The hitoyogiri was brought to Japan during the Muromachi period by a Zen priest named Roan from China; after Sokun OMORI (1570 - 1625) emerged and became a famous for playing the hitoyogiri, the instrument's popularity spread rapidly.
一節切は、室町時代に中国から日本に渡った禅僧・蘆安がもたらしたもので、名手といわれた大森宗勲（1570年-1625年）が出たのち、急速に広まった。