Takeharu Kunimoto

was a prominent Japanese ''shamisen'' player and ''rōkyoku'' singer.

In addition to performing and recording traditional music, he was also the only prominent ''shamisen'' player to perform and record bluegrass music; he spent some time in the 2000s in the bluegrass program of East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. He also performed and recorded in a rock music-influenced style.

At the age of 14 Kunimoto attended a Bill Monroe concert in Tokyo and shook his hand, thus inspiring Takeharu to play bluegrass.

Kunimoto died at the age of 55 on December 24, 2015, following an illness. Provided by Wikipedia