Shakuhachi is the quintessential bamboo flute sound of Japan associated with the Komuso Priests of Emptiness. They wandered the Japanese countryside playing the shakuhachi for alms. The Shakuhachi epitomized the ethereal world the Komuso lived in - a world of chants, meditation, and impermanence. The sound is sublime. The playing a ritual.

Hear a SHAKUHACHI!

This sample is played in the Zen Dokyoku style with a nature background track. There are many styles. Dokyoku was created by the famous Komuso Monk Watazumi and is based on the oldest Zen Honkyoku music known as the Myoan or Miean style. It is raw, organic and sublime.

I make three models of the shakuhachi:
• YUNG Model professional shakuhachi made to today's standard in Japan used for traditional or modern music. The wait is about one year from the time of order to delivery.
• Chikusing Model made for Honkyoku, 3 - 6 months wait. These are technically proficient to play in pitch at 440hz for professional musical applications also. The timbre is more "hollow" or "bambooey". Chikusing is a Chinese and Japanese word that translates literally as hollow bamboo. But, the connotation means transplanted in America. This is the method I preferred when I studied shakuhachi making in Japan.
• Earth Model beginner flute, usually a one week wait. These are usually all natural flutes with very little or no bore manipulation. They may play perfectly in A at 440hz or in between pitches but well in tune in themselves and able to play simple music.

A modern 1.8 YUNG Model

CHIKUSING Model 2.4.

Basic 1.5 - 2.2 Earth Models

Below are FAQs to help you make a sound judgement on a shakuhachi purchase. The shakuhachi flute, as known in Japan, is a fine tuned instrument made by highly skilled craftsmen who work in methods built on centuries of experience. This art evolved side by side with a demanding music tradition that defined the instrument's unique timbres. In order to understand, judge or make a shakuhachi, one has to understand a traditional type of Japanese shakuhachi music. Each aspect of making a fine shakuhachi is considered and executed carefully so that it will react to shakuhachi playing techniques as understood by players of a particular style. If you are planning on buying an expensive shakuhachi, please ask the seller for an audition period and time to have the flute evaluated by a professional teacher. I offer free evaluations to ensure that you are buying a well made flute in the tradition of the shakuhachi.

My Guarantee - the Best Guarantee in the World.

Be an educated buyer.There is a lot of muddy information about the shakuhachi on EBAY auctions by sellers who know very little or are misinformed themselves about this special instrument. Empower yourself by doing research before you hit the "Buy it Now " button. As the maker, I proudly stand behind my instruments 100%.You have 30 days to audition my instruments If after 30 days, or until you've gotten intimate with your flute, and decide that it's not for you, I can offer you an exchange for another flute of equal value, make one that's right for you, or, offer full money back with a smile. That's for ANY reason. In addition, all my instruments come with the unique YUNG Flutes One Year Upgrade Guarantee. You can upgrade to a higher grade flute with the full value of your flute applied towards the upgraded trade-in. This includes my refurbished Japanese made shakuhachi. No other seller or maker in the world can offer this kind of commitment to the purchaser.I'm proud to say that this is the best guarantee in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MADAKE Bamboo.
I make all my shakuhachi flutes from MADAKE bamboo either hand picked by me, or for me from Japan and China.

Here I am in Kamigoto Island in Kyushu, Nagasaki Prefecture, the perfect growing grounds for Madake bamboo. This is the only species of bamboo used by professional shakuhachi makers in Japan. Other bamboo species are used sometimes but are not acceptable for making quality shakuhachi. Madake bamboo has a thickness that is necessary for the utaguchi blowing edge to work properly and for the finger holes to have the desired tone color. That being said, the bore of the flute usually still needs shaping of some kind to be a functional shakuhachi able to play shakuhachi music with all the cross fingerings.

There are basically two kinds of bamboo shakuhachi these days

- natural bore called Jinashi and JI filled bore called Jiari . Ji is a paste made of a mixture of urushi sap and tonoko powder. The result is a Plaster of Paris-like paste that is carefully hand applied to the inside of the bore to manipulate the resonance spots. My shakuhachi are mostly jinashi (my chikusing style) because I like the more natural bamboo timbres, but a good shakuhachi requires at least some borework so that the flute will play with more dynamic balance. This is a time consuming process and this is why full Jiari shakuhachi made in Japan cost in the thousands of dollars.

What is the difference between root end shakuhachi and non root end shakuhachi?

First of all, there are shakuhachi instruments and then there are bamboo flutes that are shakuhachi-like. My discussion here is about well made shakuhachi instruments.

In general, root end shakuhachi usually have a tapered bore profile that narrows towards the bottom. This helps the second register play in tune and adds to the dynamic shakuhachi sound. However, not all root end shakuhachi display this tapered bore profile nor may they be tapered in the desired way so the luck of nature plays a small yet significant role in Jinashi making. Shakuhachi made from the upper part of a bamboo may play well if it has bore work done to it. This is something I call Spot Tuning. In General, every shakuhachi needs some Spot Tuning. Only the maker knows how much.

What is the difference between an old shakuhachi and a new one?

All well made hand tapered bore shakuhachi sound different. Even if they are made by the same maker. A great maker can produce shakuhachi within a trademark sound. But still, each flute is distinct within that ballpark. Having said this, a well made antique (at least 100 years old) shakuhachi should have a more open, warm bambooey sound. This is the sound I try to recreate with my shakuhachi. The modern shakuhachi has a painstakingly hand worked bore so that the pitches can play at exact western standard pitches. This is so the flute can play with other western tuned instruments. It is usually a louder and brighter flute than the antique shakuhachi.

What does "not in exact tuning but in tune with itself" mean when refering to a flute.

Most old shakuhachi made in Japan were not made to the Western pitch standard of the orchestra (A=440hz). Modern shakuhachi is made anywhere from A=440hz-444hz. So, if a flute is not tuned to what is acceptable, it is said to be "in tune with itself" (assuming that the maker drilled the holes in the right places to begin with). This means the scale of the notes (the finger holes) all respond with integrity in two octaves and in relation to the natural pitch of the shakuhachi. Well made shakuhachi, old or new, are in tune with themselves. If the average player has to adjust more than two notes across two octaves with Meri or Kari to play in tune, that shakuhachi is not considered in good tuning.

What is a good shakuhachi for a beginner?

If one wishes to study formal shakuhachi with a shakuhachi teacher, then a full Jiari flute is need. This is the standard 1.8 length pitched in D ( A=440-444hz). Teachers in America usually only teach on 1.8 flutes. This is mostly because the Japanese Gakyoku or Sankyoku court music with Koto and Shamisen is based on the D pitch. Root end or non root is OK. As long as the flute is pitched properly with a tuned bore. If the beginner does not want to learn Japanese court music but would rather to play the shakuhachi for meditation only, then any shakuhachi is fine (as long as it's in tune).

What Goes into a YUNG 1.8?

Each 1.8 that I make, from student to professional level, starts with shaping the internal bore profile to specific measurements. Each maker has his own. Mine was given to me from Kinya Sogawa. There are two main types of traditional shakuhachi makers in Japan, those who shape the bore only by measurements and those who combine shaping to measurements but allowing for flexibility for a unique sound. I'm of the latter type. Making a 1.8 is much more than gauges and measurements, it means letting the flute reveal itself like a piece of art work. This is why it takes a year to produce a high quality hand made shakuhachi that plays at a professional level.

YUNG Professional models take time to make. There is no other way to make shakuhachi in the traditional way I studied in Japan. During the tuning process, I play every piece of shakuhachi music I know so that I would have confidence in knowing the flute can handle the intense shakuhachi blowing techniques at a professional concert level. Obviously, these flutes can not be made unless the maker understands shakuhachi music. My shakuhachi lessons are my most valued tools in making shakuhachi.If you can not wait for one year for a commission, you can purchase one of my refurbished Japanese 1.8s. They are the best bargains in the world. These flutes play perfectly well for any shakuhachi application yet are a fraction of the cost. Because of my Low Impact approach to repairs, I can keep the cost affordable to new comers. If you can wait a year, I suggest the commission option because you will get the finest modern shakuhachi I can make.

What is Zen Music?

This is often very misunderstood. In Japan, Zen Music is a form of music known as Koten Honkyoku - the largest and oldest collection of solo shakuhachi music that was written centuries ago by unidentified Komuso monks. It is not soothing, new agey music. Zen Honkyoku music is a cultural music form and are specific, individually named and written pieces of music. It is played with demanding technical requirements from both the player and the flute. Not all shakuhachi flutes are suitable or capable of playing Zen Honkyoku music. It is complex in timbre and pitch and uses many shaded fingerings that do not work on lesser shakuhachi-like flutes. Honkyoku can sound atonal to Western ears because of the micro-tonal pitch bends and old Japanese musical intervals. The term Zen music is often mistakenly interchanged with "SUIZEN", which means "blowing zen" in Japanese. Suizen is a non-technical way of playing the shakuhachi for Zen meditation. Suizen is is about meditating, not playing music. It does not require any musical playing techniques. Suizen is an individual's approach to meditating with focus on breath control and can be practiced on any kind of flute. The simplest of bamboo flutes will work for "blowing Zen" but only a fine shakuhachi instrument will work for Koten Honkyoku. The modern shakuhachi is a well-tuned instrument great for playing with a Western orchestra or jazz band but many some may not feel it is suited for Zen Honkyoku music. To me, it boils down to a personal preference developed over many years of exposure to master players and experience.

Please know that you are purchasing directly from me, the maker. It comes with my priceless guarantee which includes a full value trade-in on a higher grade shakuhachi within one year. In addition, as the craftsman of this fine shakuhachi, you can come directly to me for any technical support for the life of the flute. I am proud to say, this is the best guarantee in the world.