The Komuso Shakuhachi（虚無僧尺八）｜History of the Shakuhachi

The shakuhachi was used for Buddhist practice

The Fukeshu is a sect of Zen Buddhism, they had no doctrine or scriptures, and playing the shakuhachi was a form of Buddhist practice. Therefore, the shakuhachi is not only a musical instrument but also a dharma instrument （religious instrument）. They are called " Komuso（虚無僧）".

Early Komuso shakuhachi was straight, three nodes and five holes, but gradually root bamboo was used. One of the reason for this is the theory that apart from its role as a dharma instrument, it was also used as a weapon. I have seen a scene in a period TV show where a Komuso monk fight with a shakuhachi.

Some say that it was not used because the classic " Hitoyogiri shakuhachi " belonged to the aristocracy and samurai family, or that it took this form because of its significant as a unique dharma instrument of the Fukeshu sect.

However, some people believe that the change in instrument structure was intended to improve sound quality, volume and pitch, as  only a musical instrument, so the real truth is not clear.

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