I generally agree with you (I especially like your comparision of the
western flute to the shakuhachi), but why not start at 1853 (Perry's Black
Ships) rather than 1868 (start of Meiji Era), since the economic and social
tumult that followed the re-introduction of Japan to the outside world
(internal economic stagnation combined with significantly different
evaluations of the price of gold between Japan and the world, technological
inferiority to the western imperial powers, etc.) basically led to the
post-feudal era and social revolution that was Meiji.
To see a culture or nation as technologically superior also seems to imply
that it is superior in other ways -- so some in Japan, which adapted rapidly
to the western technological level, also regarded western culture and arts,
including western instruments, western music, western tunings, etc., as
superior and more desirable. If you watch any half-dozen Japanese melodramas
set in the Meiji or Taisho eras you'll always see a some minor character, a
fop who loves everything Dutch/Portuguese/English/French and denigrates
anything native. Then again, the heroine is typically very traditional, who
bends to western influence just enough to gain success (usually in a
business context) ... It's a psychological conflict still seen in modern
Japanese society, but I think less now, because much of what used to be
exclusively "western" is now just a part of Japanese society. People still
say "western clothes" to refer to their everyday clothes, but actually what
they call "Japanese clothes" are the exotic clothes nowadays. The west/east
distinction exists there, but so does it exit here (USA). Just like, say,
Americans no longer have psychological conflicts about "sushi" being this
raw, exotic cuisine from the Far East (well, at least not on the West/East
Coast, anyway), now it's just part of more or less everyday cuisine.
This message is getting long, oops ... My general impression is that the
shakuhachi is still generally regarded as a pursuit of old men in Japan --
so seeing non-Japanese playing the instrument seems to give quite a kick to
the picture-takers there. On the other hand, the presence of internationals
pursuing shakuhachi helps to modify the perception that the shakuhachi is
"furukusai" and revitalizes the field, I think. So I don't mind being the
"dancing panda" since one day someone might take a look at the photo of the
weird foreigner blowing on a shakuhachi and get the curiosity to try it out
themselves. (It might be even better if that foreigner could in fact hardly
play, since it might give them more courage to try it out! Perception that a
shakuhachi is a virtuoso instrument may not be good for its popularity in
the long run.) I was also glad to see when last in Japan that a number of
shakuhachi teachers expressed special interest in teaching more women, and
it was interesting to see one 60-year old woman starting from the very
basics.
Actually, although there is much talk of the decline of shakuhachi in Japan,
I'm not at all sure if there are in fact more flute players than shakuhachi
players over there! One might speak of the "decline of the flute in America"
since I rarely meet anyone here who enjoys classical music (but that's just
my personal experience) ... I always see some shakuhachi playing on NHK (the
Japanese public station) whenever I'm there, whereas (to refer to another
style often suggested as "declining") I rarely see any old school jazz on
any TV channel here (but then I don't have broadband). Another near-random
observation is that I often see/acquire clippings of Japanese newspaper
articles about the "quiet boom" in the komuso movement in Japan (summary:
men typically join once they get about middle age). So if there is a decline
now, it's certainly not the kind of decline that was experienced in, say, in
the 4th year of Meiji!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Zachary Braverman" <zachary@kotodama.net>
To: "Stav Tapuch" <tapuch@hotmail.com>; <shakahuna@yahoo.com>; "weber shaq"
<shakuhachi@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: air density
> On 02.1.11 4:17 PM, "Stav Tapuch" <tapuch@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >
> > From this last letter I understand that it is a tired topic to talk
about
> > why shakuhachi music is such a neglected art in Japan - but I, as a
> > newcomer, would be very interested in hearing why this is so.
> >
> > Is it merely because the western, modern flute is just more efficient at
> > making music, or is the shakuhachi just a victim in a greater cultural
war?
>
> Stan, here are some very general comments off the top of my head:
>
> The western flute and the Japanese flute have very different qualities -
one
> is not better than the other. For example, the western flute is better at
> playing intricate patterns of notes, while the shakuhachi is better at
> creating variations in sound color.
>
> And, to say that the shakuhachi is the victim of a cultural war is
> misleading, because modern Japanese culture has tossed aside many of its
> traditions without urging from anyone.
>
> To answer the question, you really have to study Japanese history. Start
> with 1868, when Japan was unceremoniously introduced to the rest of the
> world and the modern age.
>
> Also, remember that shakuhachi music has never been pop music in this
> country, so its not as though it fell from mass popularity or anything!
>
> Best,
>
> ZB
>
> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......
> Zachary Braverman
> Japanese to English Translation
> zachary@kotodama.net | Oita City, Japan
> ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
>
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Feb 03 2003 - 09:09:50 PST