Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hochiku is written as 法竹. First kanji, 法, is typically read as ほう or "hou" with a long "o" tone. I believe different systems use different letters to indicate this. The second kanji, 竹, is read as ちく and typically translated to "chiku". The whole word would thus be ほうちく. Since Japanese is written using its own system, there is no right answer to what the proper way to write it would be. Personally I prefer "hochiku" or perhaps the more accurate but harder to write version hōchiku. Either way you are just trying to create an approximation of the word in another language.

I hope that helps. For the record, I have little knowledge of language theory as such.

Okay!  Thanks, -Prem, and amokrun, for your responses.  It sure pays to check with those who KNOW.  There's no way I would want to employ incorrect usage.  While involved with Tibetan language to some degree, I've discovered that it also employs different and somewhat confusing transliteration systems. 

Now... between Hotchiku and Hocchiku... I suppose it makes some sense to use either one depending on who one is communicating with.

Having been hanging out with Watazumi's famous World Pacific LP for so many years, that's the one that, to me, seems the more comfortable of the two.  The clincher for me is what you said, -Prem, about the fact that that pronunciation comes under the heading of "t" sounds.  I guess it's going to be "hotchiku" as far as I'm concerned, unless someone can absolutely convince me otherwise.

Thanks again!
Chris Harazda


The poem, reworked:


HOTCHIKU-DO

The way of hotchiku -
Vast horizons
In heart of thunder!
- An ancient light
Destroying illusion
Through the vehicle
Of bamboo.

I personally know virtually nothing about Japanese language and the use of kanji.  While in acupuncture school, I took three semesters of Chinese language and learned how to write in the new Maoist simplified form; naturally, I prefer the age-old Chinese written characters. 

amokrun, I'm glad you're approaching it the way you are.  A good hermeneutical approach is always best.  I think it would behoove me to look into Japanese language a little more deeply.  Thanks for illustrating the kanji for hotchiku; that's probably a really good place for me to start!

I've made all the ones I've ever had, and they certainly have not all been created equal!  There have been a few dogs.  Considering that I knew virtually nothing for so long (and still know little), I guess I'm fortunate to have made some that are playable!  I saw one - on Kinya Sogawa's site?... I'm not sure about that - that said something like, "I made this from studying a picture of Watazumi playing..."  What's hilarious is that I did that same thing, and I came up with what I jokingly call "The Great Formula."  Sure enough, that flute pictured looked like the same setup as mine... only, I like my holes all in a straight row, like the kyotakus.

On my 28th birthday (I'm 53 now) I entered a grove in Tampa and cut a piece of bamboo that had died and cured in the grove, and you could see the summer on one side and the winter on the other, and I took that dried out piece of bamboo and finished the flute that day.  I made that flute because the first one I made, probably in 1979, had been stolen.  So, I was eager to make another, and it turned out real nice.  The only problem I have to this day with that flute is that I over-oiled it, and it's a little too gummy in the bore.  But it still has never cracked.

For my CD "Illuminated From Within" I made five new jinashi flutes, one for each piece I recorded.  Each piece had a feeling or image I wanted to create as music.  The flutes ranged from 52 cm, with a tiny bore, to a full 99.5 cm monster. 

What's cool now is that I've recently visited a fellow near us here in Melbourne who has a huge piece of property with thousands of bamboo... I didn't see what I thought might be madake around, but there would nevertheless be a lot of bamboo there for monster flutes such as we like!  I'm planning to take a saw over there, since I have an invitation to go wild! 

But, to be honest, I really want to move into other peoples' hotchikus... Perry Yung, Kinya Sogawa, Shugetsu, Okuda, Ramos... any of these.  I was real impressed looking at Kinya's hotchikus pictured on his site.  Unless I'm really self-deceived, which is certainly possible, they look similar to mine in their primitiveness.  All mine have natural utaguchis, but I'd really like one with a Kinya-style inset blowing edge.  Just a touch of extra class!

Now all I need is some money!

Anyway, last night I was playing one of my 2.93 hotchikus and had to laugh when I finished playing and thought out loud, "Man, this thing is better than a Cadillac!"  So, my flutes might be dogs to established and more experienced makers and players, but I sure get blown away on them!  I thought "Better than a Cadillac" would be a really funny slogan, and I also think it's true.  Anyone who has a really nice hotchiku has something VERY special... something that is much more valuable than a Cadillac...

Last edited by Harazda (2007-07-08 23:24:20)

Hi geni,

Actually, my CD "Illuminated From Within" has a piece performed on the flute in question.  The piece is called "Samadhi Of The Flowing River," and it's the second piece on the CD.

It's available from shakuhachi.com.

I want to be clear that I'm not claiming that this flute is a Cadillac compared to other peoples' flutes.  It's more likely a Chevrolet!  My statement is that a good hotchiku is existentially superior to a Cadillac, spiritually speaking.  In other words, a Cadillac automobile probably isn't going to do a lot to bring lasting satisfaction in the context of piercing the illusions of samsara.  A good hotchiku, on the other hand, can do much in this regard!

Of course, some Cadillac drivers out there might take issue with this statement!