Hisatomi Ichirō
久富 一郎
4/20/1907 - ????
Koto & Shamisen
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Hisatomi Ichirō (born Hisatomi Ichimastu) was from Takayanagi, Setaka-cho, Yamato-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture, and was born on April 20, 1907. Since he had poor eyesight from an early age and little hope of becoming a scholar, he began learning shamisen from his father, Hisatomi Jōbō, from the age of three or four. Later, he studied jiuta shamisen under the local master Muraishi Jōkei, and at the age of eight, he was already able to perform long pieces such as "Yaegoromo." After that, from the age of eleven, he went to Ōmuta City and studied koto and shamisen under the master Matsuo Hōbo, a disciple of Koga Jōtake, for several years, eventually returning to his father’s tutelage. When he finally felt that he had mastered his father's art, he opened his own school but, sadly, when Hisatomi was 26, his father Jōbō passed away at the age of 66. With a strong desire for a deeper understanding of the music, he continued studying from records and radio. He had learned Braille from a young age, so he eventually became well versed in Braille music notation, and learned Miyagi songs as well as other new and old songs by himself, quickly surpassing all expectations and making a name for himself in the music world. Although he had some physical difficulties with his voice, he was known for his accurate pitch and good memory when playing in an ensemble, and for the large number of songs in his repertoire. However, during World War II, there was little time for music, and the lives of experts gradually became more difficult, with many blind musicians turning to needlework to pay the bills, but Hisatomi was always passionate about his art and did not give up in the face of such adversity, and he continued to earn his living solely from his musical skills. After the war, as people's minds once again returned to the arts, his skills were recognized, and as the years went by, apprentices from noble families and other enthusiastse sought instruction from masters like Hisatomi, and the profession flourished. It was said that, in performance, Hisatomi Ichirō’s face radiated pure joy. He and his wife had two daughters, one of whom, named Yōko, married Uchida Mitsuyuki, a Kinko-ryū shakuhachi player. The other, Yoshiko, became his personal secretary and manager for several years. He was a member of the Ōmuta Sankyoku Association. His career in the Hōgaku world spanned more than six decades. (Adapted from an article in Sankyoku Shinpō, January 10, 1962)
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Teachers Students
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