SHAKUHACHI HISTORY

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SHAKUHACHI

The Japanese bamboo flute

It’s in the 6th century that we can find manuscripts of the bamboo flutes showing its use. In the 7^th century, the bamboo flute belonged to the instruments used during the representations given at the court, music known under the name of Gagaku.

Diplomatic and cultural exchanges between Chinese continent and Japan being common, we can think that this flute was introduced in Japan with other musical instruments that were intended to give entertainments at the court (Gagaku; court music). This flute more known under the name of Gagaku Shakuhachi was used during representations of Gagaku up to the 9^th century then it was taken off the orchestra during the reform of music.

Shôsôin, the House of the treasures of the Tôdaiji temple (known for its great Buddha) preserved 8 of these flutes. On the 8 flutes, only 5 are in bamboo. The 3 others are made of jade, ivory and stone. These 3 flutes were carved in order to represent the nodes of the bamboo.

A 9th Gagaku Shakuhachi is also preserved at the national museum of Tokyo, and would have belonged to the emperor Shôtoku Taishi (574-622). Shôtoku Taishi was recognized for his knowledge and love of music.

It is in the 13th century that Shakuhachi of the Fuke sect was introduced by the Grand Master Hottô. Shakuhachi was then considered not as a musical instrument but as a religious instrument.

This Buddhist sect opened at its origin to people wishing to enter the sect, accepted later only the members born from the noble class of the warriors, the Samurai.

These warrior monks called Komuso (虚無僧 monks of Emptiness), were itinerant monks.

During Edo era (1603-1868), Komusô pilgrim monks played an important role in the maintenance of law and order established by the Shogun government of Tokugawa aiming to maintain a durable peace and to thwart political intrigues. This internal political stability made it possible to preserve a lasting peace during 265 years.

In the 18th century, a new style of music was born through the Kinko-ryû school. Kinko Kurosawa, his creator, arranged traditional pieces of which he had received teaching to make more furnished and heavier pieces. This style derived from the Fuke sect left many writings on its development.

At the end of Edo government, number of people not belonging to the class of the warriors put on the clothes of Komusô for various reasons. These impostors played popular pieces not belonging to the traditional repertory of the Fuke sect.

With Meiji restoration (1868), in 1871, Fuke sect was banned by the new regime in place because of its implication and its active role in the government of Tokugawa.

Thereafter, recitals in public with three instruments (Sankyoku: Shakuhachi, Koto, and Shamisen) were privileged to the practice in solo. It is as from this time that Shakuhachi was democratized in the middle-class of the society via the recitals given in public.

The tradition and the teaching from Master to disciple of the Fuke sect despite continued to be transmitted through some grand Masters like Miyakawa Nyozan (宮川如山), Kobayashi Shizan (小林紫山), Okazaki Meido (岡崎明道), Katsuura Shozan (勝浦正山), Takahashi Kûzan (高橋空山), and today Fujiyoshi Etsuzan (藤由越山), but remain limited because of its elitist and secret character.

These genius instrumentalists while preserving the heritage they had received, opened of new horizons to Shakuhachi to allow it to take a new musical dimension.

With Meiji era (1868-1912), some members of the Fuke Shakuhachi sect around Kyôto decided to continue their practice openly and the friendly association of the Myôan Temple was created in 1883 (name drawing its origins from the Myôan temple of the Fuke sect located at Kyôto). The teaching pieces are mainly those which were transmitted to the Myôan temple. This association, more known nowadays under the name of school Myôan-ryû (明暗流 also named vulgarly Meian-ryû) is often studied by the members of the schools Kinko and Tozan who seek to approach the original parts which are not taught any more in their style.

The school Tozan-ryû, another style appeared at the end of the 19th century. Its creator Tozan Nakao born in the area of Kansai where the style developed and continues to thrive. Tozan created and developed specific parts to his style. These solos and ensemble represent the tradition of this school. This school is currently the most important in number of practicing people.

All these schools and various styles contributed to enrich and develop the repertory of the bamboo flute. These same schools gave rise to many other modern schools.

If one could attend the drift of some styles - where the noise is privileged to the music and where some passages having to be played with smoothness are played with force and heaviness and sometimes the opposite - and the appearance of a certain form of musical decline, one can estimate that they reflect their time and made Shakuhachi possible to evolve more or less well with its time. Moreover for a few years one has attended, a return to more reliable values.