Today’s Enlightening
Entertainment will be
presented in Japanese,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Japanese,
Korean, Malay,
Mongolian,Persian,
Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish and Thai.
Greetings sweet viewers,
and welcome to
Enlightening Entertainment.
When traditional
instruments meet
contemporary tunes,
it creates
a fresh new ambience
that is nevertheless close
to our hearts.
The Japanese ensemble,
TONE, is one
such inspiring encounter.
TONE was founded when
the talents of three artists
came together in 1988
in Hokkaido, Japan.
Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka
plays shakuhachi,
the Japanese
traditional bamboo flute.
Ms. Mihoko Ono plays
koto, a Japanese traditional
stringed instrument,
and Mr. Ryoichi Soyama
plays guitar.
Together, they create
a unique blend
of old and new.
While the bamboo flute
plays leading tunes
with its spacious
and melodic sound,
the guitar provides
a gentle accompaniment,
and koto adds
a shimmering effect.
Moreover,
their compositions
in Western musical scales
give these
traditional instruments
whole new roles.
The TONE members use
their music to depict the
majestic natural scenery
of their native Hokkaido.
From “the sound of the sea”
to “the mountain pass,”
from “summer rain”
to “snow flurries,”
each piece is
a musical portrait
of their homeland;
each note is composed
with love and a sense of
nostalgia in their hearts.
Now, let us enjoy
“The Ishikari River,”
composed by
Yukihiko Mitsuka.
This piece vividly conveys
the vibrant energy
of the longest river
in Hokkaido,
the Ishikari River, following
the water’s course from
the snowy mountains
through the lush plains
to the vast Pacific Ocean.
What a wonderful and
expressive performance!
Although the shakuhachi
has a humble appearance
and a simple design,
it is capable of producing
a great variety of sounds.
Historically,
shakuhachi is related
to the Zen Buddhism.
The wandering Japanese
Buddhist monks,
or komuso, played it
as a means of
attaining enlightenment
or for its revitalizing effect.
Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka is
not only a shakuhachi
player and composer,
but also a famous
shakuhachi maker.
We call it
a Japanese traditional
musical instrument,
but rather it is a
folk musical instrument.
Among
folk musical instruments,
it is very unique,
because they have been
repeatedly trying very hard
to make it better although
it is such a simple
musical instrument.
We would like to make a
good musical instrument
with the best
performance possible
while dreaming
of making it up to even
a world-class standard.
Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka is
the head of the Senshu
Shakuhachi Studio.
Many renowned
shakuhachi players
perform with
the fine instruments
that he crafted.
I wanted
to make varied music
using bamboo flutes
by myself, but good ones
were not available
in those days when
I began 20, 30 years ago.
Thus, I thought that
it might be possible to
make a musical instrument,
because it seems to be
not so difficult to make one.
In addition,
its material is bamboo,
and we have a lot of them
in Japan.
So I thought maybe I
could make a better flute,
and that was why
I started to make it.
For more than two decades,
TONE has been
giving concerts
throughout Japan.
Their music has also been
appreciated through
meticulously made albums.
The modest
shakuhachi flute thus has
brought a peaceful state
of mind to many listeners.
When we return,
we will continue
our program featuring
the Japanese ensemble,
TONE,
and its lead performer,
Yukihiko Mitsuka.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
Enlightening Entertainment
on Supreme Master
Television.
We now continue
our interview with
Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka,
a famous shakuhachi
maker and performer
with the unique
Japanese ensemble, TONE.
As a concert
shakuhachi player,
Yukihiko Mitsuka always
seeks the best quality
of sound on shakuhachi.
This is what motivated him
to make shakuhachi
of his own.
He tells us about the origin
of the name shakuhachi,
which interestingly
was taken from
“one foot, eight inches.”
This one has
the standard length of
one shaku and eight sun
according to the
Japanese measuring unit.
I took shaku and eight
(Hachi) to name it such.
Therefore, it is
such a musical instrument
that the length
of the musical instrument
became the name.
Could you teach us
about a characteristic
of the bamboo flute?
First of all,
it is made of bamboo.
This kind of bamboo is
a long jointed bamboo.
Speaking of
a long jointed bamboo,
it seems to be
a very special one, but
it is a widespread bamboo
found in
every neighborhood,
and is utilized
as a clothes pole
in the Japan.
Once upon a time,
it was used
for a filament material
when Edison invented
the electric bulb,
and it is a bamboo
with high density.
Because it is believed
to be very good
for a musical instrument,
I use this type of bamboo
grown in Japan.
A bamboo has knags
which are fixed in number.
This bamboo flute
contains seven holes,
and the 7th hole
is a mouth to blow.
And another
interesting point is that
there are two holes between
the 4th and the 5th, and
three holes in between
till the next knag.
And the numbers of holes
between two knags
are fixed regardless of
the size of a bamboo flute.
This one is very long,
but it has two holes
between two knags, and
three holes in between
till the next knag.
Only this is fixed.
It can be a characteristic,
yes?
According to
Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka,
it takes years
of dedicated work
and great patience
to produce
a good shakuhachi.
As I said some time ago,
a long jointed bamboo
grows up tall
in a month or so.
I obtain a bamboo
which has lived fully
till the limit
of its life expectancy, and
let it dry in a dark place
for about five years.
The right bamboo
is very hard and
becomes high in density,
and is good
for a bamboo flute.
A good shakuhachi emits
a deep, airy,
and soulful sound,
making the art of playing it
a meditative tradition.
In fact, the technique
of playing the shakuhachi
rests in a relaxed mind.
When you actually
blow one, when you try
to make any sound,
you try hundreds of ways
to blow,
but the point is rather
to shape your mouth
so that you blow up
your breath
in a faraway direction.
A bamboo flute
can make sounds
regardless of where
your mouth is placed on.
You just relax, and
try not to do anything,
and then it will work.
It is better
not to do anything more.
You do not need to make
such a particular face.
You often make
a strange face to blow,
but you cannot
make any sound.
So, without expectation,
do not do anything.
Nothing is difficult
in this sense, I think.
Please share with us
your plans of activity
here in this studio and
your future prospects.
What we do
is an activity in which
we make bamboo flutes
and perform music using
our musical instruments.
This is one of CDs we
have produced ourselves,
and we’d be happy if,
through our activities,
we can make many people
know that bamboo flutes
are very wonderful
musical instruments.
Now, let us enjoy
the following performance
by Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka
and his ensemble, TONE,
titled “Our Own Way.”
This harmonious
and lighthearted tune
seems to encourage us
to keep walking
towards our dream.
After all, every one of us
has “our own way.”
We thank
Mr. Yukihiko Mitsuka
and the other members of
TONE, Ms. Mihoko Ono
and Mr. Ryoichi Soyama,
for sharing with us
such beautiful music.
May you continue
to be inspired to create
more soothing melodies
that comfort our souls.
Joyful viewers,
thank you for joining us
today on
Enlightening Entertainment.
Now, please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
next after
Noteworthy News.
May your days
be brightened
with celestial music.
The ensemble
TONE’s music CDs
are available at