Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Indeed this is very sad news and the shakuhachi world has lost a person with an incredible knowledge of the shakuhachi, its history and music.

She was my supervisor during my fieldtrip in Japan doing research on instruments. Her enthusiasm and support to her students and anyone doing research on shakuhachi and music in general took me by surprise. She was so involved in people's research and came with so much support and suggestions and encouraged people to work hard... which she waas such a good source of inspiration of.

We had joked about making a feminine shakuhachi research group - something that of course did not happen due to her illness...

She will be greatly missed.

The funeral ceremony (告別の式) is scheduled to take place in the afternoon Monday 27th. More details on exact time and place will come.

Simura Zenpo wrote that he would like to make a special ceremony for shakuhachi people to say goodbye to this incredible woman who has elucidated so much of shakuhachi history to the world. He asked if anyone had suggestions on how to do this, please do let us know.

Tairaku 太楽 wrote:

Kiku it is unusual for a Japanese woman of her generation to pursue the shakuhachi path. Do you know how this occurred? Was she also a player, if so, what ryu?

The story she told me was that she was a student in the musicology department at Tokyo Geidai (Tokyo University of Fine Arts)  when she told her supervisor Moroi Makoto (the composer of Chikurai Gosho) she wanted to do research into something unusual. He told her then, if you want to do research into something unusual, then do research in shakuhachi. She began and she told me she was not prepared for the way the fascination of this music, the instrument and its history would take her. She got taken by it and the research of shakuhachi became her lifetime passion and work.
Stories such as she sat throughout the long fukiai sessions at Myoanji recording without having time to even go to the loo floats around... she was a fascinating woman!
Tsukitani did not play herself - not more than basics and what she might have done in her private life. She was a full blown researcher. She told me that since she was the first professional researcher working on shakuhachi, it very often helped her she did not play because people would not be afraid of her "stealing their techniques".
And yes, Tsukitani was an unusual wman... my aunt's best friend studied with her and told me that she has never known anybody with so much energy like Tsukitani... something we - in the shakuhachi world - have benefitted from with the results of her amazing research.
Those who can read Japanese, have a look at her book:
尺八古典本曲の研究 published by 出版芸術社
The research of shakuhachi koten honkyoku published by Shuppan Geijutsusha

I'm sorry to hear the news about Tsukitani sensei.  I enjoyed listening to her lectures on the history of shakuhachi on several occasions, most recently at Bisei back in 2007.  Yes, this year has been a big loss for the shakuhachi community with Yokoyama Katsuya, Tsuneko Tsukitani and also Tom Deaver's passing away.

Details for the funeral of Tsukitani Tsuneko sensei

Wake or virgil: 26 Sept from 7 pm
Funeral: 27 Sept 11:30 am - 1 pm

Address:
Osaka shi hokusai jō
1-7-13 Nagara Nishi, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi
Tel: 06-6351-3042

For people who would like to offer flowers to her, contact:
Miyakojima sousai. tel.06-6921-0203、fax. 06-6922-009
Price: 10,500 yen

We would like to plan a date and time when people all over the world can play a piece at the same time as a tribute to and a goodbye to this amazing woman and researcher of shakuhachi.
If anybody would like to participate could you please let me know either here or send me an email. Shimura Zenpo would like to write the countries (and perhaps cities) where we will be playing in an information sheet for people at the funeral.

Shimura also requests those of us who will be able to record and upload our selves onto YouTube to do so under the title "月溪恒子先生に捧げる尺八音楽" (Tsukitani sensei ni sasagu shakuhachi ongaku = the shakuhachi music dedicated to Tsukitani Tsuneko sensei). Perhaps if we can gather in small groups - it would be nice. But even our selves would be great too.

I will let you know the exact date and time...

On Monday 27 September at 12:30 local time in Japan people will be playing synchronised Choshi/honchoshi/honshirabe/honte no shirabe around the world. This will happen when Tsukitani sensei's body is to be cremated.

After Choshi, we will play Kyorei and Tamuke, but as not all ryu-ha have these pieces in their repertoire we have decided on Choshi as the synchronised piece with the other two afterwards if you want to.
If you want please let me know the location you will be playing this.

Also as mentioned before, Shimura also requests those of us who will be able to record and upload our selves playing onto YouTube to do so under the title "月溪恒子先生に捧げる尺八音楽" (Tsukitani sensei ni sasagu shakuhachi ongaku = the shakuhachi music dedicated to Tsukitani Tsuneko sensei).

I hope many of you will join us.

Less than 5 hours to the synchronised Choshi! ♡

Last edited by Kiku Day (2010-09-26 18:40:56)

Tairaku 太楽 wrote:

Kiku Day wrote:

Less than 5 hours to the synchronised Choshi! ♡

OK so 1:30 on East Coast Australia, I will do it. Do you want me to use jinashi?

If I want you to use jinashi???
I don't care and I am sure Tsukitani sensei wouldn't care either... so play which ever you want. Anything is good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdmrD2a5YqM

That's SO cool you did it, Perry!
Thank you! I didn't have recording equipment, so I gave up on that. Hope more will join the group of players and upload...

This photo will also be used in the European Shakuhachi Society's next Newsletter.
But I thought since we have lately talked so much about Tsukitani Tsuneko sensei, I'd post this photo here.
This is at my leaving do with her and all her PhD students. They were all great people. Well, she is obviously the woman second from right in the first row.

Last edited by Kiku Day (2010-10-21 06:55:14)