Have you ever heard of a man called “Ikkyu-san?
Some of you may know him from Japanese TV cartoons, where he is famous for his a pretty wit.
The model for Ikkyu-san was a Muromachi period (1336-1573) monk by the name of Soujun Ikkyu.
(From here on, I will refer to him as Ikkyu Zenji (master of Zen Buddhism).)
Why am I talking about Ikkyu Zenji in this blog?
It is because it is said that Ikkyu Zenji also loved the shakuhachi.
According to one theory, he was friends with a Chinese monk named Roan.
It is said that Roan introduced a type of shakuhachi called hitoyogiri to Japan.
It is also said that Ikkyu Zenji proposed to Roan that he should go begging for alms with the shakuhachi, and this is said to have been the beginning of Zen practice using shakuhachi music.
Many people have an image of “”Ikkyu-san”” as a cute little monk who was good at playing a pretty wit.
However, the actual Ikkyu Zenji seems to be a person who is deeply involved with Japanese musical instruments.
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