Monden Tekiku 門田笛空

An 85 year old Myoan shakuhachi Sensei in Osaka, Monden Tekiku was taught by Sakurai Muteki, a student of Taizan-ha master Tanikita Muchiku. 

Monden Tekiku plays a 2.5 shakuhachi, the length he prefers, at Hosshin-ji, Tokyo.

Tanikita Muchiku proposed to Sakurai Muteki the idea to form a Meian-Shakuhachi group in Osaka (Muchiku actually presented a wooden name plate to the group in his calligraphy.)   Hence, the "Koten-shakuhachi-kenkyū-kai" (Society for the Study of Classical Shakuhachi) was born.

Monden Tekiku was the second head of the group and retired about 5 years ago (after his 80th birthday). The present leader and Monden Tekiku's successor is Maeda Tekifū. The aim of the group is the study and transmission of Meian-Shakuhachi music using long jinashi-shakuhachi.

A diagram of a 1.8 shakuhachi of Monden Tekiku

At Myoan-ji with Tsuda Tekishū, also probably one of Sakurai Muteki's students.

Sensei Monden's school of students, all playing the preferred 2.5 shakuhachi.  
Koten-shakuhachi-kenkyū-kai

 Monden Sensei also taught his students to build their own 2.5 shakuhachi. 

Society for the Study of Classical Shakuhachi

In 1996, Monden Tekiku played many of his teacher's shakuhachi, at age 69, for his great public recording Koku.  Very highest recommendation.

On the track, Shika no Tone, Monden-sensei is accompanied by Maeda Tekifu, the oldest student and successor as leader of this great but little known school.