Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Tairaku wrote:

Seth wrote:

I happen to be staying at a very trendy but fairly lousy hotel right now in Bangalore, India and I will order my first Bombay Sapphire this evening via room service.

I'm just down the road in Columbo at the moment, why don't we hook up?

That would've been awesome but I have to run home when I am done here...but Ill be back in a few weeks...  Are you in Sri Lanka often?

I wonder how the elephants in Kandy would respond to some shakuhachi?  Anyone ever play for an elephant?

Despite the fact that some of you may decide to hurl empty Bombay Sapphire bottles at me for asking...

Since this is a forum dedicated to a traditionally Japanese instrument, why aren't any of you talking about sake?!

Zak -- jinashi size queen (wearing a padded tengai just in case)

Zak and Josh.
If you are making the NSASBS (Nihon shu and shakuhachi blowing society), I will certainly be a member too! ! ! ! Aaahhhhh the little sake breweries in Japan..... I miss them!
While making my way to Kumamoto to drink whisky with Jeff, we can do a little sake tour. Coming with me, Josh? we can blow in the mornings and do sake tastings in the evenings!

Don't forget Shikoku on your sake tour. Kochi is well known in Japan for its sake and also has a reputation for its hachikin, strong willed women who drink as much or more than Kochi men.  Kochi also has the highest divorce rate in Japan.  I played shakuhachi for the annual Kochi sake breweries' tasting party (and dinner) a few years back; various sakes served both hot and chilled...

Last edited by Daniel Ryudo (2008-06-06 02:54:14)

We definately got a plan Kiku!  We can even start with the Suntory Okazaki Wiskey brewery in Kyoto, work/drink our way down to Kochi to pick up Dan (who may or may not be alone depending on how well he's following local Kochi customs) and then head on down sloshed to see Jeff in Kumamoto, who can initiate us into Kyushu customs. And good stops along the way?
I wonder if the Kumuso had such deep goals for their pilgrimages????? Oh, they should be so lucky

San Shin Country here we come! From the most southern island in Okinawa I've heard you can see Taiwan on clear days. We'll have to get to Zak somehow

Jeff Cairns wrote:

NOW, there's a pilgrimage in the brew!

I like the sound of this pilgrimage, so I do hope we really will do it.

So, let me get the route right:

1. Josh and I (others can join, of course) begin with Suntory Okazaki Wiskey brewery in Kyoto and blow shakuhachi at the distillery. I don't mind going inside the big fermentation tanks and play for the sake of the acoustics.

2. Then we pass by Kochi to pick up Dan and drink some local sake there (since they can harvest rice twice a year there, they must have plenty of sake, no?). Here we will blow shakuhachi along the traditional pilgrim route and to the Gods of waves around Shikoku.

3. We continue to Kumamoto where we will pick up Jeff. I have promised to bring some single malt cask strength whisky to Kumamoto for him to drink - and us - obviously! So here we will drink Scotch whisky and play shakuhachi at the place where Nishimura Koku's house once stood and blow with our kyotaku friends.

4. We continue to Yakushima where we will visit the Zen monk, who built his own temple on a mountain top. I lived with him for a while helping to build it. He can introduce us to some local shochu brands, I am sure (he has the reputation of being a nama-bozu, so he will happily drink with us). Here we will blow in honour of the great jomon-sugi, a tree more than 7000 years old (if the scientists are right). That's playing for ancestors!

5. We go to Okinawa to taste aomori, and play on the beach. I mean after such a long and exhausting pilgrimage, we can play on the beach, no?

Can any of you guys think of more stops to do on the way from Kyoto to Okinawa?

No Gishin.  Kiku was just picking up on my typo.  I'm the tipsy one.
Kiku, I'm thinking.

Perry, ah-hum, I'll definitely be there in spirit.