Spirit of Wa: Masterpieces for the Koto — Japan’s Beautiful Melodies

Song of the WindTadao Sawai

Song of the Wind (Composed by Tadao Sawai)

Composed in 1970, this piece is quite new for the koto repertoire and was created by Tadao Sawai, the founder of the Sawai Koto Institute.

It depicts a dialogue between the wind and the human heart swayed by it.

Rather than a traditional piece, it’s a new type of work that explores the possibilities of ensemble between koto and shakuhachi.

I’m deeply moved by its musicality, which feels like a meeting of past and present.

Some of you may know him from a coffee commercial he appeared in in 1985, famous for the tagline “The man who can tell the difference.”

Song of the PloversYoshizawa Kengyō

Chidori no Kyoku (Song of the Plovers) – composed by Kengyo Yoshizawa – Tozan-ryu official edition, revised shakuhachi fingering – September 25, 2016 – Fukuoka Sankyoku Association

This piece, considered one of the representative works of early modern Japanese music, was composed by Yoshizawa Kengyō, a musician active at the end of the Edo period.

It was originally written for koto and kokyū, but, as in the video, it is often performed with shakuhachi as well.

The lyrics draw on poems about plovers (chidori) from the Kokin Wakashū and the Kin’yō Wakashū.

Songs that beautifully adorn and vocalize classical waka have such elegance and charm, don’t they? If you listen while picturing the scenes they evoke, you may find yourself enjoying the piece even more.

CrimsonHanafugetsu

[Japanese-style Unit] Original Song 'Crimson' PV [Kafuugetsu]

“Crimson” is a masterpiece brimming with Japanese flavor, featuring a beautiful interweaving of 25-string koto, shakuhachi, and piano.

It’s performed by Hanafugetsu, a three-piece unit consisting of Seiji Ibukuro on 25-string koto, Yuko Suzuhana on shigin (poetry chanting), and Daisuke Kaminaga on shakuhachi—members who are also part of the internationally renowned Wagakki Band.

MemoryKimio Eto

Kimio Eto “OMOIDE”

“Memories” is a richly emotional piece whose beautiful, wistful melody seeps into your heart, making it impossible not to recall dear people and places.

It was composed by Kimio Eto, one of Japan’s leading koto musicians.

Eto held a recital at Carnegie Hall, becoming the second Japanese performer to do so, following violinist Toshiya Eto, and he was active internationally as a koto virtuoso.

Koto music: HigurashiMiyagi Michio

Koto Music: Higurashi

Here is a piece from the Taisho era by Michio Miyagi.

Best known for composing the New Year standard “Haru no Umi,” he moved with his family to Incheon in what is now the Republic of Korea during his boyhood due to his parents’ work.

Since he hadn’t learned that many pieces in Japan, he composed his own koto music to expand his repertoire and reportedly began teaching koto in his own studio at the age of 13.

Such remarkable drive, isn’t it? This piece was created with the image of evening cicadas (higurashi) calling at dusk in late summer.

Yachiyo ShishiFujinaga Kengyō

Yachiyozushi: Japanese koto music “Yachiyozushi”

Yachiyo-jishi was originally enjoyed as a shakuhachi piece.

That piece was arranged for kokyū by Kengyō Masajima, and later arranged for shamisen by Kengyō Fujishima.

Lyrics were added, and it is often performed as an ensemble by the three instruments known as sankyoku—shamisen, koto, and kokyū.

Among lion-dance pieces (shishi-mono), some are considered secret repertoire and are forbidden to beginners, but Yachiyo-jishi is said to be permissible for beginners to play.

It is also used as geza music in kabuki—effect music performed behind the black bamboo curtain (kuro-misu) on the downstage left side.

OKOTOHikaru Sawai

OKOTO Hikaru Sawai

Composed with a fresh sensibility for the traditional koto, OKOTO is a celebrated koto masterpiece that evokes Japan’s natural beauty—like pure river water flowing quietly beneath trees breathing with brilliant autumn foliage.

It is a work by Hicaru Sawai, one of contemporary Japan’s leading koto composers, released in 1999.