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Shakuhachi History in the U.S.A. |
Shakuhachi music in the USA was started officially by Seifu Yoshida in 1923. |
On September 1st, 1923 there was a major earthquake in the Tokyo area (410,000 houses were burned or destroyed). Many foreign countries including the U.S.A. helped the people and government of Japan. The people of Japan were very grateful and so Seifu Yoshida offered a Japanese music concert tour to the U.S. to express Japan’s gratitude. Also he believed that Japanese music was unique and well worth sharing with westerners. He toured the U.S. playing Shakuhachi and Koto music with his wife, Kyoko Yoshida, starting from each island of Hawaii then to California. With his straight forward actions, it is easy to assume that the musicians of the U.S. respected his spirit of motivation and immediate action.
Seifu Yoshida |
| Yoshida’s hometown and the Koga family |
Seifu Yoshida (1890–1950), born in Nagasu, Kumamoto-ken, Japan, was a well known shakuhachi grand master and was the original recording artist of shakuhachi for “Sea of Spring,” composed by Michio Miyagi—who was also a genius koto player and composer. (All of the Miyagi’s shakuhachi and koto music was originally recorded by these two artists.)
He not only performed all over the islands of Japan, China and Korea, but also taught shakuhachi music whenever and wherever invited to instruct. One of the cities he taught in was Omuta-city, 5 miles away from Yoshida’s hometown: at the Omuta Unsoh K.K. (Transporting Company) which was owned by Koga family. |
| Masayuki Koga and his father |
Masayuki’s father, Kiichi Koga(1907-1983) was one of Yoshida’s students in Omuta City. When Masayuki was 14 years old, he found his father’s shakuhachi instrument and textbook that was made by, and written by Seifu Yoshida. Masayuki asked his father how to make sound, then his father gave him a basic note instruction and showed Oiwake folksong fingering. His father knew that being a musician was not easy, so he encouraged Masayuki to become only an amateur player and gave an artist’s philosophy that he believed. That attitude became the core of Masayuki’s life. Masayuki wanted to be of serious shakuhachi player, so he asked his father if he could study Master degrees of Law at Meiji University in Tokyo so that he could keep studying shakuhachi. He then graduated and chose the professional musician’s way. Of course, his father was disappointed, but soon after, he accepted his son’s decision and encouraged Masayuki to be successful in music. |
| 50 years later |
In 1973, Masayuki Koga moved to the U.S. and performed from East coast to West coast and taught shakuhachi music whenever and wherever he had the occasion. After several years of his own experience of performing and teaching, he felt that the U.S needed a music institute.
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About JMI |
The Japanese Music Institute of America (JMI) was founded by Masayuki in 1981 to introduce the highest quality of Japanese Classical Koto (Japanese harp) and Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) music to the U.S. Since then, JMI has fostered the appreciation and study of both traditional and contemporary musical practice with private instruction and ensemble training, comprising the core of JMI’s offerings. In addition, JMI presents concerts, produces recordings and publishes music texts. JMI added Taiko (Japanese drum) to Koto and Shakuhachi music in 1995.
JMI head teachers (Koto: Michiyo Koga, Shakuhachi: Masayuki Koga and Taiko: Kenny Endo and Jimi Nakagawa) formed a musical group called “Essence,” which was selected for the 2000-2006 Touring Artists Directory by the California Arts Council. |
| Community Service |
The Japanese Music Institute of America has been performing community service at the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, the Cupertino Festival, Sacramento Buddhist Church Bazaar events, and many other schools’ events, including Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley for more than 10 years. In September 16, 2001 JMI held the JMI’s 20th Anniversary Concert at the Hertz Concert Hall, co-sponsored by the University. This was the first time Cal Arts to co-sponsor with any outside organization in the history of U.C. Berkeley. Also the 20th Anniversary Concert was right after the terrorist attack of 911. In order to express our sorrow to the victims, JMI had to consider stopping the concert, or moving forward. We moved forward.
In the same year, Masayuki Koga received an Award from the California Arts Council to recognize and honor his contributions, leadership, and sacrifice for the benefit of youth, next generation of artists, and all citizens of the state of California. Masayuki believes that through his father, he is a student of Yoshida’s lineage, but he didn’t know that he was good enough to succeed in his mission. Maybe it is time that he is old enough to speak his feelings frankly. More importantly it may be time that people should know about the grand master Sefiu Yoshida’s dream and his prospectus which occurred 80 years ago. Masayuki believes that JMI’s mission is exactly the same as his father’s spiritual direction and his grand master’s mission. ......................................................................... This "History in the U.S." is a part(2 pages) of Koga's new text "What is Shakuhachi?"(20 pages), which includes "Essays", "Music and Energy" and Shakuhachi history in Japan. If you would like to obtain the whole book, write to: mkoga@sbcglobal.net |
In 1931, he was formally invited by the USA (Pro-Musica Society), and again performed in Honolulu, Hilo, Maui, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and other cities.
