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Shakuhachi has gained popularity across various musical genres in recent years, thanks to its unique timbre and the intricate, nuanced expressions it is capable of producing. However, understanding the mechanics, instrumental technique, including its timbral production, can be complex, often requiring hands-on experience to fully grasp. As dedicated practitioners of this versatile instrument, we, the members of the Shakuhachi 5, have long wanted to share our knowledge with other musicians and composers.
We aim to move beyond the familiar perceptions of this so-called “exotic” instrument by delving into the underlying mechanisms that give the shakuhachi its depth and nuance. Above all, we hope to spark interest among a broader audience.
This manual aspires to be a definitive guide for musicians drawn to the shakuhachi, fostering diverse collaborations and contributing to the instrument’s ongoing evolution.
As a work in progress, this web-based format allows us to continually revise and enrich the content. We warmly welcome your questions and suggestions—the growth of this site depends on the exchange of ideas and insights among practitioners and musicians alike.
We hope you will join us in discovering the wondrous world of the shakuhachi.
During the Nara period (late 7th to early 8th century), a six-hole bamboo flute was introduced to Japan from China. This early form of the shakuhachi was primarily used in Tōgaku, the music of China’s Tang Dynasty, which later became a cornerstone of Gagaku, Japan’s imperial court music. Over time, however, the shakuhachi declined in prominence within the Gagaku ensemble.
By the 12th century, a new variant known as the Hitoyogiri emerged—a shorter, five-hole instrument regarded as the direct predecessor of the modern shakuhachi. Originally used to accompany popular songs of the period, the Hitoyogiri helped cultivate a distinct instrumental tradition. This evolving practice eventually gave rise to a style known as té by the 17th century.
It was during this period of transformation that the shakuhachi began to take on the form and function recognized today. As musical practices deepened and diversified, players sought to refine the instrument's design, standardize intonation, and enhance tone projection. These developments paved the way for the Fuké shakuhachi or Komusō shakuhachi, named after the komusō—wandering, non-monastic Zen practitioners, many of whom were former samurai. The komusō were easily recognized by their trademark straw basket hats (tengaï) and long hair, and they followed the teachings of the Fuké sect, a branch of Rinzai Zen tracing its lineage to the Chinese Tang Dynasty master Puhua (Japanese: Fuké).
Instead of chanting sutras, the komusō practiced shakuhachi as a form of spiritual discipline. Their meditative practice evolved into what is now known as honkyoku, the foundational repertoire of classical shakuhachi music. However, in 1871, the newly established Meiji government dissolved the Fuké sect and revoked the komusō's status as Buddhist monks. In the years that followed, the shakuhachi found a new role in secular music, especially in the jiuta and sōkyoku repertoires, traditionally associated with the koto. No longer regarded as a hōki (ritual tool), the shakuhachi was, for the first time, officially recognized as a musical instrument.
In the 20th century, with the westernization of Japanese music, the shakuhachi expanded into a wide array of genres—including popular music, rock, jazz, classical, and contemporary composition—cementing its place as a versatile and enduring voice in global musical culture.
The name shakuhachi refers to the length of the instrument—1 shaku 8 sun, or approximately 54.5 centimeters. The term combines shaku (尺), a traditional Japanese unit of length roughly equivalent to 30.3 centimeters (or 10/33 of a meter), and hachi (八), meaning "eight." One shaku is further divided into ten sun (寸), making 1.8 shaku the standard length of a traditional shakuhachi.
Shakuhachi are typically crafted from madaké—a species of Japanese timber bamboo, also known as giant timber bamboo. The instrument is usually made from a stalk containing seven nodes, with the bamboo’s root end forming the base of the flute. While seven-node construction is standard, variations do exist.
The finger holes are numbered from the bottom up. There are four holes on the front, known respectively as ichi-kō (1st), ni-kō (2nd), san-kō (3rd), and shi-kō (4th). A fifth hole is located on the back, called go-kō (5th). The blowing edge is referred to as the utaguchi, while the base of the instrument is called the kanjiri or tsutsuguchi.
Utaguchi
Utaguchi is crafted with a shaved edge at an angle and inlaid with water buffalo horn and other materials. Blowing across this edge splits the air stream inside and outside of the instrument, producing sound.
Kanjiri