The Single Tone

The single tone is the quintessential insider's view of Japan's culture and music. Originally written in Japanese and winner of the Rennyô award for non-fiction, author Christopher Yojmei Blesdel - and American who has resided in Japan since 1972 - writes about his experiences studying, performing and teaching the traditional shakuhachi bamboo flute. His encounters with various Japanese - from world-famous artists, wealthy patrons, respected scholars to arrogant diplomats - provide thoughtful insight into the Japanese mind. He also demonstrates the universal appeal of the shakuhachi by performing it around the world: in the jungle of Guatemala, the ancient banquet halls of the Republic of Georgia, and the wind-swept Indian reservations of New Mexico.