(B) An'on-ji (S6t6 Sect)
Yuki-shi, Kaji-machi
SHORT LIST OF THE KOMUSO TEMPLES The following are the eight temples of Mito:
IN IBARAKI PREFECTURE (JOSHU)
Kanseki (F) JdshA, Taga-gun, Shimo-Tazuna
N.B. (F) = Former, Edo Period name of location (P) Ibaraki-ken, Takahagi-shi
(P) = Present name of location (B) Unknown
(B) = Budai-ji (Bodhi Temple) of the komusd temple
Kansha (-sai) (F) J6shfl, Taga-gun, Kami-Tazuna
"Mountain" Temple Location (P) Ibaraki-ken, Takahagi-shi
(B) Unknown
6ji-san Daihi-ji (F) J6shti, Shinta-gun, Edozaki
(P) Ibaraki-ken,Inashikigun, Tbkusan (F) Jdshfl, Kuji-gun, Orihashi-mura
Edozaki-machi (P) Ibaraki-ken, Kuji-gun, Satomi-mura
(B) Kanten-ji (S6t6 Sect) (B) Senpuku-ji (SdtO Sect)
m
114 115
Kuji-gun, Satomi-mura
Tessui (F) Jdshfl, Kuji-gun, Onaka-mura

(P) Ibaraki-ken, Kuji-gun, Satomi-mura
(B) Same as above
Gentatsu (F) Jfishfl, Kuji-gun, Onaka-mura

(?) Ibaraki-ken, Kuji-gun, Satomi-mura
(B) Unknown (possible Senpuku-ji)
Sdzan (F) J6shu, Kuji-gen, Kozuma-mura

(?) Ibaraki-ken, Kuji-gun, Satomi-mura
(B) Senpuku-ji (as above)
Butsugo-san Eirin-ji (F) Jdshfl, Kuji-gun, Komdse-mura

(Koryu-san) (P) Ibaraki-ken, Kuji-gun, Daigo-machi
(B) Unknown
Chosen-ji (F) Yashfl, Mumo-gun, BatO-mura

(P) Tbchigi-ken, Nasu-gun, BatO
(B) Kantoku-ji
ENDNOTES
1. Saito Sessan is a Grand Master of Shakuhachi in Ibaraki Prefecture.

He is the head of the "Chikuinsha" (a federation of approximately 150
shakuhachi players) and has been teaching for the past 40 years.
2. The readings of proper names contained in the article are based on

common usage and it was impossible to check for complete accuracy
(translator's note).
+v,
116

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THE SHAKUHACHI OF JIN NYODO:

A COLLECTION OF CLASSICAL HONKYOKU

The following collection of short explanations of shakuhachi

Suffixes B. SHIRABE - CHOSHI

1. About the title:

This piece is also known as Monju-kyoku which derives from

When ura-joshi is played in ensemble with hon-joshi, the

2. Structure of the piece 10. Nezasa-ha: MATSUKAZE (Urajoshi)

1-shaku 7-sun flute

Honte A high-pitched section in the KO-range (second 2-shaku 3-sun

Honte.... This section begins with resonant blowing in the Ko-

its connection with two Fuke temples, we will still have to

3. Special features of the piece: 22. Kinko-ryu: SAN'YA-SUGAGAKI

The style of playing this Yobidake-Ukedake varied with the

from the lowest tone to the highest tone within KO (the

2. Structure of the piece:

It is formed of three dan, the middle of which is a takane

It has a binary structure [I(a-b) - Il(c-b-finale)]. Section c is 2. Structure of the piece

Please refer to Kinko-ryu: Banshiki-cho. In the past this piece

38. Itcho-ken: AZUMA-NO-KYOKU

3. Special features of the piece:

b. Ki-Sui-An Honkyoku, Vols. I - IV (HS 210c, 202c,

c. Gagaku (HS 301c): Japanese Imperial Court

Records and cassettes are $10.00 (this includes postage and

o 2. Yatai (a float or cart); a four-wheel platform on which

3. Shoden (to sit in front of a god at a shrine); moderately

4. Kamakura (storehouse of a god, or seat of a god);

5. Shi-chome ("city block No. 4," or it is possibly of Noh

difficult and time consuming. Even though a performer does

As far as it is known, the KBH repertoire was learned by

music for the future - an appropriate activity for a hozonkai

senpai of the KBH and the teacher of the writer.ll

Example 2. "Uchi-komi," in "new notation." Romaniza-

Chinese characters below first line of tablature: o-kan All--

Ml- 1 *' ^:-^

In Example 3, the writer has "organized" the first part of 3

Example 3. Transcription of the introduction ^Uchi- 3 *

komi") to "Yatai" in Western notation. The common

the instrument upon entering - a difficult task which w

is made easier by the fortissimo dynamic mark. The .9 no

moderately slow to very slow. i

material and the use of stereotyping in the percussion parts.

Example 4 A facsimile copy of the introduction and first phrase of

high octave. *2s*«o% • • ••*& OO OOO •

lowest octave. rr>* • ••o

Chinese character below last line of tablature of measure *••••®o» •••OOO

Concerning the file tablature; the symbol indicates a « •••ooo« ^ X ^H 0 0 OOOI

system of Example 2 for this symbol and Ex

Slurs are not indicated in this example, however, they are «8

used in performance (see following example). The rhythm of v

this example basically reflects a "commontime", or four-four

Example 6. "Kamakura" in western notation as per

1) Pitch and tonal center. The first three measures of

2) Scale. It is tempting to impose one of the traditional

Kojima Tomiko Cassette tapes:

Tessui (F) Jdshfl, Kuji-gun, Onaka-mura

Gentatsu (F) Jfishfl, Kuji-gun, Onaka-mura

Sdzan (F) J6shu, Kuji-gen, Kozuma-mura

Butsugo-san Eirin-ji (F) Jdshfl, Kuji-gun, Komdse-mura

Chosen-ji (F) Yashfl, Mumo-gun, BatO-mura

high octave. 2s«o% • • ••*& OO OOO •