Monday, November 27, 2006

Shakuhachi and Taiko in Aichi

Nov. 22, 2006

We left at a leisurely pace from Kyoto around 11 AM, kind of reluctant to leave but itching to move along on our journey. Our next destination was the Kokushou Temple in Aichi where we would meet the nembutsu (Jodo Shu) priest and shakuhachi player, Yano Shiku. I first heard about him through my association with the great master potter of Shiga Raki, Kanzaki Shiho, who actually dabbled a bit in making shakuhachi.

We took the shinkansen to Nagoya, then took a local train to the little town of Agui where we were met by Yano-san and his student, Vito, an Italian fellow from Germany who has been studying with Yano for about 1 year. We met Vito for the first time on our last trip there. They quickly drove us to the temple where we were shown to our tatami rooms which were very nice. Yano did an incredible job rennovating the temple from the ruin which he had described it had been in.

After getting settled in Yano-san shared with us a video taping of a performance he did with high level Shomyo chanting monks from Koya-san. It was a strange mixture of austere, traditional religious ritual with modern shakuhachi/piano/percussion music from Yano and his trio. At about 6 pm. we all gatherd in the Buddha Hall where we all played honkyoku for eachother. After that, Yano`s wife prepared a sumptuous meal of nabe yaki (boiled soup in pots) with various vegetables, seafoods, and meats. After the meal we all helped in cleaning up. We all relaxed a bit then Yano prepared a nightcap for us as we admired Yano`s collection of beautiful Japanese pottery....of course my favorite pieces were Kanzaki Shiho`s!

Eileen Kage, my taiko-playing friend from Vancouver recommended I check out Shidara Taiko when we come to Aichi as she was a roadie on their US tour this past summer she raved about them. So I checked the Shidara Taiko website and it said that they are performing in Aichi on the 23rd of November which is tomorrow. Yano check the time and place for us and found it was at 2:30 pm in a town called Nishio which is about 2 hours from Agui. This couldn`t have been better timing. We could see the show and make it to Matsumoto in the evening.

I slept quite nicely that night. The next morning most of us who woke up gathered in the Buddha hall for chanting and meditation. Yano lead the chanting as we all participated in 30 minutes of chanting `Namu Amida Butsu`. Then 30 minutes of silent meditation. Breakfast was bread, pasteries, juice, coffee, and fruits. Yano had a funeral job to do that morning so he bid us farewell around 9:30. Shidara Taiko responded to my email saying that they are waiting for us to come to their performance in the afternoon. Yano printed out a map for us to get to Nishio.

We left Agui at 11 am and got to Nishio about 1 pm. On the way, we somehow lost Randall as he wasn`t on the train when we disembarked from one station. I wasn`t too worried however, as it was fairly easy to get back to Kyoto.

We were greeted quite warmly by the Shidara staff and had a bite to eat in the nearby cafe before the show. The Shidara performance was quite impressive. Very technically advanced and powerful drummers with beautiful melodies from the shino-bue-playing females. During their encore, Matheus, John Paul, and I were pulled up on stage to dance with everyone which was quite fun.

After the show, I started to get a headache which started to morph into nauseating sickness. When we got on the Shinkansen, I was throwing up along with diarreah. I blamed the food at cafe before the show thinking it must`ve been something spoiled. We arrive in at the Ryokan Seifu So in Matsumoto around 9:30 pm, checked into our rooms (I got a single), took a bath, and I immediately crashed into futon and slept and went to the toilet (it must`ve been at least 15 times) literally all night long.

I wasn`t feeling any better the next morning. I even skipped breakfast as any kind of food made me feel even more nauseated. Most of the guys went out and visited the Matsumoto Castle and surrounded town which is quite beautiful. I heard Matheus also got sick but recovered pretty fast. I felt a little better by the evening but was still quite weak.

To be continued....

Alcvin Ramos
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Last day in Kyoto

We all woke early to go to the famous Toji flea market at Toji temple. Thank goodness the weather cleared up! It was a beautiful sunny, cool day, perfect for shopping. We got there around 8:30 and immediately split up to explore the vast grounds filled with vendors or various antiques and foodstuffs. My radar were out on the look out for old shakuhachis. I found one shakuhachi at one vendor which was in pretty good shape. I didn`t blow it at first as I wanted to canvas the whole place first then come back to it later. But then gave it one blow and it sounded pretty good. I ran into John Paul and he said there were a few not so good shakuhachi near the entrance on the other side of the temple. I went around to each and every vendor asking occasionally if they had shakuhachi. One vendor said he just sold the ones he had. The shakuhachi the John Paul saw were pretty bad. Not worth anything. I walked all over and no other shakuhachi were to be found. I was getting pretty tired after a few hours of walking around. So I headed back to the first shakuhachi I found. I met Randall along the way and mentioned that shakuhachi to him and he said he was interested in it so I brought him to it. Met up with Peter as well and he said he tried the flute and agreed it was pretty nice. So we went back and I really played it for at least 15 minutes and was very surprised how really nice it was! It was quite balanced except for the `chi` being slightly sharp, but that`s expected with old flutes. Good RO. Pretty good balance. Randall wanted a bamboo flute so I said this was a great opportunity to get one at a great price. So he got it!

Jane, John Paul, and I split up with the group and went to Izutsuya, a Shinto good store where both Jane and John Paul bought beautiful purple hakama, juban (under shirt for kimomo), and black and white kimono tops. Then we went to the used kimono shop, Kikuya where a found a beautiful light golden brown hakama and ka-kobi for an incredibly inexpensive price! I was so happy to find this great buy. Afterwards we went back to the Daiya Inn for a rest. Oba-san at the Inn said she was going to give us a sushi party in the evening since it was our last day and she would miss us. At 5 pm I met Zachary Braverman at Kyoto Eki and he passed me one of Taniguchi-sensei`s original prints which he wasn`t attached to. Then I took the bus to Sannenzaka where I scanned all the shops again for gifts then visited Fujie and Reiko-san at Hakuba and said my farewells till next year.

Tomorrow we depart from Kyoto for Kokushou Temple in Aichi prefecture to spend time with the Nembutsu priest, Yano Shiku. Shidara Taiko will also be performing in Aichi on the 23rd so we may be able to catch their show......

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Monday, November 20, 2006

First break in weeks!

The next couple of days I spent pretty much in bed as I was so tired after going non-stop for the last couple of weeks. I also got a small cold as well so I was in need of some heavy rest time. I visited Yamaguchi Shugetsu again to pick up a flute I let him take a look at. Also took lots of photos of flutes I will be selling for him on my website. Last night I visited Kobayashi Ichijo at his place in Osaka and passed him my 2.4 that he made to make some adjustments to it and clean it up a little from the work I did on it. He`ll send it back to Canada when he`s done some time at the beginning of December. It was very nice to see him again. The last time I saw him was something like 7 years ago when my mother came with me. I also took some photos of his flutes which I will be advertising on the Bamboo-in website.

Today everyone had a group workshop with Toshimitsu Ishikawa which they enjoyed very much. They went through basic blowing techniques, then went through two honkyoku Honshirabe, Tamuke; and three lovely duets: Kojo no Tsuki, Furusato, and Ai Take no Fu. After the workshop, Matheus and John Paul had private lessons then the three of us went to the Tozan Ryu House (Kaikan) since Matheus had to deliver a present for his teacher in Brazil to Tenzan-san the present Chikurin of Tozan-ryu. We took the train to Kita-oji station then took a taxi to Tozan Ryu Kaikan. We arrive just before closing and Tenzan-san was right in front waiting for us. He was much younger than I expected. 42 years old. He gave us a quick tour of the Kaikan showing us many photos of Nakao Tozan in his early days, and all the Japanese music he transcribed in to western notations; his first beginners book he wrote for students, and the shakuhachi case and suitcase he used while on his various travels throughout Japan, Asia, and Russia in the early 20th century. I visited Tozan Kaikan back in 1992 when I first was studying shakuhachi with Tozan ryu so it was very interesting to return to this place after 15 years!

Tomorrow is our last day in Kyoto. We will spend the whole day shopping. Toji market will be our first target. Then we`ll go to the shinto clothing store then back to Sannenzaka to do some last minute shopping and say goodbye to Reiko and Fujie-san at Hakuba! Then off to Aichi-ken. Then Nagano for bamboo harvesting!!!!!

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Tekishinjuku

That first evening at Tekshinjuku was relatively calm as we were greeted at the entrance of the temple by Gemma, the resident monk, who is actually from Siberia and has been living there for the last 9 years. After putting our bags in the guest house which was a very old and very cold traditional Japanese house, we all gathered back at the temple to do zazen, eat dinner, and chant before bed. We did also did zazen at the main zendo with the head monk, Hozumi Gensho Roshi, which was a real privilege.

Most of our activities like having dinner and chanting was in the seiza position of sitting which was extremely difficult after long periods. That first night in the guest house was extremely chilly. Even though there was lots of bedding, the cold air would creep through spaces in the bedding which was extremely uncomfortable and made it difficult to get to sleep. We woke the next morning at 5 am, washed up and walked to the zendo to chant and sit before breakfast. Without going into too much detail, the entire day was spent sitting, doing work, with small breaks and meals in between. The zazen for some reason was gruelling! Our legs were so wasted after getting out of the zendo! During tea breaks we got to know the tow apprentices there a little better. The elder one was Gemma, from Siberia who was also linguist and very interested in shakuhachi! He even bought Yokoyama Sensei`s video to study Honshirabe. So he was very happy to meet our group. He`s been practicing shakuhachi a over the past couple years by himself but never took a lesson from a teacher, until meeting me this last weekend. The other resident apprentice was Bjorn, a fellow from Germany who`s been there for the last two years practicing zen. He also played shakuahchi. That evening I gave both of them a lesson on basic blowing and went through Honshirabe with them. They were very happy to be shown proper technique from me and I encouraged them to keep up their practice and to take lessons with a teacher whenever they could. One very uncanny thing that Gemma told us was that several years ago he wanted to study shakuachi, but ended up studying accupunture instead, and his teacher was a Mexican fellow with the family name Ramos! Interesting connection.

We were originally scheduled to travel up to Eiheiji in Fukui prefecture to spend one day there, but everyone was so tired that we decided to cancel. We did the same last year; canceling the day before going to Eiheiji. Shoganai.

The next morning, we all woke at 5 am and packed our things and chanted, did breathing excercises and zazen before taking the taxi to Kameoka station. During our last zazen, Roshi told Gemma to play shakuhachi while we sat for a few minutes which was very sweet and thoughtful of him. Before leaving Roshi gave me one of his books, Zen Heart, as a present and signed it. We also took some photos with everyone as well.

The taxi arrived at 6:30 on the dot and we got back to Kyoto around 8 am and headed back to Daiya Ryokan where we crashed hard into futon.


To be continued.....

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Prelude to Pain

Nov. 15, 2006

This day was spent relaxing. The students were also trying to assimilate all the stuff that Taniguchi taught as well. At 7 pm we all went to Kurahashi-sensei`s house where we all took a workshop on the piece, Kokuu which was always very relaxing and enjoyable as Kurahashi is a very warm and friendly person and also speaks good English which made everyone feel at ease.

Nov. 16, 2006

Today some of us are scheduled to spend the next few days at Tekishinjuku, International Zen Center, in Kameoka, on the outskirts of Kyoto. We met Randall at Kameoka Station at 1 pm then had an enjoyable lunch of Chanko Nabe (the stuff that sumo wrestlers eat). Randall just got out of a very enjoyable time at Hosenji Zen Center, and said he heard horror stories about Tekishinjuku from others at Hosenji, that it was very strict and hard. They proved to be correct.....

I kept and open mind as we arrived by taxi at Jotoku-ji, the main temple of Tekishinjuku............

To be continued...

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Meeting with Taniguchi Yoshinobu

Returning back home on Monday night, I was a bit nervous because the number that Zachary Braverman gave me was not working, and we were scheduled to meet him the next morning for him to take us to Taniguchi`s place. Zachary is the one who asked Taniguchi if it was alright for us to visit him at his Ryokan and have a workshop with him. Zachary has been studying with Taniguchi for 6 years and is devoted to him and his style of playing. I connected with Zachary about 5 years ago when I was studying in Tokyo and he sent me 4 of Taniguchi`s CDs which I was very impressed with. Anyway, when I checked my email upon returning from Nara, I was relieved to find an email from Zachary with his corrected telephone #. There was also a message at the Ryokan from Zachary with our meeting time the next morning from Kyoto Station.

We met Zachary the next morning at 10 am in front of Kyoto Station. Our train departed at 10:25 bound for Amenofurudate on the Japan Seaside. It was a beautiful scenic ride which took approximately 2 hours. During the ride I got to know Zachary Braverman. I previously knew Zachary mainly from his translations of Kakizakai sensei`s blowing tips. So it was really nice to get to know him better on a personal level. Zachary was originally a student of Phil Gelb in the Bay Area and then Kurahashi Yoshio. He met Taniguchi through Michael Gould and fell immediately in love with him and his playing. He is married to a Japanese woman and has one 2 year old child. They just recently relocated to Kyoto fron Oita Prefecture in Kyuushuu, which makes it easier for Zachary to take lessons with Taniguchi.

I had no idea what to expect from Taniguchi. Even though I`ve heard various things about Taniguchi from others, I kept my mind open and clear of any judgements. We arrived at the station near Taniguchi`s place at 12:30 and the ryokan was only 2 minutes from the station. It started to rain so we hustled to the ryokan as fast as we could. The ryokan as a very cozy little place on the corner of a main street of the little town. We were greeted by Taniguchi`s wife and show to our rooms. Then we took our flutes to the main house where the practice space was. In the entrance were exquisitely carved figures of Kannon, laughing big-bellied buddha, and the long-headed taoist Fukurokuju, guardian of childern. As we walked up the stairs to the hall leading to the practice space we were suddenly greeted with a fanfare of `Hey Jude` played on the shakuhachi along with the background music of the piece. It was kind of surreal as it was totally unexpected. We put our bags down in the waiting room and took out our shakuhachi. Then we were given each a packet of sheet music with various pieces and detailed explanation of excercises. I was only expecting to stydy Ajikan and Shishi and we were given much more. Then we finally met Taniguchi as we entered his keiko space. I was immediately struck by his bright, intense energy. He looked kind of unearthly, with his ultra-thick black, horned-rimmed glasses that made his eyes bug out. And his shining smile like the sun. He wore a white, silk samue top and black pants. We all sat down and then he started to play. From there, we spent the next 10 + hours learning from him. He taught in the traditional fashion where the student would imitate the teacher as best as he could. If you couldn`t keep up, that was your problem. He went at his own speed: fast. It was definitely frustrating for the beginners, even with Zachary translating everything into English. But very valuable for everyone. Not only did we study Ajikan and Shishi, but Goieka, Honshirabe, Tamuke, Koka, and various other pieces as well! I found him to be a very generous and giving person with a great love for the shakuhachi and great creative spirit not unlike Nishimura Kokuu. His sumie drawings are truly inspiring and beautiful. He has studied with the greatest of the mainline shakuhachi masters: Aoki Reibo, Yamamoto Hozan, Yamaguchi Goro, Yokoyama Katsuya and even Watazumi Doso. He repeatedly emphasized that the honkyoku techniqhes he teaches were forgotten by the main schools of Tozan, Kinko, and even Meian. And he is proud that the top young players in Japan today such as Fujiwara Dozan, come to study honkyoku with him. I felt very comfortable with him and his playing style as it is quite close to Yokoyama`s style which I was taught by Kakizakai sensei, so I was enjoying every minute of my time with him as I already have a solid foundation in playing. We played Shika no Tone together as well as San-an, and Ichijo. It was very interesting to see and feel his style which is very rich and creative, and full of dynamic quality. He is extremely musical with great sensitivity to pitch and rhythm. After everyone left to go to bed in the evening I spent an extra three hours with him playing along with Zachary. We also talked about the importance of having a good flute to play with and who the good makers were. Apparently, Taniguchi has a collection of over 500 flutes many of them antique and of very high quality. He spoke very highly of the maker, Miura Ryuho who is actually a family relation. He has a photo of him and Yokoyama Ranpo when he was still alive. And a picture of him and Yokoyama Katsuya and Fujiwara Dozan.

I got to bed around 1:30 am. What an incredible day of pure shakuhachi study! I wish I could spend a whole week with Taniguchi. Anyway, we`ll be back next year for another workshop.

The next morning after breakfast was a few hours again of shakuhachi study. He introduced us to a Fukuda Rando piece that Yokoyama sensei never played, which was very nice. Then the piece, Koka by Nomura Sofu. Then I went through the great piece, Ichijo with him which was fantastic! At 12 noon, we had lunch then we headed to the train station at 1 pm where we caught the 1:30 train back to Kyoto.

It was another unforgettable experience. I was very moved by Taniguchi`s giving and generous spirit.

To be continued....

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Yamaguchi Shugetsu in Nara

Monday, Nov. 13, 2006

Our group left for Nara early this morning so that we could have a bit of time to see the World Heritage site of Todai-ji in Nara before meeting master maker of shakuhachi, Yamaguchi Shugetsu at Takanohara Station. We got to Nara Station at about 10 am and walked down a pleasant shopping street which led up to Nara Koen (Park) where the famous deer are and the Daibutsu is. We walked up a stone staircase which led to small shrine. We were surprised to see an elderly fellow playing shakuhachi within the small temple. Over his shirt and jacket he wore a kesa, a kind of bib, denoting one`s buddhist faith and practice. I recognized the pieces he played: Choshi, Hi Fu Mi Cho, and Kokuu. After his offering I introduced myself. His name is Sho Chikuho and he is a member of the Meian Organization in Kyoto where he learned his pieces. He said he`s terrible at music so he just plays honkyoku. On this day he was playing for the soul of his deceased wife. We took a few photos together and bid him farewell. It was very nice to meet another soul on the bamboo path.

On our way to the Daibutsuden, we stopped and listened to a lone shino-bue (Japanese horizontal folk flute) player playing the small subway before the entrance of the park. He shone with great sabishii-ness (melancholy) with a life-worn countenance, and pained expression, playing lonely Japanese melodies on a small stool. We all put some change in his hat which he accepted with a slight bow.

Visiting the Todaiji is always a great experience. It must have been truly an incredible experience for pilgrims and worshippers back height of 8th Nara. Contrasted with the rustic life of most of Japan, coming to Nara must have been truly mind-blowing as it still is today, even this day of high technological society. Emperor Shomu (724-729) founded Todaiji. The Daibutsuden is the largest wooden structure in the world today, which houses the colossal 16 meter high Daibutsu. But the structure is still 33% smaller than it when it was orginally built. Due to fires it was reduced in size, but it is still as magnificent as ever. One uncanny thing was that in front of the Daibutsuden was the exact same lantern with the shakuhachi-playing deva that was in front of Kongobuji and Okunoin on Koya-san! This is truly a sign that the shakuhachi spirits are with us!

We left Todaiji at noon and arrived at at Takanohara Station on the Kintetsu line exactly at 1 pm where Yamaguchi-san and his wife Tomoko, picked us up in two cars. We spent the entire afternoon playing Yamaguchi-san`s flutes and playing with Tomoko, his wife who is a master koto and shamisen player/teacher. We played Chidori, Rokudan, Kuro Kami, and Tsukigusa no Yume with her. Oliver Henry bought one of Yamaguchi`s beautiful 2.7 jinashi shakuhachis, and Matheus reserved a dark, lovely smoked 2.4. John Paul bought one of Yamaguchi`s new pvc shaks as well, a great 1.6.

Everyone left feeling very happy and energized. We had dinner at one of my favorite Izakaya Chains in Japan, Raku on the same street that we started out in the morning. We got back to the Ryokan at 9 pm.

Tomorrow is our meeting with the reclusive shakuhachi master, Taniguchi Yoshinobu on the Japan Sea side of Kyoto.

To be continued.....

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Kyoto again: Ryoanji, Meianji, and Sannenzaka

Everyone is taking tons of photos so the album for this year`s trip will be incredible!

We woke again at 6 am for 6:30 meditation. We headed to breakfast at 8 am to filler up for the long day ahead. Our first destination was the world famous dry garden, Ryoanji. Then we headed to Meianji at the other end of town where we offered honkyoku in front of the altar of Kyochiku Zenji. We all took turns playing a honkyoku then we all played Honshirabe and Tamuke together. The head priest wasn`t there, so his 85 year old mother greeted us. She was very helpful and hospitable to us on this day. After Meianji we all ate okonomiyaki at an excellent hole in the wall shop called Kana. Then we all headed to Sanenezaka where we visit Hakuba, the store where I buy all my samue. The owner, Fujie-san was very happy to see us and many of our group bought one or two sets of samue, which made him feel even more happier! Everyone came out very happy. Jane and Peter walked back to the Ryokan and the rest of us spent the next few hours walking the traditional shopping street of Gojozaka, being intoxicated by all the beautiful stores. Everyone completed most of their Christmas shopping which was very satisfying. We got back to the Ryokan at 7:30, very tired, but very satisfied!

To be continued...

Alcvin Ramos
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Koya-san: Day 2

We woke early the next morning at 6 am and prepared for the morning chanting meditation in the meditation hall. We all brought our shakuhachi as we were invited by the head priest to play with them while they chanted. We they started the ceremony and we listened to the progression of their mantric music. Quite melodic and beautiful. After 10 minutes I started to follow their melodic line with shakuhachi. Then everyone else joined in and followed and played as best as they could. Playing with them felt the same as playing with Master Henry at the Temple back home. The time went by very quickly as I was absorbed in concentration of merging with their voices. After the main ceremony, the priest thanked us and invited us to play more in the meditational hall as they prepared the dining hall for our breakfast at 7:20. During that time, more chanting was being done in the smaller adjoining meditation hall. I played Ajikan, the we all played Tamuke together. They they called us to breakfast. The meal was a very nice, vegetarian meal of miso soup, rice, tsukemono (pickled vegetables), nori, and sweet mochi squares. After breakfast we all walked to Okunoin, a vast graveyard of over 500,000 gravestones, with the center being the place where the ashes of Kobo Daishi are enshrined. It is a very beautiful place where the goma (fire ceremony) was taking place. We saw scores of pilgrims with their beautiful walking sticks with colorful covers and little bells attached, dressed in samue-like tops, with the stamps of the holy places they`ve visited. All of the groups went to the very back of the Okunoin grounds in front of Kobo Daishi`s shrine, lit incense, and said the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyo). Leading up to the shrine of Kobo Daishi is a row of cast metal figures of different buddhas with water troughs in front of them where workshippers splashed ladels of water on them to aid them in their journey into hell to save the soulds of the less fortunate, hungry ghosts, and demons. Walking back to the center of town, we all played Tamuke on a brige within the cemetary grounds for Kobo Daishi`s soul and all those who died in wars.

We spent the rest of the day shopping for buddhist ceremonial items and gifts for loves ones. We all met back at Rengejoin and checked out then headed back to Kyoto. We arrived back at 7:30 pm, totally wiped out, and wiped clean from our auspicious visit to Koya-san.

To be continued....

Alcvin Ramos
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Friday, November 10, 2006

Koya-san

Early on the morning of Nov. 9 we opened the day at 6 am with zazen meditation in our room finishing with 10 minutes of whispering `AH` as a prelude to our visit to Koya-san, the most sacred mountain in Japan, and center of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. It was my first time, so I was very excited. It was a quite a long train ride from Kyoto. 3.5 hours. From Kyoto Station we took the JR to Shin Osaka, then the local train to Namba Station, then the Nanakai line to Koya-san station. Then a very steep cable car up the mountain to the beautiful town of Koya-san. We took a bus to the temple where we were staying called Rengejo-in which was a very lovely, and warm place. What a magnificent haven to come to after a long travel. Check in was at 3 pm. We had lunch downtown and immediately got hooked into shopping as there were many lovely buddhist things to buy. We also visited the impressive and massive orange-red, white and yellow Kongobuji which houses a great gold sculpture of Dai Nichi Nyorai, the the cosmic sun buddha, the central figure of Shingon Buddhism. We arrive in Koya-san just at the perfect start of the fall season with all the leaves turing firey reds, yellows, and oranges. One auspicious thing was seeing an image of a heavenly bodhisattva playing shakuhachi, on the side of a great bronze toro (lamp) next to the Kongobuji.

We got back to Rengejoin at 4:30 and checked into our rooms. 5:30 pm was evening service where we meditated in the ceremony hall. Entering the hall, it was very dim, with only candles lighting the space. This low lighting made the many gold items of the hall glow with intense brilliancy. The meditation started with 5 miinutes of chanting by the monks then a deep penetrating silent meditation for 40 minutes.

6:30 was dinner in the main hall. After dinner, we were treated to a lovely surprise lecture in English by the owner of Rengejoin, Michiko Saotome, who is 87 year old. She told us her story of growing up during world war II and being the wife of a buddhist priest. She also gave us lots of interesting historical and philosphical background about Koya-san which we all enjoyed. Her English was near perfect as she studied English in University. After she finished her lecture, were were blessed with another wonderful lecture by the head Shomyo (chanting) priest (whoes name I didn`t get) who explained in detail the basic meditational and ideology of Shingon Buddhism, chanting, and the practice of Ajikan, meditation of the letter `A`, one of the most important meditations in their practice, which is where the famous shakuhachi honkyoku derived its name. It was a great lecture. He invited our shakuhachi group the next morning to join him and the monks to play shakuhachi as they chant! What an auspicious thing!

The ofuro was incredible and I fell asleep to more erotic dreams.

To be continued....

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Miura Taro Kyuudojo and Shakuhachi Kobo

On Nov. 8 Miura Taro picked all of us up from Tsubaki Jinja Kaikan at 10 am and he drove us all to his lovely house in the outskirts of Yokkaichi city. There we were treated to a nice lunch of oden and sushi and then he gave us a workshop on Kyuudo, Japanese Archery. First we were all given special gloves to draw the bow with then he instructed us on proper form with letting the arrow loose. Of course we were all very bad with technique as were were raw beginners. But we did get better as we all continued to practice. It felt very good to me and would very much like to continue to practice when I get back to BC. In any case we all had an enjoyable time.

At one point, Miura-san took me to his workshop and asked me some advice on making hocchiku which he was surprised about.

After lunch, we had a small party where we played with the local Ikuta-ryu koto group who are also students of the composer, Noura Seifu. We played Momiji-ba, Misaki no Todai, Chidori, Rokudan, together and they played a koto piece. Then the three of our shakuhachi players played Kumoi Jishi. I played Tsuru no Sugomori. John Paul played Daha. And Jane played Kyorei. We all enjoyed the very relaxed atmosphere, beautiful weather, and lovely space of Miura`s guest house together. After the party we were quickly driven to then Yokkaichi Station where we headed to Kyoto. We got there by 7:30 pm and checked into our Ryokan, Daiya Inn, near Kyoto Station. Peter was safely and soundly there so it was a great to see him. He reported good things about the workshop in Seattle which he went to last weekend. Daiya Inn is a cozy Inn run by an very informal lady who speaks only Japanese. It was another long day so it was a relief to get to futon.

The next day is to visit the great holy mountain of the Dharma, Koya-san, center of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism......

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Mie-ken: Back to Tsubaki Jinja

We left Kumamoto early Monday morning at 7:15. It was an especially early morning for me as I woke at 4 am to get in my hour of meditation. We spent 10 hours riding the trains that day, but it was very relaxing as the Shinkansens were quite comfortable since there were relatively few people traveling. We got to Tsubaki Jinja at 4 pm, checked into our rooms at the Kaikan then prepared for Misogi under the cold waterfall. As we were walking up the ancient sandy-pebbled pathway through the majestic, manicured, old-growth cedar trees leading to the main Shrine in the waning light of dusk, the lamps lining the path suddenly lit up! which added to the magic quality of the atmosphere. It was the first time for Misogi for many of the participants. Everyone enjoyed it and most of us went for a second misogi the next evening. The second day at the Tsubaki jinja was spent relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. We attended the morning Chohai (prayers) at the main shrine, and afterwards we were allowed in the Honden, the most sacred area of the Shrine, to offer honkyoku to the O-kami sama. We played Tamuke. Those who didn`t know it just played RO. It sounded beautiful. Guji, the head priest said he was moved by our offering. Afterwards, Ochiai-san and Shiba-san, two young kannushi (priests) of the shrine gave us a wonderful tour of the shrine complex explaining all the structures` history and meanings. One structure that was extremely impressive was a beautiful buddhist shrine which was built in the early 70`s as a gesture to create harmony between Buddhism and Shinto. Also, a superb tea house. Both of these structures were donated by the owner of the Panasonic Corporation who was a religious man. We were fortunate enough to catch the tea master on her teaching day. She and the miko (female shinto priestesses in training) served us tea in the traditional style. She said she was of the Urasenke school of tea, which is the school I am most familiar with. It was a very lovely experience to have tea served by them.

In the afternoon I gave shakuhachi lessons in the shrine of Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, the goddess of harmony and music, which moved me very deeply for some reason. Ochiai-san said it was fine to give lessons there, so I did so. This was the first time within this shrine and I found it to be especially beautiful. Like being embraced by a loving mother. It is THE most beautiful place I have ever taught in and look forward to returning there every year to teach.

The second misogi was much colder than the first one. On top of that there was a wind which chilled us even more. But it was well worth it to experience the sensation of the hot o-furo (bath) after the icy waterfall! Our last dinner was a meal fit for king with several dishes served one after the other. I thought I would lose weight on this trip, but it looks like I`ll be coming home with a few pounds!

Tomorrow we will spend time with Miura Taro, shakuhachi maker and kyuudo (Japanese archery) master. We will also have a small concert with some of the students of the well known composer Nomura Seifu who is from Yokkaichi in Mie-prefecture. Then we will head to Kyoto in the evening where we will be meeting up with Peter Smith who will be arriving from Vancouver.

To be continued....

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Last day in Kumamoto

Today was spent visiting Reigando, the cave where Miyamoto Musashi spent his last remaning years and wrote the book, The Five Rings. Jeff Cairns was so wonderful and kind to drive us there with the help of his friend, Richard, a professor of Haiku and English Literature at Kumamoto. It was quite meaningful for Matheus to visit Reigando as he practices Kendo. After Reigando, we visited one of Jeff`s friends, Dan and Mari who renovated a refurbished an old Japanese farmhouse and made a little, cozy cafe with old English decor. Dan did it all by himself which was quite amazing. He`s a really talented builder. Afterwards we went to a very nice rotenburo, outdoor natural hotspring, on top of a mountain. Kumamoto is quite famous for their onsens as there is lots of volcanic activity there and the water is very pure, coming straight from artesian wells. After the onsen, we ate a fine lunch in the adjoining restaurant.

At 3 pm we made it back to the hotel where we were having the gasso (group playing with koto and shamisen) and the enkai, party. It was very interesting and fun to play with the Wakanakai group. The pieces we played were: Kurokami, Kumoi Jishi, Chidori, Rokudan, Ho Shu So, Azuma no Kyoku, and the last piece, the title of which I forgot, was a 200 year old piece from Kumamoto which was played by Tsurugi-sensei and the koto and shamisen players.

Tsurugi is a very accomplished player having started shakuhachi from age 11 and inheriting his father`s shakuhachi making skills. He also is working to add to the traditional music by doing some creative re-arrangements and doing collaborations with traditional performers. He shared one piece he did which was an arrangement of Tsuru no Sugomori for two shakuahchi and two Nihon Buyo dancers. I was really amazed at his ability to memorize long pieces such as Yaegoromo, etc. He admitted to me that sankyoku pieces for him are easier to memorize than honkyoku. He said honkyoku phrasing changes too much so it`s hard to keep it in his mind. We had a very enjoyable time with everyone. The energy of the Wakanakai group is much more lively and conservative than the Nishimura group, but no less warm and kind. It was lovely to experience these two lineages of shakuahchi in Kumamoto! Anyway, many great thanks for Jeff Cairns for organizing the gasso, enkai, and outings in the hills of Kumamoto!

Right after the party I had to rush to the train station to validate everyone`s JR pass and reserve seats for our long train ride tomorrow to Mie Prefecture. We will be visiting Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Suzuka to offer honkyoku to the Kami-sama, do misogi under the waterfall, and do some laundry!

This weekend Kakizakai, Furuya, and Matama senseis will be in Seattle for the concert and workshop. My thoughts go out to them for a great workshop and show. I`m glad some of my students will be going there to see and take lessons with them. I hope we can bring them to BC next year. Look forward to seeing Kakizakai sensei for a lesson again in Chichibu on Nov. 29.

To be continued.....

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Kumamoto II: The First Harvest

Yesterday was spent harvesting bamboo on a mountainside on the outskirts of Kumamoto city. It was another beautiful day. The folks who were leading the outing were Tsurugi Kodo and his student Jeff Cairns. This is the first time meeting them so I was very grateful that they let us come and harvest with them. I rode in the car with Tsurugi sensei and discovered he is part of a great line of shakuhachi players. He studied playing directly under Kawase Junsuke III and making under his father, Kyomudo who is a famous maker all over Japan and supplied many shakuhachi to the famous Jin Nyodo while he was still alive. Kyomudo is about 85 years old now and still in good health. I asked if he knows David Wheeler and he said, of course! Our group will be playing with their group, Wakanakai later today then have a party. It should be fun and very educational. I have never heard Tsurugi play, but talking to him, I know he is a top notch player. He`s played with folks like Mitsuhashi Kifu and other great koto and shamisen players. Tsurugi perhaps is the leading shakuhachi player and maker in the Kyushuu area.

The harvesting was great. We each came out with a few pieces. (I`ll go into this process in detail later)

After harvesting, we spent the afternoon doing `abura nuki` which means `oiling the bamboo` in order to prepare it for the curing process. We drove back into town to Kyomudo`s workshop and they brought out pots of sumi charcoal and we proceeded to heat our pieces of bamboo over the coals causing the oils to bubble to the surface of the bamboo which we wiped off with a cloth. The newly harvested bamboo is a dark green. But after oiling it turns a light green. Then it is left out in the sun for a few weeks to turn a golden yellow.

It is intersting to see the differences between the shakuhachi styles in Japan. Nishimura Kokuu`s line is more focused on getting rid of the distinction between the opposites such as `good player and bad player`, which is more of a religious/spiritual attitude. Humility and creating a good atmosphere is key, not so much technique. It felt great to spend time with the Nishimura Family. I will spend more time with Tsurugi today and play with their group and report what I experience later tonight, comparing his style with Nishimura Kokuu`s school.

Being a foreigner in Japan and having the opportunity to experience a trip like this, I feel is a great privilege. So I am constantly grateful for everyone for making this dream a reality......

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com

Friday, November 03, 2006

Kumamoto and Kyotaku

On the Nov. 3rd we took a 1.5 hour train to Kumamoto Station from Hakata Station where we checked into our new hotel, right next to the Shirakawa. At 1 pm Nishimura Koryu came by to pick us up in a few cars and drove us to his home in Kami Kumamoto. We spent the whole afternoon in the home of the late Nishimura Kokuu, the great rennaisance man of the Kyotaku flute (Kyotaku is just another name for jinashi shakuahchi). He was truly a great artist, a master of many artforms: carving, calligraphy, painting, drawing, martial arts, and of course, the Kyotaku. A few of Kokuu`s students were there: Ko-ei, Kokou, and his biological son and heir to his style of playing, Koryu. They all played pieces for us which was very gentle and relaxing. It was quite beautiful and good energy all around. I was quite excited as Koryu inspired me to play the extra-long flutes with my foot. It was difficult but I managed to play Honshirabe with not too much difficulty. I look forward to developing my playing of 3.2-3.9 using my feet!

They drove us back to our hotel around 6 pm and then had dinner at the hotel. Jeff Cairns came by after dinner to check up on us and discuss our schedule for the next day which was to harvest bamboo with Tsurugi-san the shakuhachi maker, then abura nuki. It`s going to be very interesting to see what kind of bamboo we come out with!

Starting in Fukuoka

The flight from Vancouver was a gruelling 10 hours then we had a 5 hour stopover in Tokyo, Narita Airport. Then a 1.5 hour flight to Fukuoka. Then a 14 minute train ride to Hakata Station. Then a 10 minute walk to traditional Japanese inn. Jane, Terry, and Oliver were already there when we arrived. After our initial introductions, we all (except Jane) donned our yukata (Japanese bath robes) and entered the ofuro (bath) and had a long soak in the healing waters. After that we crashed in to our futon. I thought I was just fall deep into sleep but I was still wired from the electric energy of excitement of being in Japan once again with on this most unique and fascinating tour. I managed to get in a few hours of deep sleep and erotic dreams.

We all got up at 6 am and meditated for an hour with 10 minutes of ro buki then had a delicious Japanese breakfast of boiled tofu, seaweed, rice, fish, pickled vegetables, boiled egg, and some small sliced sausages.

Later that morning we visited Saikoji (Hakata Iccchoken) where we spent time with Akira Genmyo and played shakuhachi in front of the alter of buddha. I started with Azuma Jishi and Kumoi Jishi, pieces directly coming from Saikoji. John Paul played Tamuke. Matheus and Oliver played improvisations. Then we all played Honshirabe together. Genmyo ended it with Azuma Jishi and Kumoi Jishi. It was a wonderful connection and deeply moving full circle offering for me, playing these pieces at the temple of its origin, and having Genmyo responding to me with his play of them. I was so moved I gave him the flute I played the pieces on as a gesture of gratitude. The flute was made from madake that was grown on the Sunshine Coast and the mouthpiece made of mastadon ivory.

To be continued.......

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com
ramos@dccnet.com