<html><div style=3D'background-color:'><DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Dear Aiko-san,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>During my shakuhachi studies in Japan, I did not participate in perf=
ormances specifically geared towards the New Years Holiday. However=
, teachers, at least to my knowledge, frequently have performances for th=
eir students throughout the year. These performances are truly a go=
od opportunity for students to play in a congenial environment, but the s=
tudents are required to pay their teacher in order to participate. =
This practice seems to be quite common, even outside of shakuhachi ryuu-h=
a. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In the shakuhachi world, I can only think of one gathering similar t=
o the kind you described in your e-mail, the Kyochiku Zenji Housan Kai.&n=
bsp; The <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Kyochiku</I> <I style=3D=
"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Zenji</I> <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: =
normal">Housan</I> <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Kai</I> (bega=
n in 1952) meets twice a year; in the fall (November in Myouan-ji, Kyoto)=
and spring (June at another location). It doesn't matter what ryuu-ha on=
e is studying under, for at the ceremony I attended I heard Tozan-ryuu, C=
hikuho-ryuu, Kinko-ryuu, etc. However, I do believe that in order t=
o participate in the ceremony you do have to be a member of the Myouan Ky=
oukai, I'll need to check on this further. One aspect that I found =
interesting was that each "performer," with their back towards the "audie=
nce," faced the statue of Kyochiku Zenji while blowing (Kyochiku Zenji wa=
s the founder of the Fuke sect).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>All the best,</DIV>
<DIV>Steve</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Honolulu, HI</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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