This project is designed to reach the average person in the “machinaka,” in the place where people are coming and going in their daily lives. The project consists of free live performances of Japanese traditional instruments, including koto and shamisen, which are not usually seen or heard in the machinaka. The project aims to spread the appeal of Japanese traditional music in a manner which can be easily understood. Furthermore, as part of the preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, this project seeks to promote the advancement of the arts culture environment of the “machi” through active expression of Japanese culture.
This two-day project consists of eighteen 30-40 minute shows performed by units of three to five young musicians. The musicians are all members of Seiha Hogaku-kai and include graduates of Seiha Music Academy, volunteers from Seiha Ensemble and graduates of Tokyo University of the Arts. The program is arranged to be enjoyed by people of all ages and nationalities and includes Rokudan no Shirabe, a piece popular since the seventeenth century, as well as Japanese children’s songs, modern koto music pieces, Western classical music pieces, pops and more.