Juzan Kasahara

Juzan Kasahara is a Japanese shakuhachi performer and composer whose artistry is rooted in the traditions of Japanese classical music while reaching beyond genre and cultural boundaries.

Introduced to music through piano in early childhood, he began studying the shakuhachi at the age of twelve and, from fifteen, trained under Dozan Fujiwara. He graduated from the Department of Traditional Japanese Music (Shakuhachi), Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts, and later completed a master’s degree at the university’s Graduate School of Music. During her studies, she also trained under Living National Treasure Hozan Nomura and the third-generation master Reibo Aoki.

Kasahara has received numerous distinctions, including the Excellence Award at the 35th Ichikawa City New Artist Competition, the Espoir Prize at the 25th Osaka International Music Competition, and Third Prize at the 26th Osaka International Music Competition in the Folk Instruments Division. She was also awarded top distinction in both the Associate Master and Master certification examinations of the Tozan-ryu shakuhachi tradition.

A member of Fuga Chikuin, the shakuhachi ensemble led by Dozan Fujiwara, she has appeared on Japanese television programs including Nippon no Geinou and Daimei no Nai Ongakukai (Untitled Concert). Her recent appearances include performances at the MLB Opening Ceremony and Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. She has also performed internationally, including in Taiwan, and has presented her music before ambassadors from various countries.

Alongside his work in traditional repertoire, Kasahara is actively engaged in collaborations with Western instruments and contemporary performance settings, expanding the expressive possibilities of the shakuhachi. She is also a member of Tora no O Kai, a performing arts collective dedicated to Japanese dance, koto, shakuhachi, and nagauta. In addition to her performing career, she composes original works for shakuhachi ensemble, koto and shakuhachi duo, and other chamber settings.