The Nesting Cranes

Tsuru no Sugomori is a beloved honkyoku from the Dokyoku school that explores the lives of the majestic cranes that are common on the waterways of Japan. Using the full palate of special playing techniques unique to shakuhachi, the music depicts a pair of cranes becoming mates, building a nest, and raising their chicks to maturity.

Inspired by this classic piece, shakuhachi master and lifelong friend of Tairyu sensei, Paul “Kyouzen” Takahashi, imagined a pair of cranes raising their child in a modern Japanese neighborhood. Their chick, coincidentally named Shiloh, leads a busy life—shopping with her mother, relaxing at the playground, going to dance lessons with her friends, and stopping by the combini for snacks. But young Shiloh has just learned how to fly, and her newfound mobility soon creates a scary situation for her parents.

You can read the full tale of her adventure in Paul’s new book, The Nesting Cranes. The beautiful illustrations were created by studio member Juan Pablo Acosta Vázquez, and they bring a surreal charm to the anthropomorphic Crane family that is reminiscent of children’s classics like The Fantastic Mr. Fox, or The Adventures of Peter Rabbit. It is the perfect length to be a bedtime book, and its message of forgiveness and family unity will be loved by children and adults alike.

It's available now on Amazon, in both paperback and eBook formats. If you pick up a copy today it will encourage Paul to put down the whiskey and finish the sequel, in which Shiloh learns how to give up the only child role, and make room in the nest for a new sibling!