The cast of 尺八

                                  The adventures are about to begin!!!!! But before the posts truly start, here are a few photos of the cast involved and a little background on them.

At the far left is the first shakuhachi I have every owned. His name is Ichirou and was brought to this world by Perry Yung. While not having an inserted utaguchi, he does indeed sing very well and is simply magnificent for meditation, practice and general music making.  (1.8)

Second from the left is Arata, a 1.8 Yuu model made from synthetic material. As this is not bamboo and a newer and fresher approach to the shakuhachi, the name Arata is perfect! While he won't be used near as much , his structure and stability allow better travel and use in rougher surroundings. (1.8)

Second from right is Hideo, the primary traveling companion and instrument in my family of  尺八.  His birth in Japan in the 1960's reminds me so much of my own during that decade. So much happening around the world and especially in Asia. (1.8)


And finally at the far right, the second flute ever added to my 尺八 family a few years ago, is Shinji, or "second son".
A bit longer at 2.1 , the key of B makes this a deeper and more resonant flute.
He is a Chikusing model from Perry Yung and while getting louder and more vocal sounds from is tougher, the rich reward is worth the effort. (2.1)

So there you have it. These four will be the traveling and playing companions of mine during the adventure and I look forward to spending more time with them over the next, oh, fifty years. Sure, there might be additions to the family but for now, these four will be sufficient enough.