The Japanese Shakuhachi or Chinese Chiba? Investigating the Modern Shakuhachi in China

Previous studies on the internationalization of the shakuhachi has focused predominantly on Westerners’ take up of shakuhachi music and their inclination for individualized, contextualized approaches to shakuhachi music (Keister, 2004; Matsunobu, 2009, 2011, 2013). However, little is known about Chinese approaches to shakuhachi music. Compared to Western practitioners, Chinese shakuhachi practitioners have a strong sense of musical identities rooted in Chinese culture. Based on the author’s previous studies on the lived experiences of shakuhachi practitioners in Japan and North America (Matsunobu, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015), this ethnomusicological research aims to reveal the Chinese ways of undertaking, localizing, and appropriating the shakuhachi in the Chinese context.

Funding Source: RGC - General Research Fund (GRF)