Nahoko is a UK-based Japanese music journalist with a background in musicology. She writes regularly for various Japanese media including Ongaku no tomo and Mostly Classic magazines.
One of the hidden sub-themes of Suntory Hall’s Chamber Music Garden 2021 has been the centenary of Saint-Saëns, with an opportunity to hear his two Piano Trios played by different groups.
Most people will associate Suntory Hall with the grand Main Hall, but tucked away at the side of the hall’s entrance is its small hall named Blue Rose which is the venue of its annual Chamber Music Garden festival.
Jean-Louis Grinda's traditional production is revived for New National Theatre Tokyo's eighth opera production since the house reopened with audiences last autumn.
Tokyo Opera City is well known for its acoustically magnificent Takemitsu Memorial Concert Hall, but tucked away in the basement is the lesser known Recital Hall where a series called "B→C" is held.
One of the few upsides to the current Covid-19 pandemic for the classical music world in Japan is that it has given opportunities to young home-grown talent.
After an eight-city recital tour of Japan with duo partner Daishin Kashimoto, Kirill Gerstein gave a recital of his own at Kioi Hall, arguably Tokyo's best acoustics for solo piano.
Seven months ago, when Tokyo’s musical scene was brought to a standstill by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was hard to envisage any orchestra performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by December, an important year-end custom in Japan.
"Is the Vienna Philharmonic coming or not?" This had been the talk of town amongst classical music fans in Japan since September, when its concert scene regained some semblance of normality.
Every August, the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra gives a concert to commemorate and reflect on the tragedy of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima on 6th August 1945.
Japan didn’t experience a strict “lockdown”, but concert halls and orchestras were asked to “refrain from” holding events. We look at how lockdown has progressed and the role that video has played.
We spoke to multi-genre composer and producer Keiichiro Shibuya about his new opera, due to premiere at the New National Theatre Tokyo in August, that will see a robot in a starring role.
We spoke to Japanese composer Dai Fujikura about his new opera, based on a short story by H.G. Wells, and the concerto he wrote inspired by the piano of a young girl who perished in Hiroshima.
