Music Apr 10, 2021
Leo Konno expresses his biracial heritage through the melodies of a koto
by Yukari Tanaka
The koto player's cross-cultural approach to the traditional Japanese instrument reflects his biracial identity.
Music Mar 26, 2019
Michiyo Yagi pushes the boundaries of traditional music with her koto playing
by Katherine Whatley
I'm sitting in Koen-Dori Classics, a darkened club in the basement of a church on Koen-dori, in Tokyo's Shibuya district. The audience is small, seated in a few rows facing the performers at the front. Silence, then the performance begins. Textured sounds emanate from ...
People | WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN? Aug 11, 2018
Duo Yumeno: Making music across the Pacific
by Katherine Whatley
Contemporary classical duo bring together the cello, koto and shamisen for original classical contemporary compositions.
Lifestyle Mar 4, 2018
Traditional arts live through kids
by Kit Nagamura
Nurturing respect for cultural traditions is a daunting challenge these days, when kids are glued to cellphones and game apps. So what does a country with centuries of carefully polished artistry do to preserve its heritage? Drop a curtain on the whole show? Not ...
People | 20 QUESTIONS Dec 31, 2017
What brought you to Japan? I came here for the magic. Osaka is home to some of the best close-up magicians in the world. — Ben Daggers, magician Richard Brezina | COURTESY OF RICHARD BREZINA What's your favorite Japanese word or phrase? I like Japanese tongue-twisters; my ...
People | 20 QUESTIONS Oct 21, 2017
Koto player Azumi Yamano revels in space and atmosphere
by Ayako Nakano
"The koto is a plucked string instrument in which the sound and music really reflect the player."
Music May 19, 2016
Karin Nakagawa's path to the koto was a discovery of Japan's musical tradition
by Toru Yoshigaki
Born into a musical family, koto player Karin Nakagawa's destiny seemed to be mapped out for her from birth — still, she put up a fight. At 3 years old, her flautist father, Masami, and her composer mother, Izumi, started young Karin on the piano. "I ...
Music | JAZZ NOTES Feb 17, 2015
In praise of Michiyo Yagi: Keeping the koto contemporary
by Frank Spignese
Koto player Michiyo Yagi is a national treasure like no other. Why she isn't the most famous musician in all of Japan blows my feeble mind. She's a Japanese woman playing the koto — the most Japanese of Japanese musical instruments. She's part of an ...
Music / CD Reviews | LISTENING POST Oct 14, 2014
Wasabi crafts sounds of old Japan into something new
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Wasabi "Wasabi 2" (Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation) Wasabi refines its take on traditional Japanese music for sophomore album "Wasabi 2." Ryoichiro Yoshida, the elder of well-known shamisen duo the Yoshida Brothers, started Wasabi in 2008 with shakuhachi player Hiromu Motonaga and taiko drummer Naosaburou Bihou. ...