was a Japanese goze, singing songs accompanied by shamisen. Kobayashi became blind at three months old. She started goze training at age five and started her career at age eight. She continued performing until 1978, traveling throughout most of Niigata Prefecture as well as through parts of the Yamagata and Fukushima Prefectures. In 1978, she was named one of the Living National Treasures of Japan, as a key figure of the traditional goze art form. In 1979, she was awarded the Medal of Honor with Yellow Ribbon.
Childhood
Kobayashi was born on 24 January 1900, the youngest daughter of four siblings in the area currently known as Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture. She was born to a relatively wealthy farming family of the Shoya class. At three months of age, she lost her eyesight in both eyes due to cataracts;, and her family was told that there was no hope of recovery. In 1902, her father died; at that time, her mother had asthma. Kobayashi was brought up by her great-uncle, the younger brother of her grandfather.
Her foster family feared the stigma of discrimination, so Kobayashi was confined to her bedroom. She had to eat meals there, and her food and water intake were limited to minimize her need to use the toilet, as each trip would have necessitated the assistance of family members and exposed her to passersby, as toilets were commonly in outhouses at the time. She was told not to speak unless spoken to. She was not called by her name; only "mekurakko" (blind child) or "tochi" (the short form of tochi-mekura, a slang term). Her brother, who was sixteen years older than her, teased her and told her he could not marry because of her. She could not remember her exact date of birth. A fortune-teller foretold that she would live a long life, and her family considered how she might make a living. At that time, blind persons had limited means to earn a living. Careers open to them included acupuncture, massage, and playing music on the koto or the shamisen. Acupuncture was selected for her, but when she first met the acupuncturist, he was drunk and told her that he would perform acupuncture on her if she did not study hard, frightening her enough to abandon acupuncture.
Training and apprenticeship
Subsequently, goze was decided upon, and Fuji Higuchi became her tutor. At the request of her teacher, Haru's mother taught her daughter womanly disciplines very strictly, including sewing, how to dress by herself, and how to pack and carry her things on her own. If she failed, she was not allowed to eat. In March 1905, she formally began as a goze, as her family agreed to a 21-year-long contract with Fuji for taking Haru in apprenticeship. Her family paid the expenses of education and other costs in advance, and if she discontinued the apprenticeship, a breach-of-contract fee would have to be paid to Fuji. Haru was given the goze name "Sumi" and was subsequently homeschooled, but also traveled with her teacher.
In the summer of 1907, Haru first started playing the shamisen. As she was still young, the strings made her fingers bleed. Her mother scared her by saying she would drown Haru if she said the word "it hurts". She began to practice Kangoe, a vocal style specific to goze. This could be achieved through practice, ideally in a cold environment. Haru practiced on the banks of the Shinano River, despite her bleeding throat and thin clothes.
In the spring of 1908, she was allowed to go out on Higuchi's order, who wanted her to be accustomed to walking. While walking with some of the girls she met, Haru picked flowers of various colors, while her friends picked only red flowers.When her friends said that because Haru was blind she had no concept of colors, she didn’t understand what they meant. After returning home and telling her mother what happened, her mother burst into tears. Haru’s mother then taught her the concept of colors, as well as telling Haru that because she was blind she would not be able to help with the farm work or get married. Haru was also told that the only way for her to make a living was as a goze. In 1908, Fuji, Haru, and two other older apprentices went on a journey, working as goze. Haru's uncle declared that Haru should not return home if she failed, this would be a breach of contract and money would be owed.