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The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

<h1>Shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, was the evolution of the two Han And Qiang flutes, and later spread to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music. </h1>

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Shakuhachi

"Shakuhachi" is probably still a relatively unfamiliar word to most people. It is a traditional bamboo wind instrument, one foot eight inches long, hence the name shakuhachi. In fact, in the soundtracks of many modern japanese musical works or film works, many people may have heard its sound and mistakenly regarded it as a flute or flute. In contrast, however, the sound of shakuhachi is more desolate and ethereal.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

As an ancient musical instrument, shakuhachi has flourished in Japan again in modern times, making many people think that shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese instrument. Not really. Shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, was the evolution of the two Han And Qiang flutes, and later spread to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Shakuhachi player in ukiyo-e

During the Edo period, shakuhachi was formed in Japan. Originally, it was used as a ritual instrument to play Buddhist music; after the Meiji era, shakuhachi became widely popular, and we can still see it in Japanese folk music performances today.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

The Void Monk who plays shakuhachi

On the other hand, after the emergence of shakuhachi in China, it became one of the main musical instruments of court music and continued to develop until the Song Dynasty formed the five-hole shakuhachi (the first four and the last one). But it was also after the Southern Song Dynasty that the status of shakuhachi was gradually replaced by a flute and a flute, and eventually disappeared from China with the passage of time.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Hangzhou Huguo Renwang Zen Temple is known as the "Shakuhachi Ancestral Garden"

Shakuhachi took root in Japan, and with the emergence of more and more new generations of shakuhachi players, it began to enter the vision of popular culture, spread back to China, went to the world, and bloomed with new brilliance. Recently, the documentary "Shakuhachi Ichijō" produced by Tenjin Huizhi announced that it will be released in March next year. This shakuhachi-themed documentary tells the story of shakuhachi players from China, Japan and the United States and this ancient instrument.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Documentary "Shakuhachi One Voice One"

Among them, the famous Japanese performer Akira Kominato is the representative of the folk song shakuhachi, Yasuo Sato has played the shakuhachi part of the "Naruto Main Theme" theme song "Naruto", and his "Luminous" composed for kabuki "Yin and Yang Division" is also popular with many music lovers. In this era of shakuhachi moving towards a "new trend", on the occasion of the release of the documentary "Shakuhachi One Sound", YT interviewed these two performers and let us listen to the resonance of their hearts with shakuhachi.

YT interviews Japanese shakuhachi players

Akinao Kobane Yasuo Sato

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Japanese shakuhachi performers Akinao Kobane (left) and Yasuo Sato (right)

YT: Kominato-sensei said in an interview in December 2011 that the shakuhachi was still considered an obsolete and obsolete instrument in Japan at the time. But you still insist on performing shakuhachi and expect to go to the world stage with shakuhachi. Now that almost six years have passed, how do you think the understanding of shakuhachi in Japan and the international community has changed?

Akira Kominato: It is true that in Japan and around the world, shakuhachi is considered a very old musical instrument. But nowadays, young shakuhachi players are also slowly increasing, including many young people in Japan who will form bands, forming a "band wave", and Mr. Sato has also participated in animation and film soundtracks, which have given shakuhachi more opportunities in modern music. As more and more young people like it, I feel that shakuhachi will become more popular.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Shakuhachi player Akira Kominato was interviewed for the documentary "Shakuhachi Ichijo"

YT: The shakuhachi performances of the two teachers are innovatively integrated with various elements, including classical, folk, popular and other forms, which shows that shakuhachi has unlimited possibilities. How have you discovered and explored these new forms of performance over the course of your career?

Yasuo Sato: Although I have incorporated a lot of new elements into my music, I feel that I still haven't found enough possibilities for shakuhachi, and I will continue to work in this direction in the future. This time in China, I hope that through this documentary and through our concerts, I can bring a new wave of shakuhachi to the Chinese public.

Akira Kominato: After graduating from tokyo university of the arts with a shakuhachi major, I didn't immediately find a job, so I embarked on the path of a street musician, and at that time I could play hundreds of pop music tracks, which was also an opportunity to explore and discover this form of performance. Later, due to the cooperation with many performers, including this time participating in the filming of the documentary, and meeting different people, these became part of the process.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Yasuo Sato, shakuhachi performer

YT: Speaking of one of the traditional musical instruments introduced to Japan from China, in addition to the shakuhachi, the sachet is also one. In the works of Japanese player Hideki Higashi Yoshi, the ensemble of the yosphere and the erhu can often be heard, which gives people a deep impression, which shows that the coordination and coordination between the instruments is very important. So for shakuhachi, what are its complementary partners?

Yasuo Sato: Some time ago, I played an ensemble with Chinese musicians, using Chinese national instruments. The tone of the shakuhachi is very close to the human voice, so it actually works well with any instrument.

Akira Kominato: Just like the Chinese erhu and the sycamore, shakuhachi actually became a member of the orchestra, but in the end he was not able to stay. For a while, many shakuhachi players wondered, is shakuhachi suitable for soloism? Later, they also tried to combine the shakuhachi with the shamisen and the Japanese koto, but after so many years, everyone still felt that the shakuhachi could be played on the same stage as any instrument.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Yasuo Sato and Akira Kominato rehearsed for the shakuhachi Ichigo I concert

YT: What are your prospects and expectations for the future shakuhachi players?

Yasuo Sato: Every time I'm asked a similar question, I'm more convinced that I want to keep creating more works and keep blowing shakuhachi. I am also very grateful that through the filming of this documentary, I have met many people and accumulated a lot of valuable experience.

Akira Kominato: First of all, on December 1st, our ALIAKE band will perform in Shanghai. On the other hand, from the past to the present, I feel that I have not done enough, and through the filming of this documentary, this idea has become more intense, and I am very much looking forward to my future development.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

ALIAKE Concert

YT: Not only Japan, but also some countries in Europe and the United States will deliberately use some very traditional and ethnic instruments in today's popular culture works, and they are also very popular. What do you think of this current trend of "retro pop"?

Yasuo Sato: This is actually a very good trend, and it is actually the embodiment of the globalization of traditional musical instruments.

Akira Kominato: Ethnic instruments from all over the world are very attractive, and I am also very interested in them. I feel that this trend may become a cultural exchange trend that transcends national borders, and I hope to take this opportunity to introduce shakuhachi to the world and promote this trend.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Shakuhachi player Yasuo Sato performs the theme song of the documentary "One Sound, One Life"

YT: What kind of feelings did Sato-sensei compose and play the theme song for the documentary "Shakuhachi Ichijin" this time?

Yasuo Sato: When I was first invited to compose music for the documentary, I happened to see a documentary about China's "Spring Festival" on TV, and I felt the spirit of Chinese's tenacious struggle, and on this basis, combined with my impression of China, I finally wrote this song.

YT: Shakuhachi's return to China to "find roots" is an important part of this documentary "Shakuhachi One Sound", what do you think it means for Shakuhachi, for music, for traditional culture?

Akira Kominato: Shakuhachi, which was lost in China and carried forward in Japan, is now part of the shakuhachi tradition when it returns to China. I don't know how shakuhachi will develop in the future, but historically, shakuhachi has always been an instrument that keeps pace with the times, and with the passage of time, it will also make different changes, and I hope that the audience can feel this when watching the documentary, and also look forward to the future development of shakuhachi in China.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Group photo of the creators of the documentary "Shakuhachi Ichijo"

Some of the information in this article comes from the Internet.

The old musical instrument that has disappeared in China, but in Japan, there is a "one tone to become a Buddha" the reputation of the shakuhachi originated in China, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, is the evolution of the two Han and Qiang flutes, and later passed to Japan by the monk Juexin during the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the representative instruments of Japanese classical music.

Wu Jingyu @YT

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