Accessories, books, etc.
Hitoyogiri, Then and Now (Book) - An Edo-era hitoyogiri manual with scores.
The Shichiku Kokon-shu was written by a hitoyogiri master during the latter half of the Edo era as an attempt to revive the hitoyogiri tradition, which had taken a backseat to the increasingly popular Fuke shakuhachi. It begins with a brief introduction and instructions for playing (plus some additional instructions I added based on other Edo-era sources for clarity's sake), and then moves on to a selection of pre-Edo hitoyogiri scores for each of the five modes. These are the songs that later inspired or evolved into the shakuhachi honkyoku pieces we know today. The second section includes scores written down by the author for more "modern" (as of 1805) pieces like Rokudan, as well as some honkyoku-inspired pieces for hitoyogiri beginners who are more familiar with shakuhachi music. This section also includes songs like Asagao-jishi and Rinsestsu for vocal accompaniment, as well as instructions for using the hitoyogiri together with various shamisen tunings. The book is a reprint of the original, with English translations printed adjacently and below. The bulk of the 110+ pages are scores.
Along with the release of the book, I am also working on a series of video lessons for the material contained therein. On the video lessons page, you will also find a detailed introduction to this book.
- Book details: Hardcover, Black and White, 9" x 6", about 110 pages.
- Price: $50.00
- Order directly from the printer here.
Kinpu-ryu Shakuhachi Honkyoku-den
This book was translated as a crowdfunded project back in 2016, thanks to many friends in the international shakuhachi community. You can still buy the book on Lulu (see link below), an on-demand publisher that ships internationally. The book was written by native Hirosaki Kinpu-ryu Intangible Cultural Treasure holder Reigetsu Uchiyama back in the middle of the 20th century, and also includes scores of scores (ha ha) - complete and partial sets from several different strains of Kinpu-ryu, great for comparison. The written section talks about the history of Kinpu-ryu, including short biographies and anecdotes, as well as a Meiji-era playing manual written by Getsuei, among other treasures.
- Order directly through Lulu here.
Fumen-dai (music stand) Currently Out of Stock - Contact me if interested.
This is a sheet music stand specifically for shakuhachi. This was born out of one of my teachers' observation that a metal Western music stand wasn't very fitting for shakuhachi playing or performing. We worked together with Wani Mokko, an award-winning wood shop here in Aomori where I do part-time work from time to time. It is made from Japanese Magnolia, expands to accomodate longer scores (see photos), and is fully portable.
- Price: Stay tuned
