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Shin Mukaiji

真霧海箎

[Genre]Honkyoku
[School]Myoan Shinpo Ryû

Shin Mukaiji appears on the following albums

Album Artist

Five Pieces for Shakuhachi Chikurai - Makato Moroi Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho I
Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho II
Shin MUKAIJI by Chikuho Sakai

A legend says that there used to live a high monk called Reverend Fuke, in "Toh", China in 8th Century. He travelled throughout Toh territories preaching with a hand-bell.

Then, a young monk, Cho-Haku, begged to be his apprentice and was rejected. Cho-Haku, still adoring the great monk, used a bamboo flute to imitate the master's hand-bell sounds.

This was the beginning of Shakuhachi, and the number he then played was called "Kyo Rei" (Open Bells). One of his descendants, sixteen generations later, Cho-San, taught the music to Kaku-Shin, Zen monk from Japan who studied in China then, who brought it back to this country.

When Kaku-Shin was on the sea on his way back to motherland, the ship lost in heavy fog. Then, the image of Rev. Fuke appeared in the fog, ringing his hand-bell. Monk Kaku-Shin, awed and inspired, played a tune in response to the Revd's bell. The tune was later called "Mu-Kai-Ji".

Another legend tells that one of the highest students of Kaku-Shin, Ki-Chiku (later opened Myoh-An Ji Temple in Kyoto and became Reverend Kyo-Chiku), travelled in many territories of this country playing a bamboo flute, and one night stayed up on Mt. Asaguma. He heard, in his dream, fantastic tunes; one in the foggy hours of the night, and another after the fog cleared. He named the first one "Mu-Kai-Ji" and another "Ko-Kuh" (Open Sky).

These three numbers, "Kyo Rei", "Mukaiji", and "Ko-Kuh" are called "San Kyo Rei" (Three Open Spirits) and given much respect as original classics.

"Shin Mukaiji" recorded here is the traditional original, a large music composed of four chapters, as taught and descended by the 35th Master of Mei-An (Shinpo School), Shinryu Ozaki, to the 36th Master, Shozan Katsuura, to the 1st Master of Chikuho School, Chikuho Sakai (now, Old Chikuoh), down to the 2nd master, Chikuho Sakai, II. "Shin" means the oldest type of letter-writing of Chinese, hence, the oldest. It took a good year for the 1st Master, Chikuho, to learn the number thoroughly. This is the first recording of the music in its entity.

Five Pieces for Shakuhachi Chikurai - Makato Moroi Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho I
Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho II

Five Pieces for Shakuhachi Chikurai - Makato Moroi Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho I
Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho II

Five Pieces for Shakuhachi Chikurai - Makato Moroi Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho I
Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho II
Play ButtonShinmukaiji - An Introduction to Zen Shakuhachi Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho II
Play ButtonSuizen - Chikuho ryu ni miru fuke shakuhachi no keifu - 01 Shakuhachi : Sakai Chikuho II