The classical shakuhachi, which is a jinashi nobekan, is believed to be a tool with which one can express the dharma (truth or law of the universe) of Buddhism. And hotchiku is considered to be the use of the bamboo as a tool of dharma.

Jinashi shakuhachi are made from uncut pieces of madaké and tuned to the bamboo itself rather than Western standards of pitch. As a result, they are strictly solo instruments most appropriate for playing honkyoku, the "original" ancient Zen music for shakuhachi.

Ichionjobutsu is the sister site to Japanshakuhachi.com, selling selected pre-owned shakuhachi, all originally sourced from Japanese makers. They have been examined, auditioned and chosen for their fine qualities and condition, before being accepted for resale. They are in stock here in Colorado and ready to audition.

‘Ji’ is the term used for the layers of paste made from stone powder mixed with urushi (Japanese lacquer) which is applied to the bore of most modern shakuhachi, so as to control the inner dimensions and shape the sound.

Shakuhachi are oblique or vertically held flutes with five finger-holes which are tuned to the minor pentatonic scale. To make them, craftspeople like me most often use bamboo. However, we’ve utilized many other materials stretching all the way back to the ancestral Chinese instruments.

Jinashi shakuhachi is a Japanese-made flute crafted from bamboo. The jinashi shakuhachi features a more natural interior that sounds as good and sometimes better than the modern version of shakuhachi. The modern take on shakuhachi is known as the jiari shakushi.

Jinashi Shakuhachi making requires an approach that leaves the interior of the instrument as natural as possible, while still working the resonance points in order to have the instrument play as soundly as possible, with maximum fluidity.

Discover the different types of shakuhachi and their unique crafting techniques. Explore the world of Jinashi and Jimori shakuhachi.

Jinashi are natural bore shakuhachi that utilizes the natural shape of the bamboo bore. These have organic tonal qualities that evoke nature while playing, my Jinashi flutes are made to play the Dokyoku style of Shakuhachi music as developed by the Zen monk Watazumi.