Celebrating the Hitoyogiri Bamboo Flute with Alcvin Ryūzen Ramos

This June we were delighted to welcome back shakuhachi master, Alcvin Ryūzen Ramos, for an immersive series of programs introducing the world of the ancient hitoyogiri bamboo flute, the direct ancestor of the better-known shakuhachi.

2025 marks the 400-year anniversary of the death of Ōmori Sōkun, the first pioneer of hitoyogiri in the Edo period. In commemoration of this milestone, hitoyogiri events will be taking place from May to September all over Japan. To coincide with these celebrations, Alcvin presented a full day of programming right here in Vancouver at the SaBi Tea Arts.

The program series began with a hands-on workshop where students were guided to craft their very own hitoyogiri bamboo flute. Dōjin Arts was thrilled to facilitate this historic moment as it was the first time a hitoyogiri-making workshop has ever been offered outside of Japan!

The ancient hitoyogiri bamboo flute is the direct ancestor of the better-known shakuhachi, but was almost forgotten to history. Follwing the workshop, Alcvin gave a lecture on the history of this forgotten instrument before enchanting everyone with an intimate performance in the traditional tatami room at SaBi Tea Arts.

For this special performance, Alcvin was joined by Soramaru Takayama, sound artist and dub beats poet based in Vancouver BC. This unexpected union between ancient and modern sound took us on a melodic journey that was transportive and utterly delightful. Thank you so much Alcvin for sharing the world of hitoyogiri with us here in the lower mainland!