Shakuhachi

Players shape breath and angle on a five-hole bamboo flute to play melodies by steady tone and pitch-bend.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Japan. Some forms of this practice carry deep meaning for the communities who keep it; here we describe the play and the craft only, with respect for its roots.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Japan and Korea.