The Art of the Shakuhachi, Volume One
Born in Tokyo in 1950,Kifu Mitsuhashistudied  Kinko-schoolshakuhachiwithSofu Sasakiand the classicalhonkyokurepertoire of the Fuke school withChikugai  Okamoto.He was awarded the Prize for Excellence by the Agency for  Cultural Affairs for his first recital (1980) and the Arts Festival Prize  by the same agency for his 1989 solo recital. He was awarded the Osaka  Cultural Festival Prize in 1981, the 10th Nakajima Kenzo Music Prize in  1992, the Arts Festival Works Prize for his CD of works by Makoto Moroi,  Chikurin Kitan, and the Yokohama Cultural Encouragement Award.He  traveled to Europe as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonia in 1994,  gaining high acclaim for performances in venues such as the London Festival  Hall.He has also become active as a producer, organising events at the  Serbia Expo and Festival Asia. He has given 77 recitals to date overseas,  and twenty in Tokyo alone. He holds the qualification ofshihan(master) in the Kinko school, and runs his own group forshakuhachiperformance, the Kifu Kai.