This hichiriki has a cylindrical bamboo body with a red lacquered interior. It has seven frontal tone holes and two thumb holes, one between the first and second tone hole and one between the fourth and fifth tone hole. It is a Japanese wind instrument with a double reed, which is traditionally made from ashi, a mountain bamboo. The instrument is characterised by its gliding tones and the sound variations that result from producing the same pitches with different fingerings. In addition to the ryūteki flute, the hichiriki plays the main role in the gagaku tradition, a courtly musical style that has been cultivated by the Japanese imperial family since the Heian period. Many myths and legends surround the instrument.