Shakuhachi - Japanische Bambusflöten - SHAKUHACHI しゃくはち　尺八

1 一 - 一二三調 Hifumi - Chō

This is the famous piece Hifumi-Chō. Played by many Shakuhachi players around the world. I play it to connect to the flute and beyond.

2 二 - 手向け Tamuke

This is the famous piece Tamuke. It is an offering to Buddha and the deities, like burning an incense stick.

3 三 - 門 Mon - Das Tor - The Gate

The gate to the Kōzuke mountains. This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

4 四 - 榛名の曲 Haruna No Kyoku

At the foot of the volcanic mountain Haruna in the ancient province of Kōzuke lies a spring. It is a place of longing. The spring rises next to a thousand-year-old tree. Its water is delicious and refreshing. It shoots out of the earth. A great quantity of water. Next to it is a stairway to an ancient Shinto temple, flanked by two large cedars. Below, next to the spring, many old stone statues, Dōsojin and Jizō statues. Centuries old, partially weathered. The Haruna is located near an old trade route, the Nakasendo. It led from Edo to Kyōto and to another road to Echigo. The spring has served as refreshment to wanderers and pilgrims for centuries. Famous personalities used to refresh themselves here. Ikkyu, Bashō and Ryokan stayed here on their wanderings. Many samurai and merchants. I like to visit this place. When the heat rages in the plains in summer, I come up here to the coolness, to the freshness of the old trees and the temple. There I like to play the bamboo flute, the shakuhachi. This song is dedicated to that place. The water sound in the piece is the orginal sound of that spring and the bell from the little temple above.
This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

5 五 - 一休鈴法 Ikkyū Reihō

Ikkyū was a zen monk, also famous for his poetry and calligraphy. This piece is dedicated to him. It is a slow piece, like the walk of a pilgrim monk in a state of a mushotoku mind during takuhatsu. Watching the people and the clouds passing by. I played it on a 2.8 jinashi shakuhachi. During his travels, Ikkyū also passed the mountains of Kozuke as he travelled to Oshu and Echigo. Ikkyū Sōjun (一休宗純) lived from 1394–1481.
This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

6 六 - 風と竹の虚霊 Kaze To Take No Kyōrei

Above the temple of my teacher is a bamboo forest. It is a tranquil place and I like to take walks there. Sometimes I harvest a bamboo to make a shakuhachi.
There is a video of the forest on my youtube channel. On a windy day I recorded the sound of the wind, the birds and the bamboo. The sound of nature is like music. Then I played the famous piece "Kyōrei" in the Fudaiji version of Jin Nyodō in the zendō.

7 七 - 紫野調べ第一 Murasakino Shirabe 1

This piece takes its name from a district in northern Kyoto, in which the temple of Daitokuji is located. Japan's well known and celebrated zen priest, Ikkyu, was sent to Daitokuji as a child for his education. The composition of Murasakino-no-kyoku is to remember Ikkyu. Ikkyu is also famous for his poetry and calligraphy.This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

8 八 - 紫野調べ第二 Murasakino Shirabe 2

Second part of the piece.
This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

9 九- 坐禅虚霊 Kyorei For Zazen

This is the famous piece Kyorei. It is played and recorded during a zazen session. It is an ideal piece for zazen. Here you can here it in the Fudai-ji version written down by Jin Nyodo. This is a long piece. I use it for meditation.

10 十 - 良寛の歌 Ryokan No Uta

This piece is dedicated to the well know poet RyōkanTaigu (良寛大愚) (1758–1831). Ryokan was a Buddhist monk, who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his calligraphy and poetry, which presents the essence of Zen. During summer, while he was sitting in his hut and watching the bamboo grow, he could hear the wind and the cicadas and perhaps the furin, the wind bells and shakuhachi flute.
This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

11 十一 - 良寛の歌 Ryokan No Uta2

The second version of the piece.
This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

12 十二 -上野調子 Kōzuke Choshi

There are many version of Chōshi in the shakuhachi world. Every player has it`s own version of Chōshi. I played the piece in the zendo during zazen. It is played on an old 1.9 Shakuhachi from the Seien-ryu school in Nagoya. I got the flute some years ago in the village of my teacher. This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.

13 十三 Nagano longue - a piece dedicated to Nagano. The mountains, the fresh air and lakes, abundant nature and bamboo forests. It is a modern piece
in which the shakuhachi moves is in the background and leads through the song with it`s aerial sound. This piece is a new composition by Chikuma.