Global Myōan-ji

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Mukaiji 霧海箎

November 3, 2025

Recent meetings and particularly the Kyōchiku Zenji Hōsan-Kai 虚竹禅師奉讃会 held on November 3rd 2025 have seen a sharp rise in Non-Japanese participants.

The shakuhachi has long been appreciated and eagerly embraced abroad in all kinds of musical styles. But this growing interest in the classical shakuhachi as it is played at Myoan-ji is new, as this is not so much just another musical style but rather a form of zen-meditation or a religious ritual. There may be as many different kinds of motivations to take part in this tradition as there are players, but some speculation may be permitted.

The ceremonies at Myōan-ji allows participants to share a kind of spiritual space regardless of their particular religious beliefs. Japanese participants belong to all kinds of Buddhist traditions but the personal affiliation is never discussed. Needles to say that in the outside world, those Buddhist traditions do not always go along well with each other.

The Fuke-shoshū 普化正宗, as the tradition is officially called, welcomes members of all religious traditions. It has no doctrines one would be required to believe in and there are no written teachings. The single practice of the tradition is to engage in the study and practice of the traditional musical pieces, the koten-honkyoku 古典本曲. “Just play and observe how it changes you and the world around you.” One could maybe paraphrase the Fuke-shoshū teachings.

Playing is our religion or “Blowing is our Zen“ as the motto of the tradition suizen 吹禅 implies.












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