Yasukazu Kano

Yasukazu Kano (狩野泰一) began his musical journey at age thirteen as a jazz drummer while studying at Hitotsubashi University. In 1987, he joined the prestigious taiko ensemble Kodo and toured globally—performing over 1,000 times, including at Carnegie Hall—before leaving in 1997 to pursue a solo career.

Relocating to Sado Island, he dedicated himself to the shinobue, creating the distinctive “Kano Method” that blends traditional Japanese scales with influences from jazz, classical, and world rhythms. His 2005 debut album Fish Dance, released via Yamaha, launched a prolific solo era marked by over 2,000 performances across thirty countries, numerous CDs, instructional DVDs, published scores, and global workshops.

As a music producer, he’s written theme songs for NHK’s Nippon no Wagei and contributed to TV, film, and theater. In 2021, he collaborated with pianist Masaki Hayashi on Shōwa‑Heisei no Uta: Shinobue to Piano de, a stylized reinterpretation of Japanese popular standards.