Christopher Yohmei Blasdel graduated with a BFA degree from Earlham College in 1974. While an exchange student in Japan, he began the shakuhachi and studies of Japanese music in 1972 with Living National Treasure Goro Yamaguchi. In 1982 he received an MFA in ethnomusicology from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and was accredited as a shihan shakuhachi master by Yamaguchi, receiving the name ‘Yohmei’.
Christopher balances traditional Shakuhachi music, modern compositions, improvisation, and cross-genre work with musicians, dancers, poets, and visual artists in his musical activities. A selection of his CDs, including traditional shakuhachi honkyoku meditative pieces along with contemporary music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services. He performs around the world and has guest lectured at such institutions as Earlham College, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok), Texas A&M University, University of Washington, Charles University (Prague), Cal Arts, International Christian University (Tokyo), University of Maryland and Temple University.
Christopher has composed and performed music for NHK documentaries and various films and was the Artistic Director of the International House of Japan from 1987 to 2013. He co-organized the Boulder World Shakuhachi Festival ’98 and assisted the Sydney World Shakuhachi Festival in 2008. Christopher also co-founded the Prague Shakuhachi Festival and was senior advisor to the 2025 World Shakuhachi Festival held in his Texas, where Blasdel was born. His semi-autobiographical book, The Single Tone—A Personal Journey through Shakuhachi Music (Printed Matter Press, 2005) and The Shakuhachi, A Manual for Learning (1988) are two of Shakuhachi’s most important English language resource books. Both are available on Kindle books.
Christopher presently lectures at the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa and holds a fifth-degree black belt in Aikido.
Concert announcement:
Between Time & Space—Shakuhachi Music from the Past and Present
Sunday, April 12, 2026, 3:00 PM
Honolulu Museum of Art
Doris Duke Theater
I’m thrilled to announce my upcoming recital, Between Time and Space—Shakuhachi Music from the Past into the Present, at the Honolulu Museum of Art Doris Duke Theater. This concert, in cooperation with community partner East-West Center, will commemorate 55 years of my involvement with the shakuhachi. The program ranges in style and content and will include two solo, meditative classic honkyoku pieces, Kyorei and Tsuru no Sugomori, a lively nagauta piece, Azuma Hakkei, performed with song and shamisen, two contemporary compositions and an exciting piano/shakuhachi improvisation. Featured musicians are violinist Iggy Jang, pianist Tommy James, vocalist-shamisen performer Sakio Kineya (Bryson Goda) and vocalist Mika Kimula. Prominent ethnomusicologist Dr. Ric. Trimillos will serve as program host. Please join us for an afternoon that musically recalls the past, enlivens the present and points to the future in the eclectic, diverse and aloha-infused environment of Hawaiʻi.
Between Time and Space explores the shakuhachi as both a historical instrument rooted in meditation and ritual, and as a living voice in contemporary and cross‑cultural expression. Spanning centuries of repertoire, tonight’s program moves fluidly between solo honkyoku, collaborative works, and improvisation, inviting listeners into a sound world where past and present coexist.
For tickets please refer to the QR code.
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New Album Release by the Striking Light Duo:
An Ocean of Time—The Poetry of Sam Hamill Set to Song
An Ocean of Time features the poetry of Sam Hamill (1943-2018) set to song, accompanied by the shakuhachi and an array of world and original instruments such as: banjo, mountain dulcimer, halo handpan, kamelengoni, mbira array and percussion; forming a unique sonic tapestry that merges Eastern and Western musical influences. The album is already available on Bandcamp or the various streaming services.
For more information go to my Bandcamp page or click the ‘discography‘ link in the menu.
In May, 2024, my long awaited translations and annotations of Edo Period song texts–Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations: S
ongs of the Floating World was published by Routledge Press as part of the SOAS Studies of Music Series. For more information on the content and ordering, please refer to the News page. You can see a review of the book from the Times (London) Literary Supplement of April 4th, 2025 here.
Check out Christopher’s Youtube page here.