Biwa BokubokuCanonical Iconography

A standard reading grounded in Sekien’s imagery and the lineage of Muromachi picture scrolls. A biwa long played and cherished attains spirit, joins the night parade clad like a blind lute priest. Its tone captivates the heart and carries an allegory urging awe and respect for venerable instruments. It does not hinge on particular biographies or local lore; praise of crafted objects and cautionary reverence are its themes. Tales tied to famed instruments such as Genjō and Makiba serve only to frame the tsukumogami worldview, while the conduct of the Biwa Moku-moku itself survives chiefly in pictorial form. In images it walks with eyes closed, leaning on a staff, sometimes paired on the same spread with a koto tsukumogami.