Nishimura Koku
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Nishimura Koku (1915 - June, 2002) was a master Japanese bamboo flute player, teacher, and craftsman. He played an especially raw style of flute he called the kyotaku, similar to the shakuhachi and very similar to the hocchiku. His teacher was Kyochiku Tani, a komuso monk. Nishimura Koku himself became a komuso and wandered Japan for ten years, playing kyotaku. His son, Koryu, continues to play and teach kyotaku in Kumamoto, Kumamoto.
Other accomplishments of Nishimura Koku include woodcarving, painting, Okinawa karate (six dan black belt), and Kendo (three dan black belt).
