The Meiji restoration of 1868, and the subsequent drive towards modernization of the Japanese nation, brought profound changes to music making in Japan. For komusō shakuhachi players, the abolishment of the Fuke sect in 1871 outlawed the practice of playing the instrument while collecting alms (takuhatsu托鉢) and dismantled the network of temples that had supported and regulated such activities. From the early 1880s efforts were made to re-establish komusō takuhatsu through the establishment of kyōkai (教会) organizations affiliated to large Rinzai Zen Buddhist temples. This paper examines the history and current activities of one such organization—the Myōon Kyōkai (妙音教会 'transcendent sound group')—established at Kokutaiji temple in Toyama prefecture in 1892. Through analysis of previously unresearched documents, the paper discusses the use of specific references to Buddhist texts such as the Śūraṅgama Sūtra and Lotus Sūtra in rationalizing the group's affiliation to Kokutaiji. Through an analysis of early-20th century newspaper and magazine articles, the paper also examines the subsequent development of the group and the development of a branch organization at Zenshōan temple in Tokyo. Zenshōan has been associated with prominent Japanese political and cultural figures such as Yamaoka Tesshū (山岡鉄舟1836-1888) and Sanyūtei Enchō (三遊亭圓朝1839-1900), and the paper considers the role of this temple as a cultural and political hub in modern Japan. Finally, the paper draws on several years of participant observation examining the activities of the Myōon Kyōkai in modern times. Through analysis of the group's participation in temple services, as well as the continued practice of takuhatsu, the paper demonstrates how the shakuhachi continues to engage with Buddhist practice in modern Japan.