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One time I went bamboo digging and couldn't
find any bamboo I really liked. It grew dark
and I was about to give up, whereupon my
wife tossed a leaf into the air. When it
landed, the narrow end was pointing in the
direction of this beautiful bamboo. I named
the instrument "Leaf Spirit", and
it is the instrument I use most often when
playing honkyoku. |
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This is the natural curve of the bamboo.
I did not heat or bend it. |
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This is a natural ikigaeshi ("breath-return").
I left a rim of the joint intact at the mouthpiece.
The rim has a smaller circumference than
the wall of the bamboo directly below. The
ikigaeshi is more often seen in antique intruments. |
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The bore is naturally large, so the hole
at the bottom ended up with a large diameter. |
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The mark "Youshin" or"Leaf
Spirit" |
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You can see the remains of the joints when
you look inside. |