Japanese Literary Awards

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Takeharu Kunimoto

くにもと たけはる

Kunimoto Takeharu

Aliases: 加藤 武
Pen Names: Unariya Beben（Stage name used on NHK-E TV program 'Nihongo de Asobo'）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-11-01 （Shimosō, Katori District, Chiba (now Narita), Japan）
Died
2015-12-24 （Hospital in Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan） age 55
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Chiba Prefecture (birthplace) → Tokyo (base of activities)

Career

Occupations
Rōkyoku performer, Shamisen player, Singer, Voice actor
Active Years
1981-2015
Affiliations
Japan Rōkyoku Association, Takeharudo Co., Ltd.
Memberships
Japan Rōkyoku Association (vice-chairman)
Influenced By
Tenchūken Ryūgetsu (father), Kunimoto Harumi (mother)
Influenced

Education

Nihon Kogakuin College
Department of Drama
Country: Japan

Awards

Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival Award (Newcomer, Performing Arts)
1995
Category: 演芸部門新人賞
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Asakusa Entertainment Grand Prize (Newcomer Award)
1995
Category: 新人賞
Organization: Asakusa Entertainment Awards Committee
Result: 受賞
Hanagata Entertainment Grand Prize (Grand Prize)
1999
Work: Sakura Gimin-den ~Jinpei no Watashi
Category: 大賞
Organization: National Theatre
Result: 受賞
Arts Encouragement Prize for New Artists (Folk Arts)
2000
Category: 新人賞（大衆芸能）
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Matsuo Entertainment Award (Excellence Award)
2012
Category: 優秀賞
Organization: Matsuo Entertainment Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sakura Gimin-den ~Jinpei no Watashi

1999 Rōkyoku (performance piece)

A rōkyoku performance based on historical subject matter, presented with powerful narration and Kunimoto's distinctive shamisen technique.

Popular justiceRevengeHistory

Matsuyama Kagami

2002 Rōkyoku (performance piece)

One of the pieces that won the Hanagata Entertainment Grand Prize at the National Theatre; combines classical elements with entertainment.

Loyalty and human feelingTradition

Appalachian Shamisen

2004 Music album (Bluegrass × Shamisen)

Album created with 'Kunimoto Takeharu & The Last Frontier' during his stay in the U.S.; an attempt to fuse bluegrass and shamisen.

FusionCross-cultural exchange

Bibliography

  • Mattemashita: Meichoshi! (book)
  • Appalachian Shamisen (album)
  • Kunimoto Takeharu Classic Rōkyoku Selections (album)

Adaptations

  • Atama Yama (theatrical short animation — narrator)
  • Miyamoto Musashi -Souken ni Hase- (historical animated documentary — rōkyoku performance)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Dramatic, narration-centered performance styleIntegration of shamisen accompaniment with contemporary music phrases
Recurring Motifs
Duty and human feelingHistorical figures and incidentsFusion of rōkyoku tradition and innovation

Health

  • Hospitalization (unspecified)
    2010-12
    Lost consciousness during a performance and was hospitalized; returned to the stage after rehabilitation.
  • Brain hemorrhage
    2015-12
    Was urgently hospitalized and died due to acute respiratory failure following a brain hemorrhage.

Legacy

While inheriting the tradition of classical rōkyoku, he developed a distinctive style by adding shamisen 'sing-and-play' techniques and elements from rock and bluegrass, gaining broad support. His appearances on TV, animation and children's programs made him beloved by younger audiences as well.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Rōkyoku Association

In Popular Culture

  • Appeared as 'Unariya Beben' on NHK-E's 'Nihongo de Asobo'
  • Recognition through narration and appearances in anime and TV programs

Trivia

  • Real name was Takeshi Kato (Kato Takeshi).
  • Known to children as 'Unariya Beben' on NHK-E program 'Nihongo de Asobo'.
  • Formed the bluegrass band 'Kunimoto Takeharu & The Last Frontier' in the U.S., attempting to fuse shamisen and bluegrass.
  • Posthumous Buddhist name (kaimyō) was 'Yogan-in Genka Budō Koji'.