尺八(しゃくはち)

Name origin: 尺八(しゃくはち) literally means "one shaku and eight sun" (approximately 54.5 cm), the standard length of the instrument.

Characteristics

• Made of madake bamboo (真竹(まだけ))
• End-blown (not side-blown like Western flutes)
• Five finger holes (4 front, 1 back)
• Breathy, meditative tone

Common collocations

• 尺八(しゃくはち)を吹(ふ)く (to play shakuhachi)
• 尺八(しゃくはち)奏者(そうしゃ) (shakuhachi player)
• 本曲(ほんきょく) (solo shakuhachi pieces)

Etymology

Originally associated with 虚無僧(こむそう) (Fuke Zen Buddhist monks) who played shakuhachi as a form of meditation (吹禅(すいぜん)).

Genres

• 邦楽(ほうがく) (traditional Japanese music)
• 三曲(さんきょく) (ensemble with koto and shamisen)