A Collection of Moving Shakuhachi Masterpieces | Beautiful Japanese Melodies That Stir the Heart

November Steps, Tenth SectionTakemitsu Tōru

[Performance Video] November Steps, Section Ten (Kifu Mitsuhashi, Kumiko Shuto) “November Steps No. 10” by Kifu Mitsuhashi and Kumiko Shuto

This is a groundbreaking work by Toru Takemitsu, who brought contemporary Japanese music to worldwide attention.

Rather than fusing the Western orchestra with traditional Japanese instruments, he deliberately sets them in opposition, which accentuates the distinct beauty of each sound.

The timbre of the shakuhachi—described by Takemitsu as “rising vertically like a tree”—evokes a solitary spirituality, like a single bamboo standing upright in silence.

The piece premiered in November 1967 as a commission from the New York Philharmonic, and was also performed at Expo ’70.

Song of the TravelerFukuda Randō

Traveller’s Song – (Fukuda Rando 1906-1976) 福田蘭童 Rodrigo Rodriguez shakuhachi bamboo flute

It’s a masterpiece whose somewhat wistful, nostalgic shakuhachi tone resonates deeply in the heart.

The piece was created by Rando Fukuda, a composer who infused traditional Japanese music with elements of Western music.

Within its approachable, folk song–like melody, it poignantly depicts the melancholy and longing for home felt by someone journeying far from their hometown.

In addition to being included on the renowned album “Rando Fukuda Shakuhachi Masterpieces,” it was also featured—performed with a fresh interpretation—on the mini-album “Solo Works for Shakuhachi” released in August 2016.

It’s the kind of music that gently seeps into your heart when you want a quiet moment of reflection or to let your thoughts drift back to home.

bonfireNomura Shoho

Bonfire (Kagaribi) Composed by Masamine Nomura

This evocative piece of Japanese music, whose ethereal melody evokes flickering flames and a sense of hope for the future, is one of the masterpieces by koto composer Masamine Nomura.

While honoring classical traditions, Nomura continually produced new works with a modern sensibility.

Composed in celebration of the 1970 Osaka World Expo, the piece was originally written for transverse flute and later expanded to include shakuhachi and koto.

In this work, the intricate ensemble of shakuhachi and koto unfolds like flames flaring in stillness, dramatizing both their flicker and a prayer for the future.

On a night when you wish to immerse yourself in the dreamlike world woven by traditional Japanese instruments, why not savor it slowly?

Song of the Hu JiaNomura Shoho

KOKA no UTA [Shakuhachi Solo 'Song of the Hu Jia'] (Composer: Nomura Seihō)

Composed by Masamine Nomura, this work unfolds like a grand panorama, expressing the protagonist’s sense of futility and homesickness through a dialogue between the sobbing timbre of the shakuhachi and two kotos.

Written in 1975, it appeared on the 1985 LP “The World of Masamine Nomura, Vol.

9,” and in March 2002 it was newly recorded for the acclaimed album “Song of the Hu Jia: Masamine Nomura Works, Vol.

3.” It’s a perfect piece for those who wish to contemplate the flow of eternity and quietly fill their hearts.

Why not listen closely to the story woven by Japan’s traditions?

Crane’s NestingShakuhachi koten honkyoku

Shakuhachi Classical Honkyoku, Kyoto Myoan-ji Tradition: “Tsuru no Sugomori”

This is one of the representative pieces of classical shakuhachi honkyoku.

It has also been widely incorporated not only into shakuhachi repertoire but into jiuta, instruments such as the koto and kokyū, and even stage arts like kabuki and jōruri.

Many versions are programmatic works with a sectional structure, depicting the birth of a fledgling crane, its leaving the nest, and the death of the parent crane, and they make extensive use of onomatopoeic sound effects such as tamane and other special techniques.

Singing Dragon in the VoidShakuhachi koten honkyoku

Ginryu Void (Ginryu Koku) Yamaguchi Sho

This is an original piece in the Kinko-ryū and Meian Shinpor-ryū traditions.

It is a type of “Koku,” and according to the shakuhachi repertoire list in the Kinko Notebook, it is said to have been transmitted by Ginryūshi, a disciple of Ichigetsu-ji Temple.

Originally, Ginryūshi arranged “Koku” and passed it on to Kurosawa Kinko; hence it came to be called “Ginryū Koku,” taking its name from him.

Banshikichō / Shinkore

Banshikicho, Shin no Kyorei by Sho Yamaguchi

One of the core pieces of the Kinko-ryu repertoire, this work forms the foundation of the Kinko school.

It is one of the eighteen pieces listed in the Omote collection, titled “Koden no Honte” (Ancient Transmission, Fundamental Hand).

When played on an 8-sun flute and set, as the name suggests, in the Banshikicho mode, it is said to be very difficult to perform—for example, it requires producing a deeply meri’d D (the F pitch, the same as “tsu”), among other challenges.