Hanzan Shimabara, a revered shakuhachi bamboo flute player, died of pneumonia on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima, his family said Sunday. He was 100.
Shimabara, whose real name was Shigezo Shimabara, was from the city of Hiroshima and designated a "living national treasure" in 1982.
Beginning his career at age 18, Shimabara received his school's highest honor of "Tozan Ryu" in 1941.
After World War II, he decided to live on playing the shakuhachi in the city, which had been devastated by an atomic bomb. Shimabara also toured the country giving performances.
In 1969, Shimabara played the shakuhachi in the United States and became well-known abroad. He recently performed in cities including Hiroshima, Tokyo and Kyoto. He was serving as chairman of the national shakuhachi league when he was honored by the city of Hiroshima.