Designation of UENO Koshuzan, Shakuhachi Master as "Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange"
	1. On 9th June, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs designated UENO Koshuzan, a Shakuhachi Master (Japanese Bamboo Flute player) living in Singapore, as “Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange”. Since 2003, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs designates artists and cultural specialists as “Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange” for a fixed period to promote the appreciation of Japanese culture in other parts of the world. Ten individuals, including Ueno Koshuzan, and five groups were newly designated as “Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange” this year. 2. Ueno Koshuzan has been living in Singapore since 1989. Based in Singapore, he has played the shakuhachi in Southeast Asian countries, and performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) and also performed at WOMAD. He has been lecturing music at NTU/NIE, and hundreds of his students became teachers at primary and secondary schools in Singapore after graduating from NTU/NIE with the knowledge of Japanese music. 3. Ueno Koshuazan, as Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange, will hold live performances of Japanese traditional instruments and workshops at schools and local community centres in Singapore from January to March 2009. Through these activities, he will introduce Japanese traditional culture and classical music to the Singapore community. For further enquiries, please contact Mr. CHIBA Hirohisa (6830-3581) of the Embassy of Japan. UENO Koshuzan Shakuhachi Master (Japanese Bamboo Flute player) Ueno Koshuzan was born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1953. After graduating from Keio University in Tokyo in 1977, he started his career in the transportation industry in the United States. He was then transferred to Singapore in 1989 after being stationed in Tokyo for 10 years. Subsequently, he set up his own transportation company Orient Tainers Pte Ltd in 1991. Ueno Koshuzan started playing the shakuhachi at the age of 14. He first learned Japanese Minyo (folklore) shakuhachi and then entered the Tozan Ryu Shakuhachi School head-quartered in Kyoto. Tozan Ryu is the largest Shakuhachi guild in Japan founded by Nakao Tozan in 1896. He was given the title of Master player ‘Dai – Shihan’ status from Tozan Ryu. He learned to play the shakuhachi from Master Yagi Kozan and later from Japanese living treasure Yamamoto Hozan. He is the only existing shakuhachi master living in Asia outside Japan. Based in Singapore, he did numerous shakuhachi concerts while lecturing Japanese music at NIE (National Institute of Education) and NTU since 1995. He is an adjunct Associate Professor of visual & performing arts – music dept at NTU/NIE and has been lecturing Japanese traditional music and Eastern and Western music theory. Hundreds of his students became teachers at primary and secondary schools in Singapore after graduating from NTU/NIE with knowledge of Japanese music. In 1999, he performed at WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) with Ikuta Ryu Koto player Norikura Masayo. He joined Tokyo Inter-Arts Hogaku Professional Musicians group and toured Asian countries and Australia with renowned shamisen player Ashigaki Miho and other top musicians. He performed shakuhachi as soloist at SSO / SCO joint concert and in 2004 he was invited from SCO with renowned Japanese Taiko Drummer Hidano Shuichi as soloist for Chinese Orchestra tune. He is now a member of the professional Hogaku (Traditional Japanese Music) unit “The Fuku-No-Ne” with Shamisen player Uehara Junnosuke and Koto Player Isogawa Mako and planning for Asian concert tour in 2009. In addition, he is the Chairman of Expatriates from Hokkaido in Singapore and Tourism Ambassador of Asahikawa City of Hokkaido.