Career

Little is known about his early life, but Kakuichi may have originally been a monk of Enkyō-ji near Himeji in Harima Province and may have been a nephew of Ashikaga Takauji. On his death, he was posthumous awarded the rank of Grand Master ( 総検校, Sōkengyō ). The Tōdōza split over whether or not to accept Kakuichi’s new version, with the Yasaka-ryu rejecting it, and the Ichikata-ryu accepting lieutenant

The Yasaka-ryu declined after the Onin War, leaving the tradition in the hands of the Ichikata-ryu.

Achievements

• Kakuichi was a student of Jōichi ( 城一 ), the most famous Heike reciter in Kyoto, but soon surpassed his master and 1363 had the attained the highest rank ( 検校, Kengyō ) within the guild.

Membership

After losing his sight in his 30s, he is said to have come to Kyoto and joined the Tōdōza, a biwa hōshi guild, performing versions of the Heike Monogatari as entertainment for members of the aristocracy.