Welcome. I’m glad you’ve found shinobue.
Shinobue Flute: Natural, simple, and profound instrument from Japan
Playing and listening to this ancient instrument provides mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits.
“How can I find the right shinobue for me?”
If you live outside Japan and/or do not speak Japanese, it can be challenging to find the right shinobue for yourself. Here is what you need to know.
If you are a beginner, start with a 6, 7, or 8 hon choshi shinobue. They are easier on your fingers. As you progress, you can add 3 hon choshi, another commonly used hon choshi.
Japan is a humid country, and most houses do not have central air conditioning. If you live in a dry country or have central air conditioning, I recommend purchasing a shinobue made of bamboo covered with thick lacquer or plastic (for beginners).
I recommend affordable Suzuki plastic shinobues for beginners. Once you decide you like playing shinobue, I recommend that you save some money to get a professional-grade shinobue. I have tried many, but my favorite is Shoji shinobues.
Feel free to email me any questions about selections, payment, etc. From shinobue lover to shinobue lover, you will get honest and personalized answers that you cannot get from any other online website.
”How can I learn how to play shinobue?”
My mission is to make this beautiful instrument more accessible to everyone in the world.
I have a very active shinobue YouTube channel with more than 1,500 subscribers. You can find many free shinobue tutorials there, but if you want to take your shinobue skills to the next level, personal coaching might be just what you need!
“where can I get shinobue sheet music?”
There is shinobue sheet music for over 70 songs on this website, and 50 of them are absolutely free!! Unleash your creativity with shinobue!
“What other free resources do you offer?”
Subscribe to my free newsletter to receive weekly practice tips and exciting updates to enhance your shinobue way of life.
A shinobue fingering chart is a must-have item for your shinobue journey!
Read my blogs to learn more about shinobue that will enrich your playing and listening.
Hop on to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube to watch beautiful shinobue videos and tutorials. All FOR FREE!!
“Do you play live?”
Yes!
My Japanese music programs first became in demand in Cleveland/Akron, Ohio. I performed in festivals such as Cleveland Asian Festival, Akron's Annual Sakura Cherry Blossom Celebration, and One World Day (Cleveland).
My Japanese music also helped add diversity to the programming of organizations such as The J.M. Smucker Company, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Cleveland Foundation's Neighborhood Connection, Downtown Akron Partnership, and Children's Concert Society of Akron.
I was a regular guest at Akron Public Schools, other schools/universities, and cultural organizations, giving lectures/concerts.
3 E’s of my shows: Educational, Entertaining and Enlightening
I relocated to Denver, Colorado in August of 2023.
For local and national performance inquiries, please feel free to contact me.
"I just wanted to say thank you and I wish you were available 20 years ago. I hope there are kids all around the world like I was who wanted to learn but never had the means until now. You are truly a God send.”
Fredie C.
about miki
Born into a creative family, I started my piano lessons at age 4 in Yokohama, Japan. To be honest, growing up in Japan, I felt I didn’t quite belong there. Conformity was very much honored in Japanese culture, and I felt stifled as a creative person. I also felt societal pressures toward females to act a certain way, which I felt was preventing me from being my authentic self. I moved to the United States all by myself when I was 19. I got my master’s degree in opera performance.
I sang with prestigious opera companies but never got big roles. To boost my operatic career, I created a website in the 2010s. No one contacted me. To book even a small singing gig, I practically had to beg! But instead, large venues started to email me, saying, “Can you play Japanese music?”
So I would go and play Japanese music, even though I had no training in traditional Japanese music.
Then the pandemic hit. Being stuck at home, I decided to take up Japanese instruments in June 2020 so I could actually offer real Japanese music instead of just playing Japanese songs on my keyboard. After researching traditional Japanese instruments, I purchased a shinobue.
I held a shinobue for the first time at age 54.
My goal was to get good enough to perform shinobue professionally by the summer of 2021. I gave myself one year.
I had many doubts. Who am I to think I can learn this instrument in one year at age 54? When I tried the Western flute at age 13, I got so dizzy I quit. And shinobue seemed very fickle. One moment, it sounded beautiful; the next, I couldn’t even make a sound. But I practiced and practiced and practiced. Every day, for hours. The pandemic was my excuse to be anti-social and practice. I was determined!!
In the summer of 2021, I performed shinobue professionally at a martial arts studio party. I was nervous because I had never played shinobue outside my home. The first song I played was “Princess Mononoke theme song.” That moment changed my life. I knew shinobue would become an extremely important instrument in my life. The music sounded so beautiful. The crowd was amazed to hear the sound of this ancient instrument live. I was hooked.
As I learned shinobue, I started looking at my heritage differently. I delved into Japanese culture and philosophy, our love of nature, and our search to find profound truth in life’s simplest things. I started to see tremendous value in all the things I did not see when I left Japan.
Learning how to play shinobue is a journey. It is a way of life. There is no point in trying to be “perfect” because there is no such thing as perfection. You are exactly where you should be every time you play shinobue. Don’t dream of getting good “one day.” Face your shinobue as you are today, and be grateful for the sound shinobue gives you without judging yourself.
Your shinobue teaches you how to breathe deeply and consistently. It strengthens your respiratory system and promotes overall well-being. It teaches you the optimal posture where your breath moves through you without blockage. You are creating new neural pathways in your brain. You learn how to center yourself because otherwise, your shinobue sounds chaotic. Shinobue will sound violent or completely shut down if you blow it with force. Shinobue is honest. Shinobue shows you who you are. By learning shinobue, you learn how to be, not just how to play.
I want to share this remarkable instrument and its extraordinary benefits with you. Shinobue doesn’t care how “bad”, how old, how weak you are. It meets you where you are and elevates you. It is always waiting for you to create beautiful sounds together.
