1.8 CHIKUYU (竹勇) SHAKUHACHI FOR SALE (D, nobekan)
This is a 1.8 length shakuhachi, tuned in D, by the Chikuyu workshop (竹勇), double-stamped by the renowned Kinko-ryū performer Tajima Tadashi. It's a nobekan, made from a single piece of bamboo with no joint, with a silver-bordered tozan-ryū utaguchi and red lacquer bore. Rich resonance across all octaves, easy high notes and everything in tune, as you'd expect from a Chikuyu flute. One small workshop repair mark between holes 3 and 4 is reflected in the price; otherwise it's fully stable with no cracks.
LISTEN
PRICE
Priced below what a flawless example would fetch, to reflect the nobekan build (less portable than a jointed flute) and the small repair mark described below. Will consider reasonable offers.
MEASUREMENTS
| Length | 54.5cm |
| Weight | [to add] |
| Bell outer diameter | 56mm |
| Bell inner diameter | 19mm |
| Utaguchi outer diameter | 49x34mm (oval shaped, cap size 6) |
| Utaguchi inner diameter | 21mm |
| Fingerhole size (avg) | 11-11.5mm |
PHOTOGRAPHS
Tap or click any image to view it full size.
DESCRIPTION
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
This is a nobekan, made from a single piece of bamboo with no joint, so there's nothing to work loose or wear out over time. It has a silver-bordered tozan-ryū utaguchi and red lacquer on the inside of the bore. The bell has intact nodes and lovely occasional mottling, and it's on the heavier and thicker side, with a size 6 cap. It sits wonderfully in the hand.
There are no cracks and no bindings. One tiny hairline surface crack near the root has been there for ten years and has never moved. There are some scratch marks from harvesting, and one aesthetic correction on the front of the flute between holes 3 and 4, a small repair carried out by the maker before it left the workshop. Together these give it a fairly unique look, and the lower price reflects the repair mark rather than any instability; the flute itself is completely sound.
Wear is minimal for a flute over twenty years old: some darkening patina around the finger holes, and very slight flaking of the lacquer underneath the utaguchi, neither of which affects sound production.
It's made by the Chikuyu workshop (竹勇), run by maker Okadera Chikuyu in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Okadera trained under Tajima Tadashi, one of Japan's leading Kinko-ryū performers, and every flute leaving the workshop is personally tested and approved by Tajima before sale. This flute carries his double stamp alongside the Chikuyu maker's mark, confirming it passed that inspection.
SOUND
Rich resonance across all octaves, easy high notes and accurate, in-tune note production throughout, as you'd expect from a Chikuyu flute. Tsu-meri comes easily, and projection is excellent. A properly professional instrument.
This was my first professional shakuhachi, bought at the World Shakuhachi Festival 2018 in London from Ohashi Taizan (大橋鯛山), who was selling instruments on behalf of the Chikuyu workshop. It's served me well for years, but I now have more 1.8s than I need, so it's time it went to a good home.
SHIPPING
I package instruments very carefully and ship within 2 to 3 working days using UPS International or an equivalent service, tracked and insured against damage or loss for the full value of your purchase.
I'll need your delivery address to calculate shipping costs accurately. Roughly, the rates are:
- Within the UK: £15
- Within the EU: £30
- Worldwide (most places outside the EU): £50
Once we've agreed a sale, I'll send a secure online invoice payable by debit or credit card or bank transfer. A PayPal payment link is also possible, though this carries a small additional charge (1.5% of the total price) to cover PayPal's transaction fees.
The shakuhachi ships from London, UK. If your country has a customs agreement with the UK, you may need to pay import charges on arrival; I have no control over these, but you can get an estimate from a calculator such as simplyduty.com. I'll provide all the paperwork needed to keep this process smooth. Collection from London, or at an event, is also possible.
I've shipped shakuhachi internationally since 2018.
RETURNS
Returns are accepted within 14 days of purchase. The buyer pays for return shipping, which must be tracked and insured against damage or loss. Once the shakuhachi is received back in the same condition it was sent, the refund is processed to the original payment method.
QUESTIONS
My hope is to match you with the right instrument, not simply to make a sale. If you'd like specific measurements, a recording of a particular fingering or style, or more detailed photographs, get in touch.
