The third son of Araki Kamesaburō, a samurai of the Omi Minakuchi clan. He was fond of arts from an early age and enjoyed playing the shakuhachi, beginning his studies under Yokota Goryū, Yoshida Itchō, then later with Toyoda Kodō, who he'd met while training as a komusō. After Yoshida retired, Araki took charge of the Kinko style. He directed his efforts into notating the shamisen pieces and adding shakuhachi parts. At first, he notated mainly pieces from the nagauta repertory, later switching to the jiuta style of shamisen. Today's Kinko gaikyoku consist almost entirely of pieces from the Jiuta shamisen tradition and the Ikuta and Yamada styles of koto playing. Araki's teacher, Toyoda Kodō, was very close to Kondō Sōetsu and the Sōetsu-style of ensemble playing, which probably explains Araki's interest in this type of music. Araki was responsible for the increased interest in sankyoku (Shamisen, Koto, and Shakuhachi) ensemble playing in Tokyo.
One of Araki's main accomplishments was an improvement in shakuhachi notation. In classic honkyoku there was no need to indicate rhythms and tempos, but ensemble playing required precision and clarity regarding time and speed. Together with his student, the musicologist Uehara Rokushiro (Kyodō), author of Studies in Folk Scales, Araki developed a system of notation consisting of a vertical script (katakana syllabary) which indicates the pitch and a system of dots and lines which indicate rhythm.
After Araki retired in 1894, he was given the honorific name "Chikuo," and his son, Shinnosuke (1879-1935), took the name Kodō III (Toyoda Kodō was considered Kodō I). Kodō III became one of the invigorating forces of the Kinko style into the 20th century.
His students included many who would go on to become highly influential in the Kinko-ryū, including Kawase Junsuke and Miura Kindō.
With text from: The Shakuhachi - a manual for learning by Christopher Yohmei Blasdel
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