Fuke Zen

school of Zen Buddhism

Fuke Zen was a branch of Zen Buddhism which existed in Japan from the 13th century until the late 19th century. Fuke monks were noted for playing the shakuhachi flute as a form of meditation. It was characterized in the public imagination of Japan by the Fuke Zen monks playing the shakuhachi flute while wearing a large woven basket hat that covered their entire head as they went on pilgrimage.