Typically made of bamboo, the rich soulful sound of this Japanese flute more than hints at the spiritual history of the instrument. For Zen Buddhist monks during the medieval period, the common use of shakuhachi was as much for meditation as it was for music.

Today, in Hollywood the shakuhachi is a somewhat commonly used instrument in many films of Japanese setting. Enjoy this performance by Tadashi Tajima in Osaka, Japan.

After the video, Nathan Lee is ready to kick it up a notch with his Beatboxing Flute.