• The manufacture of shakuhachi begins with a single piece of perfect bamboo. For three generations the Gyokusui has selected excellent quality bamboo, grown in precise conditions, in which to create our long-established Shakuhachi. Each of them is individually crafted, using the natural characteristics of the bamboo, to produce unique flutes that have been loved by shakuhachi players for over 100 years. Every shakuhachi in our collection is made with the utmost attention to sound, vibration, and the movement of breath within the instrument. We consider each Gyukusui shakuhachi as valuable and unique as the player who comes to own it.

    We wish you luck in finding your shakuhachi and hope to have made the perfect shakuhachi for you to treasure.

    Since 1919

  • excellent quality bamboo for a third generation shakuhachi maker Gyokusui Kouno INTL

    Our shakuhachi begin with a rigorous inspection process. The madake, a spices of bamboo, notoriously grows very quickly, but we choose only the most thick and stable madake that has been growing for at least 3 years. In a bamboo grove very few perfectly aged and shaped poles are suitable for the lengths used to make shakuhachi. Then further among this very small group we also select the highly prized “black root bamboo”, which produces an unmatched tone and vitality when crafted into a shakuhachi.

  • After being cut, madake gradually turns amber as the bamboo cures.

    After being cut, madake gradually turns amber as the bamboo cures. This drying process can last between 4 to 5 years. During that time, each cut of bamboo is closely watched for negative responses to temperature and humidity. Any bamboo that shows signs of cracking are separated and discarded, while those that stabilize may one day be used in production.

  • Only a small percentage of our entire bamboo collection meets the criteria to become a Gyokusui shakuhachi.

    We store and manage between 5,000 and 10,000 cuts of bamboo, some dating back to our grandfather’s generation 70 years ago. However, the chances of one of these poles satisfying the selection, curing and storage process is extremely rare. In fact, only a small percentage of our entire bamboo collection meets the criteria to become a Gyokusui shakuhachi. That is why we can confidently state each of our flutes is a rare treasure meant to be played and enjoyed for generations.

  • Gyokusui the First

    1893 - 1987

  • Gyokusui the Second

    1930 - 2008

  • Gyokusui the Third

    1961 -

玉水銘尺八

Gyokusui Kouno 1-22-2, Hama, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka

Japanese: gyokusuikouno@gmail.com
English: gyokusuikouno.intl@gmail.com