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Nakao Tozan

中尾 都山

Nakao Tozan
10/5/1876 - 10/10/1956

Shakuhachi

Nakao Tozan was born on October 5, 1876 (the 9th year of the Meiji-Era) in Suita-Gun (present-day Hirakata City), the second son of Nakao Jirohei and his wife Mitsu. His real name was Nakao Rinzo. In 1894, at the age of 17, he became a komuso, and then, two years later in 1896, he first established a shakuhachi school in Tenma, Osaka City, in the West of Japan. This date, February 15, is now celebrated as the official founding of the Tozan-Ryu School.

Nakao Tozan then embarked on a career as a performer, and in 1903 composed the first Tozan-Ryu honkyoku, Sōgetsu-chō, and in 1908 wrote and published his first shakuhachi tutor and sheet music. Compared to the older schools of shakuhachi, the Tozan style of composition must have sounded much more modern, and even in his honkyoku he often included very rhythmical two-, or sometimes three-part sections following the opening solo section, sometimes with the whole piece being written for two or more flutes right from the beginning.

In 1915, at the age of 38, he toured Russia, and in the following year also gave the first of his performances in Korea and China, eventually returning to give concerts there at least ten times.

In 1922, the Headquarters of the school were transferred to Tokyo. After this, Nakao Tozan met the famous blind koto master Miyagi Michio, and they toured Western Japan together, which led to the establishment of the Shin Nihon Ongaku movement (“New Japanese Music”). Together they made many revolutionary changes to Japanese traditional music.

In 1930, when he was 53, Nakao Tozan ceased performing to concentrate on teaching and composition, and to nurture the next generation of Tozan performers.

After the Second World War, he returned to his hometown (now renamed Hirakata), and then, in 1949, moved to Kyoto. In 1953, he was honored with the Japan Arts Academy Award for his great contributions to Japanese music, and he died in 1956 at the age of 80.

Teachers

Students

Tracks Recorded

Pieces KanjiLengthAlbumInstrument
Rokudan no Shirabe 六段の調 02'37 Shakuhachi - Classical Modern Best 30 - 05 Shakuhachi

Composed or Arranged

Shakuhachi Compositions
Title Kanji Year Alternate Title
Haru Kaze 春風
1904

Iwashimizu 岩清水
1904

Kōgetsuchō 慷月調
1904

Seikaiha 青海波
1904

Shimoyo 霜夜
1905

Sonare Matsu 磯馴松
1905

Haru no Hikari 春の光
1907

Kangetsu 寒月
1911/02

Wakaba (Tozan) 若葉
1913

Shiokaze 潮風
1914

Asagiri 朝霧
1915

Yachio 八千代
1916

Yoru no Omoi 夜の懐
1916

Asa Midori 朝緑
1921

Kojo no Tsuki (Tozan) 湖上の月
1922

Kogarashi (Tozan) 木枯
1923

Kanginuta 寒砧
1924

Umibe no Yubae 海辺の夕映
1925

Yuzuki 夕月
1927

Momiji 紅葉
1929

Asa Kaze 朝風
1938

Renshu Kyoku Dai Niban 練習曲 第二番
1938

Showaraku 頌和楽
1940

Aoba 青葉
1946

Asa no Umi 朝の海
1946

Mine no Tsuki 峰の月
1946

Shinsei 新生
1946

Isuzugawa (Tozan) 五十鈴川
1950

Wako 和光
1950

Heiwa no Sanga 平和の山河
1951