Komuso Monks: Masterless Samurai Who Became Flute-Playing Zen Wanderers

During the Edo Period (1603–1868) in feudal Japan, wandering monks known as komuso played the shakuhachi flute as a form of meditation called suizen. These monks descended from 15th-century beggar-monks (komoso) and were associated with the Fuke school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, although they were not officially recognized as clergy. Their title translates to 'monk of emptiness,' and they wore woven-basket hats (tengai) to hide their identities. After the Tokugawa shogunate officially sanctioned the Fuke school, membership became limited to those of samurai heritage. The komuso practiced honkyoku and often traveled solo or in pairs, earning alms by performing non-meditative music. This tradition faded with the Meiji Period (1868–1912), yet some modern practitioners still uphold it.