![]() That is because traditional Japanese music, which begins with a long prelude, has a sense of immersion as though one is slowly sinking into the world of the composition. ![]() Unadulterated Japanese music should seem fresh for people overseas, LEO says. Delivering Japanese Music from Tokyo to the World The koto's timbre gives a sense of nostalgia precisely because of the Japanese sense of beauty that can be felt from it. Koto music also features unique pauses, or "soundless space", not found in Western music. In terms of the psychological distance from others, Japan is surely a nation of people extremely conscious of spaces. The beauty of blank spaces and pauses is said to be a characteristic of Japanese culture and art, which is valued in rakugo storytelling, kabuki performances, and architecture. One aspect of this culture and spirit is the concept of "ma," space and pause. Traditional music is not only about the music itself, but also the unique culture and spirit passed down by Japanese people, LEO says. There is a strong association between the koto and elegant melodies like "Haru no Umi (Spring Sea)," a standard heard on New Year's Day. The appeal of the koto that drew LEO in lay in its connection to traditional music. He says that he encountered the koto right at the time that he was struggling with who he was. After that, he spoke only English at school and only Japanese at home. LEO was born to an American father and Japanese mother, but his parents divorced when he was young. I'd always been a shy person, but through the koto, I learned the joy of expressing myself, and I got sucked into it more and more." ![]() "I felt the koto matched my own identity as a Japanese person. It was a compulsory subject at the international school in Yokohama City he was attending at the time, and was his first experience with any instrument. LEO first came across the koto when he was nine years old. The Japanese Sense of Beauty Engraved in Koto The recital, Welcoming the Classics into Today's World, was conceived by LEO over the course of nearly three years with the clear aim of "expressing a musical culture only found in Japan." What exactly is this unique Japanese musicality? The story goes back to his childhood. It is said that the instrument was originally loved by aristocracy, but spread to the common people in the 17th century (Edo period) when the musician Yatsuhashi Kengyo developed it into the art form it is today. The koto's pitch depends on the bridge's position, and three finger picks worn on three fingers of the right hand are used to pluck the strings like guitar picks. LEO plays 箏, the version that has the bridge. The main difference is whether there is a movable bridge called a "ji," which adjusts the tune of the strings. In Japan, two types of stringed instrument are called " koto"-琴 and 箏-but they are completely different. The koto is a Japanese musical stringed instrument that was introduced from China in the 8th century (Nara period), and the names of each of its parts are likened to that of the legendary Chinese dragon. He is an artist who performs a wide variety of classical and contemporary music in addition to traditional pieces, and has been the focus of much media coverage. Now 23 years old, he made his major debut at the early age of 19 playing the koto, a traditional Japanese musical instrument. ![]() On October 22, 2021, a special performance by a promising young performer from the world of traditional Japanese music was held at the hall, a place where Tokyo's diverse culture and arts have been passed down. In Chiyoda City, Tokyo, there is a concert hall built specifically for performing both classical music and traditional Japanese music-Kioi Hall.
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