Home People Pieces Recordings Bibliography Schools Glossary Sites & Events Teachers Join the ISS Log In

Endō Yoshihiro

Endō Yoshihiro
Shakuhachi

Endō Yoshihiro (Shakuhachi name: Chikuhō, Min’yō name: Sōfūzan) began studying Kinko-ryū Shakuhachi in 1958 at the age of 20 under Kusano Reifū. In 1961, he began working for Toshiba where he entered a Min’yō Shakuhachi club and learned from Mikado Kintō and Yokoyama Buzan.

In 1975, he founded his own Min’yō group, Sōfūkai, which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year and now has nearly 100 members. Endo Chikuhō has been awarded the highest teaching license from the Japan Folk Song Association but despite being settled as a successful Min’yō Shakuhachi player and teacher, in 1986 he began studying koten honkyoku with Okuda Atsuya.

Between 2001 and now, he has been teaching Shakuhachi to middle school students including such Min’yō pieces as Kikiriko-bushi, Sōran-bushi and Esashi Oiwake. Five of his female students who graduated this year achieved the unusual accomplishment of being able to perform both Min’yō and koten honkyoku.


Also Known As Shakuhachi name: Chikuhō, Min’yō name: Sōfûzan
Teachers