Yabuki Ōzan
矢吹 汪山
2/20/1891 - ????
Shakuhachi
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Yabuki Ōzan (Yabuki Kofū) was born February 20, 1891 in Yamazaki, Hirazu-mura, Mitsu-gun, Okayama Prefecture. At age 6, his father died, and he went to Okayama Teachers Training Institute and graduated from Okayama Commercial School at age 20. In January 1912, he went to work for Sanin Savings Bank in Yonago, and began a long career in banking. At the age of 16, he picked up a shakuhachi and began to study on his own. In January 1909, he was introduced to the Tozan-ryū master Wakejima Yōzan, and took his first formal lessons. In October 1912, he moved to Osaka to study under the master Ueda Kazan (Ueda Hōdō). When Ueda was expelled from the Tozan-ryū and established the Ueda-ryū, Yabuki returned to study with Wakejima. After moving to Yonago City, he further improved his skills and was allowed to open training workshops beginning in July 1914, and traveled between Yonago City, Yodoe Town, and Asrai Town to teach. After serving in Shiga Prefecture, he became a student of Nakao Tozan in August 1917, completed his Okuden studies, and was recommended as a Jun-Shihan (associate master) in 1921. In the shakuhachi world at that time, he was considered the leading teacher in almost all cities in Shiga Prefecture such as Otsu, Kusatsu, and Hikane, and even in parts of Kyoto Prefecture such as Fukakusa and Yamashina. From 1923, he served several times as a member of the Tozan-ryū Council, being elected by a large majority. In October 1925, he was promoted to Shihan, and in February 1931, he was promoted to Dashihan, the highest rank in Tozan-ryū. He left a legacy of more than 1000 students. He and his wife Chieko had three sons, and they lived in the peaceful town of Zensho, where they were very content. Besides shakuhachi, he enjoyed fishing, archery, and sake.
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| Also Known As 矢吹 庫夫 (Yabuki Kofū) |
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Teachers Students
Furukawa Keizan 1893 - ???? |