Shakuhachi

The Japanese Shakuhachi is a notched, end-blown flute. It is made of the root end of the bamboo plant. The shakuhachi was played by the disengaged Sumurai warriors (known as ronin) during the disintegration of feudal Japan. These warriors became preachers known as komuso--Priests of Emptiness. The komuso wore large baskets (tengai) over their heads to symbolize their detachment from the world. As former Samurai warriors, these men were forbidden by the new government to carry their swords. So, they redesigned their shakuhachi to make them longer and stouter, including more of the bamboo root, to be used as a club.