Teams of elementary school students who have been hard at work practicing finally present the fruits of their labor.

Gidayu performance
Children perform Kotobuki Shiki Sanbaso, a ceremonial dance piece from the gidayu tradition dating back 400 years! You’ll be amazed by the dynamic production, with its powerful voices and splendid costumes!
Time: 13:10
Venue: Theater X

Japanese musical instrument performance
Japanese instruments feature in a range of traditions such as festivals, kabuki and noh. A variety of instruments centered on kotsuzumi and otsuzumi drums is used to express the Japanese cultural landscape in sound. Enjoy a colorful and subtle world of sound!
Time: 13:10
Venue: Theater X

Gamelan performance
Gamelan is an ancient form of music from Bali in Indonesia.
Experience this strange and enchanting tradition fusing performance and dance!
Time: 14:30
Venue: In front of Ekoin Nenbutsu Hall

Steelpan performance and live concert
The children’s HOKUSAI STEEL ORCHESTRA performs in separate ensembles of younger and older students. This is followed by a live concert by members of the Panorama Steel Orchestra, led by steelpan maestro Yoshihiro Harada.
Time: 15:30 (younger students), 16:00 (older students)
Venue: In front of Ekoin Nenbutsu Hall

Sing together! Hokusai Serenade (Opening ceremony)
Learn some words in different languages and sing along to the steelpan tune “Hokusai Serenade”!
Time: 13:00
Venue: Theater X
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults

Well done, everyone! (Award and closing ceremonies)
Did you come across a lot of wonderful musical sounds today? Let’s hear it and give a good hand to your hard-working friends and classmates!
Time: 17:00
Venue: In front of Ekoin Nenbutsu Hall
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults

Experience music from around the world, making things and performing on stage!

Japanese musical instrument experience
Pick up and have a go at making sounds with some traditional Japanese instruments like drums, flutes and the shamisen!
Time:14:30-16:30
Venue: Theater X Lobby
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Tazae Mochizuki and others

Gidayu experience and live concert
Take on the challenge of gidayu, Japan’s traditional puppet theater music. You’ll love the feeling of shouting from your belly! Listen to a powerful live concert by the instructors.
Time: 15:00-15:30
Venue: Theater X
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructors: Kyonosuke Takemoto, Yaya Tsuruzawa

Japanese musical instrument live concert
Who knew traditional Japanese music could be so free-form? Ancient and yet new, Japanese instruments burst with appeal! This fun-filled live concert features appearances by guest stars like Yoichiro Yanagihara (formerly of group Tama)
Time: 16:30-17:00
Venue: Theater X
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Tazae Mochizuki and others

Open mic for all
Go solo or sing with friends/family! Perform familiar songs or show off the fruits of your musical instrument practice on a mini-stage.
Time: 13:30-15:00 (on-the-spot participation is fine!)
Venue: Ekoin Hondo 1F
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults

Ukulele experience
Play and sing along to the small guitar-like ukulele from Hawaii in this eye-openingly easy class, led by popular YouTube ukulele instructor Gazz.
Time: 15:00-15:30
Venue: Ekoin Hondo 1F
Target participants: Elementary school students
Capacity: 20 (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 11:00 at reception on the day of the event)
Instructor: Gazz (Gazzlele)

Ukulele joint practice and performance
Practice a set piece at home, then take it to the Hokusai Music Expo stage as part of a large ensemble and chorus on the day!
Time: 15:30-16:00 (Rehearsal), 16:45 (Performance)
Venue: 1F and in front of Ekoin Hondo
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Gazz (Gazzlele)
*Please see here for the assigned song.

Steelpan experience
How can a metal drum make such a shimmering sound? Have a go at steelpan, a drum instrument from Trinidad and Tobago.
Time: 13:30-14:00, 14:00-14:30
Venue: Ekoin Nenbutsu Hall 1F
Target participants: Preschoolers to elementary school students
Capacity: 10 each session (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 11:00 at reception on the day of the event)
Instructor: Yoshihiro Harada

Gamelan experience
After listening to the children’s gamelan performance, you can experience these rare and unusual gamelan instruments up close!
Time: 14:40-15:00
Venue: In front of Ekoin Nenbutsu Hall
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Makoto Torii

Didgeridoo experience
Try your hand at making and playing the world’s oldest wind instrument, the didgeridoo from Australia.
Time: 15:00-16:00
Venue: Ekoin Nenbutsu Hall 2F
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Capacity: 30 (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 11:00 at reception on the day of the event)
Participation fee: 500
Instructor:GOMA

Family crest making experience
Family crests have a history of a thousand years in Japan. Ramp up the fun at Hokusai Music Expo by designing your very own original family crest.
Time: 13:30-16:30 *Participants may join any time
Venue: Ekoin Hondo 2F
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Kimiaki Takeuchi (graphic designer)

Notebook-making experience
Choose your own paper and make a notebook! Another option is making a passport for the Hokusai Music Expo stamp rally.
Time: 13:30-16:30 *Participants may join any time
Venue: Ekoin Hondo 2F
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Price: 500 yen
Instructor: Dochido papercraft

Newspaper reporter experience
Post your own spot reports on the day’s activities in sketch form to the expo website!
Time: 13:30-16:30 *Participants may join any time
Venue: Ekoin Hondo 2F
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Rui Ishiguro (gm projects / webs designer)

Bateria (samba percussion band) experience and parade
Samba wouldn’t be samba without baterias. Show off your new Brazilian rhythms in a samba parade from Ekoin temple to Ryogoku station!
Time: 13:30-14:00, 15:00-15:30
Venue: Special tent in front of Ekoin Hondo
Target participants: Elementary school students
Capacity: 10 per session (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 11:00 at reception on the day of the event)
Instructor: Masayoshi Adachi

Samba costume experience
They’re chic, colorful and dazzling. Don your carnival clothes and feel like a samba dancer!
Time: 13:30-16:30 *Participants may join any time
Venue: Special tent in front of Ekoin Hondo
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults

Kalimba (thumb piano) experience and live concert
Learn the basics of Africa’s cherished “thumb piano” and a simple playing method for compound rhythm in simultaneous double-time and triple-time meter.
Time: 14:00-15:00
Venue: -Ryogoku- Edo NOREN
Target participants: Elementary school students
Capacity: 10 per session (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 11:00 at reception on the day of the event)
Instructor: Sakaki Mango

World musical instrument experience
Look at, touch and freely have a go playing the variety of instruments from around the world assembled in front of the sumo ring.
Time: 15:00-16:30
Venue: -Ryogoku- Edo NOREN
Target participants: Preschoolers to adults
Instructor: Sakaki Mango, Prince Sitar and others

• Numbered tickets will be distributed from 11:00 on the day at the Ekoin reception.
• Events to be held rain or shine. In the event of stormy weather the program will be canceled. In the event of cancellation, we will give notice on the official website by 10 am on the day of the event.
• Some experience programs will end when numbered tickets and food/drink supplies run out.
• There is no car parking availability. Please be aware of and plan for limited bicycle parking spaces.
• The advertised program is subject to change.

Topping East (NPO)
TEL: 080-9671-7507 (11:00-18:00 Irregular closings)
E-mail：info@toppingeast.com

What is Hokusai Music Expo?
Founded on respect for the world-famous Katsushika Hokusai, the Hokusai Music Expo is a music program in which children from areas surrounding Sumida-ku (Hokusai’s birthplace) experience the euphony of instruments from around the world, learn about their history and go on to perform in concert after a practice period.
By early direct contact with music and the sound of instruments from all over the world, children get a feeling for these places. The hope is that these children keep hold of their curiosity, and before long spread their wings like Katsushika Hokusai and go on to have global impact.