Mihoko Ajima
Studied under Satomi Fukami from an early age. Graduated from the Department of Traditional Japanese Music in Tokyo University of the Arts and completed a master’s course. Ajima came first in the Michio Miyagi Memorial Competition, won the Kenjun Prize (the highest prize) in the Kenjun Memorial National Koto Music Competition, the Prize for Excellence in the Nagatani Kengyo Memorial National Japanese Traditional Music Competition in KUMAMOTO, and bronze in the Hidenori Tone Memorial Japanese Traditional Music Competition.
Under a national rising artist trainee program for youth by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs she studied Koto suites of songs under Namino Torii. Under a rising player of Sankyoku (a three-part piece for koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi) trainee program by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ajima studied Jiuta shamisen under national treasure Seikin Tomiyama, as well as modern koto music under Chieko Fukunaga.
She has been involved in composing and arranging stage music, etc., and in various recordings, while performing in Japan and overseas and teaching younger musicians.
She is a member of the Miyagi Koto Association (a teacher in the Miyagi koto company), The Japan Sankyoku Association, “Association of Forest” by graduates of Tokyo University of the Arts, and the Fukami Japanese traditional music association.
She belongs to the Fukami ensemble group and the traditional Japanese musical instruments group “HOUSU”(for young people who show great promise).
Ajima is a player with the project team of Japanese traditional culture “TRAD JAPAN.”