Honkyoku


Honkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachi music played by mendicant Japanese Zen monks called komusō. Komusō played honkyoku for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century. Honkyoku is part of the practice of suizen. The Fuke sect which originated from this practice ceased to exist in the 19th century, after which several shakuhachi guilds were formed, and the verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though the music is now often practised in a concert or performance setting.
There are many ryū 流, or schools, of honkyoku, each with their own style, emphasis, and teaching methods.
"Motion in honkyoku is significantly static, precisely because of the dominance of the sacred purpose and function, and to a certain extent, it is also subject to breathing meditation, the principle of the suidan - the phrase of one full breath - thus a form of breathing exercise."

Kinko Ryū

In the 18th century, a komusō named Kinko Kurosawa of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism was commissioned to travel Japan and collect these musical pieces. Although it is commonly thought that the 36 pieces of the Kinko Ryū Honkyoku repertoire were collected and played by Kinko Kurosawa, these pieces were significantly changed and codified by later generations, including Miura Kindo and others.
  1. Hifumi—Hachigaeshi no Shirabe 一二三鉢返の調
  2. Taki-ochi no Kyoku 瀧落の曲
  3. Akita Sugagaki 秋田菅垣
  4. Koro Sugagaki 転菅垣
  5. Kyūshū Reibo 九州鈴慕
  6. Shizu no Kyoku 志図の曲
  7. Kyō Reibo 京鈴慕
  8. Mukaiji Reibo 霧海箎
  9. Kokū Reibo 虚空
  10. a) Kokū Kaete 虚空替手 Banshikichō 盤渉調
  11. Shin Kyorei 真虚霊
  12. Kinsan Kyorei 琴三虚霊
  13. Yoshiya Reibo 吉野鈴慕
  14. Yūgure no Kyoku 夕暮の曲
  15. Sakai Jishi 栄獅子
  16. Uchikae Kyorei 打替虚霊
  17. Igusa Reibo 葦草鈴慕
  18. Izu Reibo 伊豆鈴慕
  19. Reibo Nagashi 鈴慕流
  20. Sōkaku Reibo 巣鶴鈴慕
  21. Sanya Sugagaki 三谷菅垣
  22. Shimotsuke Kyorei 下野虚霊
  23. Meguro-jishi 目黒獅子
  24. Ginryū Kokū 吟龍虚空
  25. Sayama Sugagaki 佐山菅垣
  26. Sagari Ha no Kyoku 下り葉の曲
  27. Namima Reibo 波間鈴慕
  28. Shika no Tōne 鹿の遠音
  29. Hōshōsu 鳳将雛
  30. Akebono no Shirabe 曙の調
  31. Akebono Sugagaki 曙菅垣
  32. Ashi no Shirabe 芦の調
  33. Kotoji no Kyoku 琴柱の曲
  34. Kinuta Sugomori 砧巣籠
  35. Tsuki no Kyoku 月の曲
  36. Kotobuki no Shirabe 寿の調
At least three additional pieces were later added to the Kinko-Ryu repertoire:
  1. Kumoi Jishi 雲井獅子
  2. Azuma no Kyoku 吾妻の曲
  3. Sugagaki 菅垣
Other notable Honkyoku schools:
SchoolFounder
Chikuho RyūSakai Chikuho I 初世酒井 竹保
Chikushinkai Watazumi Doso 海童道祖 / Yokoyama Katsuya 横山 勝也
Jikishō RyūTajima Tadashi 田嶋直士
Mu RyûMiyata Kohachiro 宮田耕八朗
Myoan Shinpo RyūOzaki Shinryu 尾崎真龍
Nezasa Ha / Kimpu RyūKurihara Kinpu 栗原錦風
Seien RyūKanemoto Seien 兼友西園
Taizan HaHiguchi Taizan 樋口対山
Tozan RyūNakao Tozan 中尾都山
Ueda RyūUeda Hodo 上田芳憧