This memorial appreciation is a contribution from Jack Tottle, Associate Professor Emeritus at East Tennessee State University. It is used by permission from Moonshiner magazine (JAPAN), originally published—in Japanese translation—February, 2016. Takeharu Kunimoto was among the most unusual, gifted, energetic and hard-working individuals I’ve
Regular readers may recall a number of videos we had posted over the year of Japanese shamisen player Takeharu Kunimoto, who utilized this traditional instrument of his native culture to play bluegrass music. We were saddened to learn that Takeharu died
Takeharu Kunimoto is a popular personality in Japan, where he performs on the shamisen in the traditional rokyoku style, and works as an actor, storyteller and narrator for children's movies. He is also an accomplished bluegrass musician, both on the
