page_title: Ainu music
section_title: Mukkuri
hierarchical_section_title: Ainu music / Instruments / Mukkuri
caption_attribution_description: 日本語: アイヌの楽器ムックリ
context_page_description: Ainu music is the musical tradition of the Ainu people of northern Japan.
  The oral Ainu culture includes various genres, of which upopo, lighthearted ballads on daily affairs and rituals often accompanied by traditional Ainu instruments, and yukar, a form of rhythmic epic poetry often supported by light percussion, are most prominently covered in writings on this oral Ainu culture.
  The contents of these ballads were an important source of understanding daily life as well as various traditions and habits of the Ainu people, and today these remain an important part in protecting the Ainu cultural identity, as seen in efforts by performers such as Oki, the most famous contemporary performer of Ainu music.
  The most useful English-language overview of Ainu music is by Chiba Nobuhiko.
context_section_description: The Mukkuri is an idiophone made out of bamboo, similar in construction to the Jaw harp. Sound is produced by manipulating a string connected to the bamboo reed, and while the instrument is unpitched, tone manipulation can be accomplished by altering the size of one's mouth, which serves as a resonance box during playing.
  Historically this instrument did not retain a large importance in Ainu communities and was commonly seen as a children's toy rather than a tool for supporting songs or rituals. The mukkuri's inexpensive production however has made it a popular tourist souvenir in Hokkaido.
caption: Mukkuri.
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