Shakuhachi

Shakuhachi, musical instrument, a Japanese end-blown flute made from a length of bamboo and having four finger holes and one thumbhole. Its name is derived from the Japanese measurement for the length of the basic instrument: one shaku, about 30 cm (about 12 in), and eight hachi, about 24 cm (about 9.5 in). The player blows against a slip of horn, ivory, or plastic set into the tube's beveled end. The opposite end incorporates the slightly curved root section of the bamboo stalk, which is decoratively trimmed.

The ancestor of the shakuhachi was imported from China in the 8th century. The instrument was used in the 15th century in the form of the hitoyogiri, a small end-blown flute that eventually developed into the modern shakuhachi. The shakuhachi grew in popularity during the 18th century and now appears in a variety of lengths and pitches. The instrument is expressive and is used in traditional meditative solo pieces, in the classical chamber repertory, and in contemporary music.