Michio Miyagi

Michio Miyagi was one of the great koto players of the twentieth century and a leader in a movement to absorb elements of Western music into Japanese music using traditional instruments. His father was named Kunijiro Wakabe, but Miyagi was given a prominent family surname, Suga, when he was an infant. He progressively lost his vision and was totally blind by the time he was seven. Having already shown musical talent, it was natural for him to study koto, as there is a tradition that the most famous players of the instrument are blind. His master from 1902 was Nakajima Kengyo ...