In January 1993, a group of like-minded young and mid-career performers of traditional Japanese music and dance got together and created Tokiza. Their aim was to create new group venues and markets for their music and dance, while maintaining their individually high standards of excellence.
As I often point out in this column, it is not unusual for individual performers to work to create new audiences and repertoires. What is unusual about Tokiza is the cooperation involved. Membership cuts across the strict boundaries of genre, nationality and style that are so prevalent in Japan.
Tokiza is deeply involved in reaching out and offering the best of Japanese music to Japanese schools in educational workshops and seminars. Another exciting aspect of the Tokiza concerts is the originality of the music and staging.