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Origin of Japanese Flutes

I don't know how long ago, or where in the world people began to play flute.
Also I don't know when it was introduced to Japan or who invented it.

Origin of Flutes


'Syoso-in' Tresure House, 1200 years old.


In the Syoso-in in Nara, Japan, there are 4 traverse flutes and 8 vertical flutes(Shakuhachi). Some of These flutes are open to the public once a year.
In the detail the transverse flutes, two are made of bamboo, one of ivory, and one by carved stone.
These are copies of an ivory flute and a bamboo flute.
We, in the hobby circle of flute, tryed to craft copies and played them.
I think these flutes are good-looking, but the musical intervals differ from the current models of Ryuteki. Actually, it is very difficult to play music on these.
I doubt that current Japanese flutes bear any relationship to these types.


Unearthed from 'Shimizu' Remains


In the Tohoku-Rekishi Museum, there is an old flute from the Shimizu remains.
The Shimizu remains (in Natori-city) is a remnant from the half of the ninth century.
Over ten years ago, this flute was found from remains of a well.
Mr. Minoh(Japanese flute specialist) and Mr. Tanaka(instructor of our circle) have realized the importance of this flute, because it was determined to be about a thousand years old, despite the fact that bamboo easily decays in clay.
It is considered that Shimizu flute is the oldest in Japan that was truly used to play music.


Comparison 'Ryuteki' : 'Shimizu' flute : 'Komabue'


Komabue is a current 'Gagaku' flute used the same as the Ryuteki.
I think the Shimizu flute is the middle-size of these prototypes.
I can't confirm what this means, but I guess the origin of Japanese flutes will become more clear in the near future.


Aoba no Fue :
:Replica Flute of the Middle Ages.

According to the folklore in Izumi, Fukui-ken(Japan), 800 years ago, Yoshihira, eldest son of Genji Family, was defeated Heiji-war. So he hid himself in Izumi and married a native girl. He was killed later ,and his decendants inherited his flute for a long time.
These pictures are of a replica flute , restored by Toshinaga Tanaka, Instructor of our hobby circle. Existing Ryuteki are roughly the same size, but I think proportions of the ancient flutes are better looking.

'Aoba no fue':The name of ancient flute


800-1200 years ago, the bamboo trees were dedicated for the Royal Palace.
There is much forklore regarding 'Aoba-no-fue' in various place in Japan.
Aoba-no-fue means the flute with green leaves.
One mention in the 'Heike-monogatari', a flute owned by famous Samurai in Heike-family 'Atsumori', one more 'Aoba-no-fue'.
Several years ago, 'Forum Aoba-no-fue' was held in Izumi-mura, Fukui-prefecture.
They reported that there are numerous old flutes called 'Aoba-no-fue' in various places in Japan.
And that about a thousand years ago, 'Aoba-no-fuetake' the material of 'Aoba-no-fue' are dedicated to Royal Palace for a long time.
'Aoba-no-fuetake' is exist still now in Hie-temple in Kokubu-shi, Kagoshima.(This picture)


Old excellent flutes


I will show you information of some old excellent flutes. Please send me E-mail any other information.
This picture is an old Nohkan in Togeppo-Saioku-ji temple in Shizuoka. They say this flute was a present from Imagawa-Yoshimoto(an old Daimyo). It may not be able to play because it had broken, but it looks very good.
There is one more flute (old shakuhachi named "Hitoyogiri") in this temple.



There is an old Ryuteki's picture called "Usuzumi" in Tessyu-ji temple in Shimizu-city, Shizuoka.
I did go and took picture at the exhibision(Oct 11,12) in Tessyu-ji temple. It was nice and likes heavy weight. There is a letter with sign on its side. "This ryuteki had repared at 1595AC by the feudal lord".
In TV program at last september, the flutest Akao Michiko played the "Usuzumi" with good sound, especially high tone is full of life.


There is one more old Ryuteki called same "Usuzumi" at Seigan-ji temple in Yahagi,Okazaki-city,Aichi-prefecture. The color is soft black and glossy like silver metalic. It seems very old. The form is a little small but well stacked.
By folk story, a famous samurai Yoshitune(when 16th years old) loved a harlot "Joruri" in Yahagi. He presented her "Usuzumi" flute but it was one night stand-off, then she had been pined every days.
This story is a roots of Bunraku(Japanese traditional puppet drama).
I think this is Ryuteki flute, but there are some differences(size) from modearn Ryuteki flute. This subject of study may be good theme for ours.



In exhibition The Traditional Performing Arts iof Japan (- 09.01.96), there were two old Ryuteki and one Nohkan. The Ryutekis are from National Theater and has been from Kisyu-Tokugawa-family. One of them was called "Seiryu"(dragon), people says Yoshitune presented them to an temple. It seems acturely used frequently. Another one was called "Kanjimaru" , people says Emperor Shirakawa had been used them. The looks and proportion give me deep emotional impression.
The Nohkan was made at Edo-period. It is big and strong. The making method may be Cut and paste technique. There are beautiful gold decoration "Chinkin" in bamboo's gap.

Yoshitsune's flute "Semiore"


At the top of the Noto-peninsula, there is an old shrine Suzu, build 2,000 years ago. We can see an excellent ryuteki flute "Semiore" in the treasure cabin at this shrine.(reservation required). They say that Yoshitsune, a famous samurai, dedicated this flute to this shrine when he escaped toword north-Japan. It was about 800 years ago. There is one more small Komabue flute beside "Semiore". These two flutes are very beautiful and I want beleave this story.
I understand that "Semiore" is very old enough to go back to Heian-period(800-1,200A.C.), from following three reasons. First, the proportion is best balanced, that is to say no so much unevenness. Top node is bigger than other place, gradually become to small toward end of the pipe, just like a bamboo itself.
Second, the color is silver shine and withered that we feel old.
Third, Kabamaki, the decoration roll made from cherry bark, is simple than that in modern Ryuteki. They looks made from wide(over 1 cm) strap of bark, but we make from thin(under 1mm) strap. I consider that the method of wide strap was traditional process.
The first reason is important because I saw same distinction in other old flutes "Aoba no fue" , "Kanjimaru", and so on.
I don't know if it is identical, there is astory handed down by tradition, "Semiore" flute, quote below.
It was a time of Toba-in, a Chinese bamboo was presented to Japan from Chinese Royal (Song period). That has beautiful branch node like cicada. Toba-in said the word to say its prayers for 7 days, and to make it Ryuteki. One day, Sanehira, one of the noble who was a grand master of flute, droped it down and broke the "cicada". "Semiore" means broken cicada.


A lot of old flutes were exhibited since Octover to November, 1996 in Hikone Castle Musium. The Ryutek named "Katyomaru", "Sanchikumaru", "Fukuhara", "Hamatsuto", "Aoyagi".... and the Komabue and the Kagurabues were puted on display. There were some exceptional flutes in them. Some Ryutekis made of cast iron, ivory, or made with long bamboo branch, or made from 4 bamboo parts to joint them. All of them were simple balanced beautiful flutes.
There are old book-set "Gakka-roku" that scribes many of named old flutes with their episodes. The faimous 63 flutes are seted down. The number one is "Ha-futatsu", the second is "Seichiku", next "Katei", and "Dai-suiryu", and "Syo-suiryu" and so on. This book is written in old fashioned Japanese word.
Aoba no fue(Atsumori's Saeda no fue) at Sumadera, Kohbe city
Click any picture to get more large JPEG-picture.


All elder people can sing this song below.
"Ichi no tani no ikusa yabue, utareshi heike no kindachi aware. Akatsuki samuki suma no arashi ni kikoeshi wa koreka Aoba no fue."

Bugaku in Mori,Shizuoka


I visited Mori,Shizuoka-prefecture again in July, where is well-known as birth place of Mori-no-Ishimatu, the famous Yakuza(Gang-ster).
I saw 8 stages of Bugaku-performance in Yamana-Shrine. The dance had done and had been continued to take over about 500 years by the proteges of the shrine.
The players of this dance are almost young boy. And they cover up there face by the noh-like mask or animal mask. The dance of crane and of mantis are better performance.


The flute is very unique because it is made from Odake(male bamboo) that has hard joint and has short gap between joints.
I can't guess the origin of this flute, therefor I think this is one of good theme of our studies.
There are several styles of original Bugaku of each shrines in Mori. Oguni-shrine, Amenomiya-shrine, Yamana-shrine and so on.


Mibu-kyogen(Panto-mime) in Kyoto


The Panto-mime was played at Mibu-temple in Kyoto.
It was a unique and amusing panto-mime performance, bat it was traditional and smart dance.
They played dance accampanied by Shinobue, Taiko(drum), and Kane(gong). The melody of Shinobue was simple but the music lived up the performance very much. The program was made up with a lot of forklores and they were easy to understand.
My travel guide for Kyoto was Mr.Ijiri(ijiri@cco.ncl.omron.co.jp), who lives in Kyoto and have been studyed Nokan for a long time.
And his friend, Mr.Funahashi-brothers, who played Kyogen performance and played flute.
I also saw several Drama-Mask and the Clothes of the Kyogen. It was luxury experience for me.


Please inform me about interesting forklore the origin of Japanese Flutes
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