To understand "Seiritsu" and "Seisun" it helps to know and understand the
Japanese characters used in writing these words. The difference between the
two is often a source of confusion between shakuhachi makers and shakuhachi
users, players, because of the differences in the way things are named
between folk and classical music groups.
Folk folks like "Seisun" and classical folks like "Seiritsu".
I suppose "Sei" means proper, regular, normal, correct, etc. "Ritsu" means
pitch or frequency. "Sun" means 1/10 of a shaku, a specific length.
These days "Seiritsu" means tuned to a specified frequency on the western
equal temperament scale. Thus the pitch is correct.
"Seisun" means made to a specific whole sun length such as Isshaku Hassun,
Nishaku Issun, Nishaku Yonsun, etc. Thus the length is correct.
Aside from hassun flutes, which are commonly 1.8 shaku in length and play a
fundamental of D on the equal temperament scale, any other specified flute
cannot be easily played in unison with it's counterpart.
Hope this is clear now.
Tom Deaver
Bei Shu Shakuhachi Workshop
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~shaku100/
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