[1] In 1978, she was named one of the Living National Treasures of Japan, as a key figure of the traditional goze art form.
Kobayashi was born on 24 January 1900, the youngest daughter of four siblings in the area currently known as Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture.
[3] At three months of age, she lost her eyesight in both eyes due to cataracts[4] and her family was told that there was no hope of recovery.
Careers open to them included acupuncture, massage, and playing music on the koto or the shamisen.
[6] 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.
In March 1905, at age 5, she formally started as a goze, and her family agreed to a 21-year-long contract with Fuji for taking Haru in apprenticeship.
Haru was given the goze name "Sumi" and was taught at her family home, but also traveled with her teacher.
Haru practiced on the banks of the Shinano River, despite her bleeding throat and thin clothes.
When her friends said that because Haru was blind she had no concept of colors, she didn’t understand what they meant.
At age thirteen, she was allowed to play duets (nichoushamisen); this marked her becoming a "true" goze.
[9] In 1915, her apprenticeship was discontinued without the fee, since Haru was not allowed to follow on a goze journey.
Medical examinations revealed many fissures along Haru's leg bones, due to Fuji's habitual abuse.
In 1921, her teacher Sawa Hatsuji died, and Haru decided to study under Tsuru Sakai.
Tsuru allowed Haru to use a leather shamisen and a tortoiseshell bachi; these also symbolized the fact that she was a full-fledged goze.
By March 1982, she was living in a special home for the blind and elderly called Tainai Yasuragino Ie.
Later she visited her birthplace and the grave of her mother, and performed an address to a kami called Matsuzaka.
The girl had clear eyesight, but the requestee wanted to get rid of her, but he stuck around abusing Haru and exploiting her for money.
Eventually, after seven years of training, Haru was able to separate from the man at Takase hot spring where he was recuperating after he collapsed.
Even after Haru retired as a goze, she attracted the attention of the public when she performed before the scholars of folk arts at Kokugakuin University.
On 25 March 1977, Haru was credited as a preserver of goze activities, and on 29 April 1979, she was given the Medal of Honour with Yellow Ribbon.
Gerald Groemer, a scholar of music, compared her performances Awatokushimajuurobee and Kuzunoha no Kowakare(阿波徳島十郎兵衛 and 葛の葉子別れ) played 20 years apart, and found practically no difference between them.
[21] Shomoju pointed out that these rules of Haru's mother governed her behavior throughout her life.
[25] Haru had a number of unfortunate events occur throughout her life, but her character remained solid.
[26] Haru expressed that she might have fostered her good nature and sincerity on her own, but her mother was pivotal in the person she became.
[33] Haru said that her blindness was the result of her bad deed in her previous life; I want to have eyesight, even if I become a worm.