On the sidewalk, in the parking lot and on the entrance stairs outside Fuchu Mori Art Theater Hall in western Tokyo last month, throngs of university students were fingering melody lines in the air, scrunching their faces trying to remember chord changes and counting out tempos in whispered voices.
Inside, the halls of the theater rumbled like a college cafeteria after final exams. Students checked their cell phones, chattered nervously and chomped down rice balls, wondering if their band would make it to the top.
The 2,000-seat auditorium was standing-room only. On stage, a 16-piece big band punched out a rousing Gil Evans tune. As the last note faded, the crowd burst into applause and shouts, clapping until the band, with their instruments gleaming in the spotlights, finished their 45-degree group bow.