The Shakuhachi is a traditional bamboo flute in Japan with 1,300 years of history. Today, many people play it as a musical instrument.
However, before Japan’s Westernization, it was only allowed to be used as a religious tool to train Zen. Monks called Komuso would travel around Japan playing the Shakuhachi to receive donations from the people.
But did you know that most of such monks were actually samurai? During the Edo period (1603~1868), the shogunate (samurai government) kept the samurai poor to prevent them from starting riots, and some even lived poorer lives than peasants. Komuso was a way to save such samurai, so they can hide their faces and receive help from the people. You might have an image that samurai were cool and strong, but in reality, many of them lived harsh lives.
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*The content is based on personal studies and experience There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
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