The Iemoto System

"The exclusivity of the iemoto system... though advantageous in building economically and politically powerful organizations, is diametrically opposed to the spirit of suizen and of koten honkyoku." (From Ch. 3 of Riley Lee's Ph.D. thesis, which you can find on his website at http://www.rileylee.net)

Kinpu-ryu is in a bit of an ambiguous state with respect to the iemoto system. I included the quote above because it expresses my own sentiments toward the system; by definition, it is quite counter to the spirit of shakuhachi. In Japan, the Iemoto system came into being during the Muromachi and Edo eras as a way to protect the authority and authenticity of various martial and aesthetic arts. It does have some advantages, of course - it draws a precise line between orthodoxy and heresy in a school, similar to the function of religious creeds. Unfortunately, while the original intent may have been to protect the purity of a school, when mixed with selfish desires and political motivations, it ends up having exactly the opposite effect, quenching the spirit of expression and creativity that it was meant to protect.

The Iemoto system invests all authority in the current "iemoto," or house-holder, of the respective school. In the case of shakuhachi, this individual has the authority to define playing techniques, systems of musical notation, musical pieces, etc.; in fact, without such definitions, the iemoto system would not meet its own requirements. It also requires a rejection of all that is "other" or un-orthodox. The practical result of this system in the world of shakuhachi has often been that individuals with dubious innate talent but a wealth of political motivation have managed to position themselves as the iemoto of a school, and have proceeded to re-define various aspects of it for the sake of putting others down and building themselves up.

An idealistic view of the fuke sect of shakuhachi (before its abolishment in 1871 and the subsequent establishment of various formal and secular schools, along with the iemoto system in many cases) would present a larger community in which smaller communities are creating "honkyoku," travelling the countryside, and sharing them together. The reality is likely that a good deal of "iemoto"-like thinking also existed alongside this spirit of sharing, just as Buddhism as a whole in Japan has seen brief sparklings of genuine faith in the midst of a great deal of political corruption.

In the case of Kinpu-ryu, there both was and wasn't an iemoto system. According to Aomori musicologist Dr. Sasamori,

Many schools of shakuhachi and other arts in Japan maintain an iemoto system, wherein a single individual has dominion over the art itself. In order to preserve and strengthen the iemoto system, there tends to be a strong resistance to any divergence from the specific techniques and customs (kata) that have been prescribed for the school or sect. In the Tsugaru region, there was no such system. (excerpt translated from the Aomori Cultural Preservation society's publication Kinpu-ryu Shakuhachi)

In the Tsugaru region where Kinpu-ryu was founded, there was no established iemoto system; a formal Kinpu-ryu iemoto simply could not have existed. The strict definitions of orthodoxy as well as the rejection of "heretical" methods, etc., was never there; the actual state of things attests to this. Distinguishing features such as komi-buki have no central "correct" existance. It seems that from the start, different players had different ways of doing it. In fact, precisely due to the lack of an iemoto system, Aomori prefecture decided to create a record of notable players' sounds in Hirosaki in order to preserve not so much a precise definition but more of a scope, a way of distinguishing Hirosaki's Kinpu-ryu from that which has diffused throughout Japan and blended with other schools, changing even more.

The claim that there was an Iemoto system in place in Kinpu-ryu shakuhachi, it does have some merit. Some years ago, Uchiyama Reigetsu wrote a book on Kinpu-ryu with the intent on preserving various aspects of the dying tradition. In it, he named several individuals as "iemoto." In his introduction, though, he also says that the contents of the book may not be entirely accurate, and is just based on things that he heard from others. The named individuals could not have formally been iemoto -- the existance of multiple systems of notations, small variations in scores, and a divergence in playing techniques attests to this -- but they probably enjoyed a prominent existance as accomplished players and / or good teachers.

While the lack of a true iemoto system has led to the current, somewhat confused state of Kinpu-ryu, i.e. a plethora of conflicting techniques and stories spread throughout Japan, it has also allowed for a certain amount of vitality and individual expression to remain within the tradition right up to the present. I'm afraid that trying to play Kinpu-ryu the "correct way" will only lead to confusion (trust me - I've done my homework, and I'm still confused); all you can really do is look for your way of doing it, which, if you ask me, is much closer to the zen spirit of things, and much more exciting than doing it "right."

Still, as Dr. Sasamori says with respect to the cultural preservation society's project with Kinpu-ryu, it is helpful to give some degree of definition. Kinpu-ryu isn't just "whatever you want it to be." To me, the most important things to preserve are the music itself (you can find some recordings of Hirosaki players on this website) and the techniques unique to the school, especially komi-buki, which is discussed here. If you find it attractive, I encourage you to find a teacher and learn yourself; start by studying what's come before, and then find your own unique expression within that. To me, Honkyoku music is not a closed cannon. There is another Japanese word "hon-nin," referring to "that person." Honkyoku is originally a certain individual's unique expression of themselves - "their music." Learn their music; it's good. Then find your honkyoku.