1.9 Kitahara Japanese shakuhachi

Description

Kitahara 1.9 Japanese shakuhachi bamboo flute.
This is a flute intended for traditional Japanese meditation repertoire. It has a (jiari) plaster buildup on the inside finished with dark red Japanese Urushi lacquer varnish. The exterior has interesting natural bamboo markings with a rustic character. Weight is 456g (about average)
It has excellent intonation and a smooth sound that is well balanced, and is easy to play. Produces a somewhat richer and darker tone than the standard 1.8, but does not require the holes to be much further apart which makes it ideal for people with shorter arms or smaller hands. This unusual size (1.9) is less called for in chamber works and so they are reasonably priced for their quality.
It has rattan wrapped steel joint and modern repair bindings. It has a Tozan style blowing edge. Late 20 century.
It is recommended to store Shakuhachi bamboo flutes in a moist environment. Please search YouTube for “ shakuhachi care”. Keep in mind that Japan has a moist climate.
This flute can be heard on YouTube at:
Personal Choices: Playing 1.8,1.9 & 2.0 Shakuhachis
https://youtu.be/1InOPTb0QZU