Ko Murobushi (1947–2015) was one of the best-known and acclaimed Butoh artists in the world and was recognized in Japan as a leading inheritor of choreographer Hijikata Tatsumi's original vision of Butoh. He studied with Hijikata in 1968, briefly giving up dance to become a mountain monk. After his return to society, Murobushi founded several internationally acclaimed dance companies. After his death, his work and writings were preserved through the Ko Murobushi Archive in Tokyo.