Shinobue & Kabuki Echos in May in Brussels

Next month (May, 23 2026) , we will welcome master musicians of traditional Japanese music from Japan for a series of concerts in Paris and Brussels. This project has finally come to fruition.

Shinobue & Kabuki Echos Tradition Meets Creation

It all began three years ago, through an encounter in Tokyo with a former Belgian ambassador. Thanks to the support of many people—including the teams at the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris and those who support our concert series in Belgium—this project has become a reality.

While “Japanese music” is becoming increasingly known abroad, opportunities to hear nagauta, rooted in Edo-period culture, in a form close to its original context remain extremely rare.The music of Kabuki theatre and Japanese dance, in which the shinobue plays an important role, is originally theatrical music requiring a large ensemble. For this reason, it is seldom presented abroad in an authentic format.

Kabuki productions have occasionally been presented in Paris, but the focus is often on the theatrical aspect rather than the music itself, which tends to receive less attention.

I would be very happy if many people could experience performances by artists who are active at the highest level in Japan today. If you know anyone who might be interested, please feel free to share this information.

As for the workshops, the number of instruments is limited, so hands-on experience will be restricted. However, they offer a unique opportunity to discover a musical system that is entirely different from Western music.

For members of the Japanese community living abroad, this is also a valuable chance to reconnect with their own traditional music. Even if you have never experienced Japanese instruments or Kabuki music before, I warmly invite you to take this opportunity to attend.

https://voyage-musical.com/