Each shakuhachi is unique due to the nature of bamboo, however some differences in the ways the bamboo is worked on by shakuhachi makers lead to the ability to recognize several "kinds" of shakuhachi. Below is a list of several kinds of shakuhachi. Click on the links below to expand the text and read about these kinds of shakuhachi.

The above list is not comprehensive, but are the most common distinctions that are made between different shakuhachi.