Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Kiku, roughly what were they saying about him?

And more importantly did they tackle the thorny topic of jiari vs. jinashi?

Tairaku wrote:

Kiku, roughly what were they saying about him?

They say that Ken is America's no 1 bamboo 'mania' (they use the English word mania but it is better translated with enthusiast or aficionado).
He collects mostly Japanese madake and some of the bamboo cost up to ¥20.000 and some are as old as 35 years.

Then the announcer continues to ask the question: 'What is he doing?'. It is built up as a suspense. What IS this man doing with all these pieces of bamboo?????

Then they explain ’there is a shakuhachi boom in America’！To which the people in the studio really get surprised.

It is written on the board at the end in the studio 幻の尺八と言われる由緑 (maboroshi no shakuhachi to iwareru yuryoku) I actually don't know how to translate this.... but it has something to do with the important things for Ken when he makes his shakuhachi.

1) 産地にこだわる (he is fussy [or concerned] about the area where the bamboo has grown). They explain that Ken goes to Nagano to harvest his bamboo.

2) 伝統にこだわる (he is concerned and very particular about the tradition). They here make a joke about that Ken has been in Japan and made shakuhachi with Kodama because the fat guy in the front row's name is Kodama as well. Then the announcer explains that Kodama makes traditional flutes and his speciality is a warm tone colour.

3) 体の調子がちょっと悪い ([he is] physically not so strong or he is not so well).... I don't understand this point, but they say Ken is not so strong physically, so he can't mass produce shakuhachi but he takes his time to work on each shakuhachi... Don't really get why this is funny...

Japanese TV has since a very long time been entertainment in the word's worst sense. I have been a coordinator for many Japanese TV productions shot in Scandinavia... and all these programmes - no matter how good material they shoot - have been turned into stupid entertainment.
This programme is no exception. But never-the-less I think the portrait of Ken as a bamboo aficionado is quite nice! So good for you, Ken and for Mujitsu shakuhachi. I am glad to see it on youtube and thanks for posting, Tairaku!

And as I already said I didn't know Ken was this photogenic!

Thanks for the background story as well, Ken! And really funny that Jim saw this on TV when he arrived in Japan! Must have been a blast!

Last edited by Kiku Day (2010-05-10 07:50:14)

Tairaku wrote:

I love the goofy voice they use to translate him.

Ken, I think you should cultivate all of the qualities of the translator's voice and speak like that in everyday life.

Japanese television makes me want to hack out my innards through my stomach with an ice pick.

Kiku Day wrote:

3) 体の調子がちょっと悪い ([he is] physically not so strong or he is not so well).... I don't understand this point, but they say Ken is not so strong physically, so he can't mass produce shakuhachi but he takes his time to work on each shakuhachi... Don't really get why this is funny...

They were probably referring to a story I told them about harvesting extra wide bamboo with Kodama. I was spent at the end of the day and Kodama showed no signs of fatigue. He's an animal!

Jim Thompson wrote:

The program I saw in Japan was different than this one Brian posted. It was the same footage but edited quite differently and with no goofy factor. It was presented more as informational than as entertainment and the Ken footage was far more extensive. Ken, I wonder if you can track it down through the production people. You might want to see it as I think you would like it better.

That's interesting Jim. Thanks. I'll see what I can come up with.

Tairaku wrote:

I guess they used the footage for a straight documentary and then regurgitated it for a stupid show as well.

I checked out a few episodes of the show before they came by. So, I was prepared for the goofy factor. It made it easier to go along with the story lines.... bamboo on the back, etc. Got to read the room!

It would be interesting to see the straight documentary though. There was plenty of less entertaining but more informative flutemaking involved.