Koto, Kotsuzumi and Bugaku: those exotic names take you away to the heart of Japanese folklore. It seems too far away for you?! Yet you just have to go to the cultural stage of Japan Expo!

Don’t miss this one-hour show
dedicated to traditional music and dance

Koto, Kotsuzumi and Bugaku:
on the cultural stage on Saturday and Sunday

 

Bugaku

 

Kôshiro MINAMOTO funded the troop Bugakuza to show the beauty of martial arts through dance. Bugaku is a dynamic Kabuki performance based on music and martial art movements.

Kôshiro MINAMOTO keeps on improving his martial art skills and performs with musicians, artists, DJs, sometimes from abroad.

 

Koto

 

Koto is a stringed Japanese instrument, used in traditional music, for example in Kabuki and Bunraku (two kinds of traditional Japanese theatre).

Koto is a sort of long zither of about 1,80 meter long with 13 cords. It is sometimes referred to as “Japanese harp” because of its lyrical sound, close to that of a harp.

The band Waon shows you this instrument and the delicacy of its music. They try to make as many people as possible discover this instrument and play, among others, in schools. They play original pieces, traditional ones and pop, rock, or jazz modern music they rearrange.

 

Kotsuzumi

 

Kotsuzumi is a Japanese drum made of wood and cords which are more or less tight depending on the sound the musician wants. The instrument is very sensitive to moisture: that’s why the musician sometimes breathes on its head or applies saliva before playing. It is often used in Nô and Kabuki theatre.

Jinya IMAI is playing for you o,n the cultural stage of Japan Expo. He is a director, an actor, a teacher and of course a musician and started learning Kotsuzumi at a very early age. Then he kept on playing and performing on stage. He plays various genres, from classical to jazz or contemporary music.

 

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