礫川餘光's interview with Tomimori Kyozan 3

Track 4

The interviewer: Is there any kinko player who today transmits the old former of playing?

Tomimori: Ummmmm. When it comes to honkyoku... Masters like Araki Chio-san played both classics and sankyoku well. But usually it is not easy unless they are really great masters. Miura Kindo-san played honkyoku well in kinko-ryu. He was a brother of Miura Kinnosuke who was the jiinokami (servant?) of the meiji tenno emperor. I visited to comfort him after the Great Kanto Earthquake occurred (in 1923) and found him still making shakuhachi including larger bore size flutes. I asked him if kinko people also play such sizes of shakuhachi. He answered, "honkyoku needs to be played on bigger bore flutes." Now kinko shakuhachi are much narrower. I wonder if many people today hope to have Miura Kindo's shakuhachi, cause someone said "if you find Miura Kondo shakuhachi, let me know. I would buy it for 300000 yen." Shakuhachi became quite expensive. Today, kinko-ryu people themselves say that none of kinko-ryu masters play honkyoku well. That should be impossible, as the emphasis is now placed on sankyoku performance. I think that's fine - they play sankyoku. If kinko-ryu people play myoan shakuhachi, then sankyoku players won't be enough in number. Then, this (money) dries up! (laugh) That's why it is impossible. So kinko-ryu honkyoku is like daijo (mahayana), and kinko-ryu people should acknowledge and make good use of it. When it comes to theater music and other kinds of music, kinko-ryu playing is better. When it comes to music offering, myoan would be better. Each has pros and cons....