Hi Everyone,
While in Japan I plan to wander through a number of flea markets and I am looking for any advice on shopping for a used bachi. I don’t like the plastic ones I have and can’t afford the faux-bekkou on the store front. I am leaning more towards minyo than tsugaru style for my future playing goals.
Thanks!
Will
Only advice I can give is make sure the price is right. But also make sure to check the quality of your pick. Sorry I know that wasn’t the greatest advice. But I wanted to help
Hey Will.
I’ve had relatively good luck combing through flea markets; but the biggest thing to remember is that the things you’ll find there are largely representational of the local scene.
You should also brush up on identifying bekkou and ivory if that’s your goal; as well as their general values.
In Kyoto I encountered folks at flea markets selling bachi for tremendously discounted prices, but the quality and materials were heavily variable. Most were also built with kyoujamisen in mind, rather than more general use.
Min’yo being an extremely broad subset of music means that you should really find what works best for your natural grip and desired sound - unless you’ve got a strict teacher. Then lol do your best.
edit:
In short:
1 - Check Material and Condition, check price. Sometimes you can haggle.
2 - If there’s damage, where is it? The corners of the bachi are extremely important, if there’s damage to both corners you might want to reconsider purchasing.
3 - Keep in mind the requirements of the music you like (and your teacher)
My only teacher so far is what is here on bachido and what I can pick up from youtube. My main focus is on shakuhachi/shinobue, so I will mostly look for a bachi that feels right and has some flexibility. Thanks for all the great feedback…these types of online communities are great.
I thought I would report in from my trip to Japan. I bought one new wooden bachi for 7000 yen and 5 (yes 5) second hand ones at various temple flea markets…averaged out to 500 yen each. I now have numerous ones to experiment with and some very cool mementos from my trip. I also found a really nice second hand jinashi shakuhachi at Narita san temple market, kimonos, dishes, wooden daruma…my wife and I had to purchase an additional suitcase to bring home all the loot. 
William,
What flea markets did you go to? I’m going to be in Japan this month and will have some free time for a couple of days here and there and would love to visit a flea market to check out the bachi.
Hey Kyle,
If you know what to look for, almost any Flea Market will have something - and it’ll usually be a regional variant. Definitely Recommend the Tennoji Flea Market in Osaka and the Kitano Tenmangu Market in Kyoto.
Just be aware of the materials you’re buying and how hard it might be to bring something back. I’ve got an (antique!) ivory bachi that will probably never leave Japan, even if I do.
After seeing this post earlier, I inquired of the all wise Guguru-sensei and discovered the Tennoji Flea Market. Looks like it will be open while I’m in Osaka, which is fortuitous! I’m a fan of flea markets and antique shops, so I’m looking forward to checking it out!
Hi,
I was only in Tokyo and used the following site to find markets:
http://yumemakura.travel.coocan.jp/Antique.html
I found the market at Narita san by chance. The market at Yasukini shrine was particularly good.
Will
I did see a few ivory and turtle shell bachi, but realized it would not be a good idea to bring them home. The shakuhachi was the best find for me…just needs a little bit or repair and worth far more than what I paid for it.
Will