Yoshida Harufu

Shakuhachi performer and composer. His real name was Yasuji. He was born in Kumamoto Prefecture. He started playing the shakuhachi at the age of 12, and studied under Torii Wakana of the Kinko school, and was mentored by Nagatani Kouki, a master of the jiuta shamisen. After graduating from Kumamoto Commercial School, he traveled to Keijo (now Seoul) in Korea, dreaming of becoming the soybean king, and met Miyagi Michio (then Nakasuga Kengyo), a koto musician. The two continued to work together throughout his life through the New Japanese Music Movement in Tokyo. In 1923 (Taisho 12), he traveled to the United States as a return musical envoy, and in 1937 (Showa 12), he was awarded the Order of Culture by Thailand. He is also the creator of the new Japanese music, and his works include "Prayer" (1925) and "The Sea" (1932), which are in a new style that incorporate Western music techniques.

[Tsukikawa Tsuneko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

尺八演奏家、作曲家。本名康次(やすじ)。熊本県生まれ。12歳より尺八を吹き始め、琴古流の鳥井若菜に師事、地歌三絃(じうたさんげん)の名人長谷幸輝(ながたにこうき)の薫陶を受けた。熊本商業学校卒業後、大豆王を夢みて朝鮮の京城（現ソウル）に渡り、箏曲(そうきょく)家宮城道雄（当時中菅検校(なかすがけんぎょう)）と出会う。以後両者の協力は、東京での新日本音楽運動を通して生涯続いた。1923年（大正12）遣米答礼音楽使節として渡米、さらに37年（昭和12）のタイ国への訪問に際しては同国文化勲章を受けた。新日本音楽の命名者でもあり、洋楽の手法を導入した新様式の作品、『祈り』（1925）、『海』（1932）などがある。

［月溪恒子］

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