Performing at the Japan–Poland Friendship Centennial Festival in Wrocław
- Sep 18, 2019
- 3 min read
2019 september （Edited）
To go back a little in time...
After the Dinant Summer Academy and the concert in Zurich, I was invited to take part in an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of friendship between Japan and Poland, held in Wrocław, Poland.
I had the honor of performing in the opening concert alongside koto player Ritsuko Takeyama, who is based in Berlin.
Several distinguished artists also came from Japan, representing traditional arts such as koto, shakuhachi, shamisen, and jiuta-mai dance.
It was a wonderful opportunity to meet many inspiring people. Among them were shakuhachi master Toshimitsu Ishikawa, teacher of Akihito Obama, who had previously visited Brussels, and koto player Shogo Hiyoshi, who also knows Masayoshi Takahashi in Paris.
This summer has been full of remarkable encounters, and this event was no exception.
The concert program covered a surprisingly wide range of styles.
I performed Kazuo Fukushima's Mei, a flute arrangement of the classical shakuhachi honkyoku Tsuru no Sugomori ("The Nesting of Cranes"), and Sanmu, a serious and contemplative solo work for shinobue by David Loeb.
On the other hand, the organizers had asked me if I could include a Polish song in the program.
So I did.
And somehow, I ended up singing it as well.
The accompaniment was intentionally simple, based on chord progressions adapted for koto. Since I was performing a Polish song in Poland, I thought it would be fun to make a special effort and sing it in Polish.
Polish, however, is not the easiest language for a Japanese speaker.
With its many consonants and unfamiliar combinations of sounds, even names can be difficult to pronounce correctly. I spent time checking pronunciations on Google Translate and listening to recordings, wondering whether the audience would be impressed or simply amused.
Fortunately, the result was a success.
Whether my pronunciation was actually correct remains an open question, but the audience seemed delighted, and that was what mattered most.
Ritsuko's koto performances were bright and brilliant, while my flute and shinobue selections tended to be more introspective and sometimes quite dark.
Because of that contrast, it was particularly rewarding to feel the audience's energy building throughout the concert.
The following day was dedicated to workshops.
There were workshops on Japanese musical instruments, ikebana, kimono dressing, calligraphy, Edo-style lettering, and many other aspects of Japanese culture.
Honestly, I am not sure that even in Japan one would often find so many traditional cultural activities gathered together in a single event.
During the shinobue workshop, several participants took pages of notes with great enthusiasm. Experiences like this remind me that I would like to deepen my own knowledge further—not only about the instrument itself, but also about its history, regional traditions, and the craft of flute making.
The concerts featuring jiuta-mai dance, koto music, classical shakuhachi repertoire, and sankyoku ensemble music were also received with great attention and appreciation.
As several of the performers remarked, even in Japan it is rare to encounter such a concentrated presentation of traditional Japanese performing arts.
Seeing so many people around the world who genuinely love and support Japanese culture was deeply moving.
I do not believe that Japanese culture is somehow superior to others. However, it is a privilege to belong to a culture that inspires such curiosity, respect, and affection across the world.
This event was yet another memorable experience, filled with wonderful encounters, meaningful exchanges, and a renewed appreciation for the cultural traditions that continue to connect people across borders.
Pi
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