Handcrafted Shakuhachi

Here, Shakuhachi Means Bamboo

From my hands to yours, every shakuhachi I create is a conversation with nature. It’s my passion to craft flutes that reveal the authentic voice of bamboo, offering a lifetime of depth and beauty.

Through the delicate and rarified arts of Jinashi (地無し) and Jimori (地盛り), I honor the soul of the bamboo, making only the most vital adjustments to its natural form.

This approach sets them apart from Jiari, which have fully reshaped interiors, and the growing number of shakuhachi manufactured from materials other than bamboo.

With my flutes, you will hear the grove reincarnated as a choir — each one unique, with its own personality, tone, and spirit. Their voices and stories are waiting to be heard. I invite you to discover the one that resonates.

Nothing Stands Between You and the Bamboo

With my shakuhachi, you meet the bamboo as it truly is — unadorned, uncoated, with nothing to come between you and its voice. All the bamboo asks in return is simple, mindful care. My student, David Erath, has been doing just that with a shakuhachi I made for him, and he’s graciously shared his experience below:

What You Receive with Your Shakuhachi:

• Free Worldwide Shipping
• Free Crack Repairs — for Life (when you choose bindings)
• Protective Carrying Bag, Cap, and Bore Swab included
• 1-Year Exchange & 30-Day Return Policy (minus shipping/service fees)

Choose with confidence, and play without worry, my gifts to you.

Where the Story Begins — Harvesting Bamboo

Every journey from plant to palm starts here, in mountain groves of bamboo. Join me in this video as I select pieces for my flutes which is the first step in a collaboration with the living earth.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about my work with this sacred plant.

Below you’ll find each unique style of bamboo flute that I craft. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to help. Josen

NB: I’m still in the process of settling into my new home here in France. I expect to have shakuhachi for sale within the final quarter of this year, 2025.

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Useful Reading

• Shakuhachi buying guide – how to buy shakuhachi
  This also includes insights into prices or value
• Shakuhachi Bindings, Care, and Cracks – cracks in bamboo, bindings, how bindings are applied, how to store shakuhachi, and how to keep them clean
• Shakuhachi size guide: Understanding Shaku Lengths
  The shaku lengths sizes explained; 1.8, 1.9, 2.0 and so on.
• Understanding Shakuhachi Pitch and Tuning – 440Hz, 432Hz, and What They Really Mean
• Types of shakuhachi; Jinashi and Jimori vs. Jiari Jinuri and cast-bores
• How to Measure Your Body for Sizing Shakuhachi
• How to Hold Larger Shakuhachi
• Small Hands and Holding Shakuhachi
• Japanese Madaké Bamboo for Shakuhachi: A trip into the Grove
  All about Japanese Madaké bamboo.
• Traditional tapered shakuhachi bores vs. cylindrical PVC
• No ‘Best’ Shakuhachi
  An essay about how there’s no such thing as the ‘best’ shakuhachi.
• Japanese Shakuhachi Terms