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Yamaue Getsuzan

山上 月山

Yamaue Getsuzan
11/15/1908 - ????

Shakuhachi

Schools: Shimpō Ryū, Nezasa Ha, Kyūshū Kei, Ōshū Kei, Taizan Ryū.


Yamaue was one of the foremost honkyoku experts of his generation. Originally from Kyushu, he traveled widely, being stationed in different areas of Japan for his work. He studied his native Kyūshū style since he was a child and gathered all the available pieces from the remaining teachers. Modern day Itchoken owe much of their lineage to him, him being one of their two main teachers. He was a master of Nezasa Ha Kimpū Ryū, studying all the complete repertoire of 10 pieces from 4 different teachers as well as 4 from one other teacher. His main teacher for this lineage was Orito Nyogetsu, from whom he also studied the ura-choshi. Yamaue passed this lineage on to two people, Satō Reidō and Iso Jozan.

From a young age Yamaue studied Shimpō Ryu from two of Katsuura Shōzan's students, and later went to study directly under Katsuura. Though a number of Shimpō Ryū pieces survive in varying forms absorbed by other schools, Yamaue's transmission remains the key source of original Shimpō Ryū honkyoku. He passed this lineage to two people, Satō Reidō and Takahashi Rochiku. Yamaue made extensive studies of Ōshū Kei, Taizan Ryū (from Tanikita Muchiku and Uramoto Setchō), Kinko Ryū from a number of teachers, and various other pieces. Although Yamaue was highly regarded as a foremost expert, due to living in the remote countryside of Kyūshū few people studied from him. His principle student and the only one to receive the entirety of his lineage was Satō Reidō.

(Information from Dr. Riley Lee's PhD thesis: YEARNING FOR THE BELL; a study of transmission in the shakuhachi honkyoku tradition. 1992 University of Sydney)

"Yamaue Getsuzan also devoted his life to learning honkyoku from as many sources as possible, notating honkyoku that he learned and documenting the complex lineages of individual pieces. The material he gathered and arranged is one of the most important sources of data on the transmission of honkyoku during the twentieth century. For example, Yamaue alone learned four versions of 'Reibo' of the Ôshû district."

(Information courtesy of Justin Senryu Williams)

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