Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshu-Kan 30th Anniversary Festival
Yokoyama Katsuya Memorial with the home town Bisei

KSK Shakuhachi Festival 2019


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history

Progress in 30 years of the Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshu-Kan

The Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshu-Kan (KSK, hereafter) was established in 1988 in Bisei Town as the director Yokoyama Katsuya at the former Senior High School Bisei branch with the kindeness of Bisei Town and Okayama Prefecture.

Since then, the KSK has organized a number of workshops (in Bisei and Kanto districts in spring and summer) and concerts. In 1994, the KSK hosted the 1st World Shakuhachi Festival in Bisei, and subsequently played a central role in the 2nd World Shakuhachi Festival in Boulder, Colorado, USA in 1998.

Thereafter the KSK has cooperated with the various world music festivals, shakuhachi festivals and workshops, including the 7th World Shakuhachi Festival held in last year in London. The KSK, which is equipped with instructors of English speaking, plays an important role in spreading shakuhachi music, which is said to be one of the most widely known Japanese traditional culture, not only domestically but also internationally.

Past KSK World Shakuhachi Festivals

Year City    Convenor
1st 1994 Bisei Yokoyama Katsuya/the deceased
2nd 1998 Boulder Cory Sperry
3rd 2002 Tokyo Watanabe Masaru
4th 2004 New York Ronnie Seldin/the deceased
5th 2008 Sydney Riley Lee
6th 2012 Kyoto Kurahashi Yodo
7th 2018 London Kiku Day