A short interview documentary about Japan residents Bruce Huebner and Curtis Patterson, masters of the traditional Japanese instruments shakuhachi and koto.
"Paraphrasing Donald Richie, the foreigner in Japan can sit on a ridge and look down into two valleys. He can travel down into and enjoy the fruits of either one. As foreign musicians in Japan we have a perch from which we can venture down into one valley filled with the traditions that we continue to respect and study, or the other valley of our homeland, drawing on jazz or classical music, for example. I think most musicians around the world share this desire for freedom. I might add because of the difficulty of the instruments and social, linguistic and political barriers, it is a long trip to bear fruit here in Japan. Anyway, we have committed 20 years plus now and we must utilize this unique situation."
- B. Huebner, C. Patterson
