How did Tsukushi-goto develop on the island of Kyushu?

Tsukushi-goto is recognized as the earliest surviving school of solo koto music, first appearing in the late 16th century on the island of Kyushu. Its development was influenced by the migration of court refugees and exiles who gathered in Kyushu to escape political upheavals in Kyoto. While the school's origins are also attributed to earlier Chinese influences, the historical facts remain obscure.1

The tradition is credited to the 16th-century priest Kenjun, who is recognized for creating the school and its initial compositions. The repertoire of Tsukushi-goto is said to have originated from variants of imayō court songs, which were performed as sets known as kumiuta—a term that later became standard for much of the chamber music that followed. These songs were accompanied by the koto and occasionally the samisen.1