It’s been a while, and I know you’re wondering what’s been happening. This update is a quick recap of my odyssey, focusing on the Bells moving forward. The short version: Bells are coming soon, sooner, even.
The Bells: A Winding Path to Reinvention
In 2022, I made the tough call to end production of my beloved Bell Shakuhachi—the world’s first replicas of Jinashi and Jimori natural bamboo bore flutes. But the crafting in my mind never stopped. Propelled by nearly two decades of blood, sweat, and tears dedicated to the Bells, I spent the last four years in deep contemplation and innovation, not just for the instruments but also for my role as a shakuhachi teacher.
This intense period unfolded amidst significant life events. In 2021, a severely herniated disc left me incapacitated for weeks on end, often in some pain no matter what, and with random reinjuries in which everything would start over again. Even then, I strapped on a back-brace to continue working on the Bells, lifting heavy molds and casting materials.
Then came the unexpected family shifts. My partner’s mother decided to move back to Spain, and we joined her, helping prepare her house for sale before our mutual move. Soon after, we faced the sudden passing of my partner’s grandfather in Spain, followed by the heartbreaking news in Spring 2023 that my own mother had passed away suddenly in Florida.
Three years have gone by, much of it forcibly removed from my craft due to these moves (my equipment has been in storage in Spain since late Summer 2023). After a year in Spain, where my partner couldn’t find work, we’ve now settled in France.
New Foundations, Renewed Purpose
Through all of this, beyond constantly refining ideas for the Bells, I’ve been searching for a workshop. My unique needs for crafting the Bells led to rejections from collective spaces, making it impossible to find a suitable location. Then, sitting in our tiny 17m² apartment, I had a realization: this very space could be my workshop, if we moved out, of course. It’s an expensive solution, but with no other viable options emerging, I must make it work.
Today, after I finish writing this, I’ll be back to my daily search for a new apartment to live in, so as to free this one up for the shop. On a brighter note, my partner has found her dream job here and my health has also seen significant improvements. I believe my back has healed; I’ve been pain-free for months, maybe a year now. Just as I healed the debilitating RSI in my arms from crafting shakuhachi over a decade ago, I’ve healed myself again through a combination of good information, careful exercise, and diet.
The Bells: A Final Form Emerges
As for my Bells, after countless hours of refinement and discarding less viable or unsavory paths… I’ve now arrived at what I consider the final form for Bell Shakuhachi. You’ll just have to wait and see—and hear! When? Soon. (Sign up to the newsletter)
Until then, get ready, J
P.S. I’ve been spending time meditating in Churches, Cathedrals, and other historic places of Christian worship, such as the Couvent des Jacobins in my photo below. I’ve enjoyed many “aha” moments in these spaces, and I’ve also heard some amazing organ concerts and witnessed rituals with chanting. My last conversation with my mother, when I told her I was moving to Europe, ended with her saying, “Promise me you won’t get married in a Catholic Church.” She, a devout Jehovah’s Witness, and I, the child who chose “Pagan” paths (Buddhism, Shakuhachi, Meditation, and so on). But marriage in a Catholic Church? a step too far. I had to smile. These minds of ours. My Mother’s rests.
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