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Honjoh Hidetaro

ほんじょう ひでたろう

Honjō Hidetarō

Aliases: 高田 新司 / 稀音家 芳太郎 / 田毎 𠮷太郎
Pen Names: Kineya Yoshtaro（Name used in nagauta (long song) tradition）, Tagoto Yoshitaro（Name used in kouta (short song) tradition）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
Itako, Ibaraki, Japan
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Itako, Ibaraki, Japan → Tokyo (base of professional activity)

Career

Occupations
Shamisen performer, Composer, Arranger, Instructor
Active Years
1963-
Affiliations
Member, Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC), Member, Japanese Society for Ethnomusicology, Member, Federation of Contemporary Japanese Music Composers, Visiting Professor, Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), Head (iemoto) of Honjoh-ryu, Chair, Honjoh-kai, Former Visiting Professor, Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, Ibaraki Prefecture Cultural Ambassador, Water Town Itako Ambassador
Influenced By
Mitsu Shinozuka, Kineya Yoshie, 2nd Generation Ofuna Shigesaburo, Fuji moto Shuju (first generation), Tagoto Teru san (Miura Fumiko)

Awards

Matsuo Performing Arts Award (Outstanding Folk Music Prize)
1983
Organization: Matsuo Performing Arts Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival Award (Music)
1986
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival Award (Sponsored Performance)
1991
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award)
2004
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2007
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Minyo Master Title
2007
Organization: Japan Folk Song Association
Result: 受賞
Ibaraki Prefecture Commendation (Special Meritorious Service Award)
2016
Organization: Ibaraki Prefecture
Result: 受賞
NHK Broadcasting Culture Award
2023
Organization: NHK
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

In the Snowy Mountains

1969 Risougaku (folk-inspired shamisen music)

A risougaku piece composed and written by Honjoh Hidetaro, emphasizing expressive shamisen performance; one of his early works.

revival of folk songnature and nostalgia

Glass Bead Craft (Beads)

1980 Risougaku / Contemporary music

A piece written, composed and arranged by Honjoh himself, incorporating contemporary elements.

fusion of tradition and modernitymelodic experimentation

Michinoku Sanbansou

1991 Risougaku / Dance piece

A dance piece incorporating motifs of Tohoku folk songs. Both lyrics and music by Honjoh Hidetaro.

regional music heritageintegration with dance

Shunkan

1997 Risougaku / Stage work

A stage piece resonant with traditions such as Noh and Kabuki; performed internationally.

inheritance from classical traditioninternational presentation
Adaptations
  • [Stage] Shunkan (performance) (2000)

Bibliography

  • Edo Chamber Songs (1) 'Kouta'
  • Edo Chamber Songs (2) 'Dream Divination'
  • Edo Chamber Songs (3) 'Reminiscence'
  • Edo Chamber Songs (4) 'Snow'
  • Edo Chamber Songs (5) 'Love Letter'
  • In the Snowy Mountains / Michinoku Sanbansou (recording)
  • Nukata
  • Kaiki (Return)
  • Umiteru
  • Japanese Lullabies Vol.1
  • Japanese Lullabies Vol.2
  • Hinago I
  • Hinago II
  • Shamisen Stories (Tankosha)

Adaptations

  • Film 'Silk' — Japanese music advisor / performer
  • Japanese-music direction and performance for many NHK taiga dramas

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Folk-inspired, free shamisen expression (Risougaku)Improvisational elements and inventive arrangements beyond classical constraints
Recurring Motifs
revival of folk songsnature and nostalgiarhythmic qualities of the shamisen

Legacy

Honjoh Hidetaro is a performer and composer who pursued both preservation and contemporary reinvention of shamisen music. He founded Honjoh-ryu, cultivated successors, established the unique genre 'Risougaku', promoted Japanese traditional music domestically and internationally, and received numerous awards.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Society for Ethnomusicology
  • Federation of Contemporary Japanese Music Composers
  • Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (member)

In Popular Culture

  • Participation in the film 'Silk' as performer and Japanese music advisor
  • Provided music and musical direction for many NHK taiga dramas and TV productions

Trivia

  • Birth name is Takada Shinji; performs under the name Honjoh Hidetaro.
  • Founded Honjoh-ryu in 1971.
  • Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2007.
  • Recipient of the 74th NHK Broadcasting Culture Award in 2023.
  • Active across shamisen-centered genres including folk songs, kouta, and risougaku.