Kurakawa Shōzan
倉川 簫山
1/25/1886 - ????
Shakuhachi
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Born in Osaka on January 25, 1887, Kurakawa Shōzan (birth name Hiroshi) is credited with being the first shakuhachi teacher to introduce Tozan-ryū shakuhachi to Tokyo when he moved there in 1913. The eldest child of seven, he grew up in Osaka, where his father, Tetsuzu, was a Confucian scholar with a military background. After graduating from Hyogo High School in 1899, he studied English, Chinese, and mathematics at his family’s school, swordsmanship with his father, Judō, calligraphy, and especially the Chinese classics. He had a natural taste for music and, purely out of curiosity, collected a variety of instruments. In 1907 he formally entered the Tozan-ryū under the guidance of Kitahara Kōzan I, and quickly earned his Shoden, Chuden, and Okuden certificates. In April of 1911 he earned his Jun-Shihan (associate instructor) license and was given the name Shōzan. His promotion inspired him to move to Tokyo in December of 1913, uprooting his wife and three children, to help spread the Tozan-ryū into the home of Kinko-ryū shakuhachi. Though he had to overcome many challenges, his persistence and devotion paid off - he had effectively established the first outpost of the Tozan school in the region, opening the door for further expansion as the years went by. He was given his full Shihan (masters license) in 1918. In February of 1925 he received the ranking of Dai-Shihan (Grand Master). In February of 1926 he invited Nakao Tozan to Tokyo for an unprecedented concert of Tozan-ryū shakuhachi at the Teigeki Theater. Kurakawa performed at many other special concerts for the school, was appointed member of the Tozan-ryū Council several times, and served on the school’s examination and certification board. He left behind a legacy of many students who became professionals and masters.
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| Also Known As 倉川 浩 (Kurakawa Hiroshi) |
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Teachers Students
Imai Bōzan 1893 - ???? |