F Japanese (Yo) Scale
F Japanese (Yo) contains 5 notes: F, G, B♭, C, D. It has 1 flat: B♭. The step pattern is W–W+H–W–W–W+H.
The "bright" pentatonic of Japanese music, evoking traditional festivals and rural landscapes. It contrasts with the darker In scale and is the basis of many Japanese folk songs and children's music.
The formula is 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. It lacks the 3rd and 7th, making it neither clearly major nor minor, though the 2nd and 6th give it a major lean. It's actually a mode of the major pentatonic scale, which highlights how the same notes can sound completely different depending on cultural context and which note is treated as root.
The shapes overlap with major pentatonic patterns but with different root emphasis. Try it in open position using open strings as drones — the missing 3rd and 7th create a suspended, open quality that sounds distinctly Japanese when played with clean tones and deliberate phrasing.