Simura Zenpo studied musical technology at Osaka University of Arts. He first studied shakuhachi under Chikuho Sakai and later under Shodo Sakai. During his studies, he was able to master many techniques of playing shakuhachi based on his extensive field work of research on the authentic ancient instruments. Simura earned a Ph.D. in Musicology and in 1999 he successfully published the book An Organology of Old Pipe Syakuhati. Currently he is focusing on creating replicas, studying, and performing the old notations and instruments. He is also lecturing and performing primarily in the Komuso shakuhachi tradition as well as contemporary music, in Japan and around the world. He was bestowed awards in 1994 and 1996 by the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) for his creative study of Cyber Shakuhachi with a computer. Simura is an assistant professor at Osaka University of Arts.

email: simura@osaka-geidai.ac.jp