There is a monument of Toyotaro Koji on the cliff of Kamome(Gull) Island in Esashi-cho,Hokkaido. Toyotaro Koji was said to be the first player who started playing shakuhachi with Esashi oiwake. He lived Meiji and Taisho and Showa era (1867-1938). Before he plays shakuhachi with Esashi oiwake, the singer has been sung with other instruments like shamisen, taiko. But Toyotaro showed how shakuhachi is well coordinated with Esashi oiwake and since then shakuhachi began to use with Minyo song. Toyotaro was born in esashi-cho,Hokkaido and learned with Masanoshuke Jinbo who was a Komuso shakuhachi player. Komuso was the name of a Buddhist sect called Fuke. And the shakuhachi played very important role on that religion. Toyotaro Koji taught shakuhachi to many disciples. The Koji school is succeeded to Ryusho Taruta to Cyosho Matsumoto. There is a book written about Toyotaro Koji titled” Outou-ken Toyotaro Koji who lived with Esachi oiwake and shakuhachi and people around him” by Hajime Inoue.