Kumamoto, Japan (Kyushu) November, 2004

In November of 2004, I had the great pleasure and opportunity to travel to Kyushu, Japan, in search of knowledge, and great bamboo. This, my first "expedition" to Japan, was possible only through the extreme kindness and efforts of
Jeff Cairns Sensei, an amazing teacher and performer of the shakuhachi, among many other things. Through Jeff, I also received a very gracious welcome from Tsurugi Kodo sensei, his father, Tsurugi Kyomudo sensei, and the entire Tsurugi family. The knowledge, expertise and lineage of the Tsurugi's is vast, and their kindness in sharing a little bit of it with me was, is, a wonderful thing!

It was a short trip, focused primarily on building techniques, though, in one week, I managed to experience and absorb many other amazing aspects of the shakuhachi... history, harvesting and curing of the best bamboo on earth, playing techniques, the witnessing of world-class, traditional performers, how to treat urushi lacquer rash 8^/, and even my first, official public performance on the instrument ("Taki Otoshi no Kyoku").

For a shakuhachi builder, it was a trip of a lifetime... for anyone, it was a window into the incredible respect, kindness and hospitality that is the true nature of Japan. Since my still camera became somewhat goofy on my first day there, the photos below were taken as digital-stills from the many hours of video shot as reference :).