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The shakuhachi flute, originally from China was introduced in Japan during the Seventh Century. On different occasions it underwent changes in its physical structure, such as modifications in size, number of holes, and construction materials. Throughout the times the shakuhachi flute was used on different social contexts, either as a courtly musical instrument as part of the gagaku ensemble, as a religious tool, or as a weapon for personal defense. The bamboo flute has its own peculiar tone qualities because of the rich presence of harmonics and the possibility of producing specific sound effects such as the muraiki (air explosion) and the meri kari (to raise/lower tuning). This article summarizes the historical development of the shakuhachi according to Kamisango (1988), Kitahara et al (1990), and Lee (2009), and concludes with some remarks about its presence in Brazil.