The Shakuhachi is a flute made out of bamboo. Over the centuries it has been refined and adapted to cultural tastes. Modern shakuhachi have been standardized and are tuned to the western scale. However the are now made out of a variety of materials such as PVC plastic, ABS plastic, various woods, metal and the preferred bamboo.

Though simple in design, five finger holes and a blowing edge, the shakuhachi is anything but simple. It requires years of diligent practice and commitment. Though, some people are thought to be masters of the shakuhachi, it is questionable whether true mastery can be attained.

The shakuhachi was first introduced to Japan from China over 1000 years ago. It is believed to have been introduced as the Xiao, a long bamboo flute.The Japan modified it over time by reducing the number of finger holes to five and eventually creating an "Utaguchi" blowing edgeout of a material that would lend itself to being sharpened as well as being durable, for example buffalo horn.

When the shakuhachi first came to Japan it was primarily played by Buddhist monks. It was used at court and for ceremonial reasons. However, it was not used by the secular world.

During the 17th. century, monks known as Komuso of the Fuke -Shu (Fuke School) appeared. The Komuso, also known as "the monks of emptiness" were given special rights and wondered about Japan. They wore a basket like hat which hid their faces and they played the shakuhachi.

Around the same time, the samurai were being suppressed by the government. These masterless samurai, Ronin, frequently joined the Komuso. Because the government allowed the Komuso to wander about this had certain advatages for the government. Imagine having a group of men, trained in military arts being allowed to wander about freely and at the same time being totally anonymous. Komuso eventually became spies and assasins. Today, they appear in period movies as dark dangerous figures