Fujimoto Ryūzan
藤本 柳山
12/4/1899 - ????
Shakuhachi
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Born on December 4, 1899 in Tomoko, Hiroshima Prefecture, Fujimoto Ryūzan (Fujimoto Chiyoichi) first learned shakuhachi from Tozan-ryū master, Miura Tokan. In September 1914, when Miura-san visited Fukuyama to teach, Fujimoto became his student and began commuting to Fukuyama to study. By November, 1915, he had mastered the Chuden repertoire. He took a break from studying for a while due to family reasons, but in August 1916, he joined the Kansai Steel Works in Amagasaki City, and in October of the same year, he transferred to study with Tozan master Uemura Shōzan, and began practicing again. Unfortunately, his company was dissolved due to the financial crisis of 1920, and he moved to Yawata City and began teaching in May of 1920. Soon, the number of his students increased, and he expanded his base to Moji in the east and Fukuoka in the west, with a total of 40 students under his direction. In February of 1921 he had gained even more students. He took his Jun-Shihan (associate master) exam, received the name Ryūzan, and organized a large concert in Moji to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Tozan-ryū, inviting the headmaster, Nakao Tozan, and several executives from Osaka. At the time, a concert like this had never been seen in Kyūshū. In September, 1922, for personal reasons, he moved to Busan, South Korea, to engage in the shochu industry and he continued teaching Tozan-ryū shakuhachi as a side job. In October, 1925, he was promoted to Shihan (master), and in February, 1926, he returned to Korea again and joined the Teikoku [Imperial] Credit Agency in Busan, Korea, while also teaching shakuhachi in Daegu and other cities. However, after four years there, he returned to Kyūshū for the third time, opening a school in Beppu in November, 1929. He began a series of special concerts to help facilitate expansion of the Tozan-ryū in the area, and branches were opened in Usuki, Saiki, Oita, etc. In July 1930, he performed for Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Chichibu in Beppu, and in Busan, he performed fundraisers for many public and private organizations, for which he received thanks and accolades. He and his wife Machiko spent their lives together in their hometown of Akashi, along with other members of his family. He was an avid Go player.
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| Also Known As 藤本 千代市 (Fujimoto Chiyoichi) |
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Teachers
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