Born in 1857, he lost his mother shortly after his birth. At the age of eight, he went blind due to smallpox, and his father died in an accident when he was eleven. As an orphan, he chose to make a living playing the shamisen, an instrument he had learned from Tamana, a goze (a blind female street shamisen player). Although his sole goal was to please his audience, he faced numerous hardships. Ultimately, he established the foundation of Tsugaru shamisen, which is now recognized and respected worldwide.
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